rat in the garden,should i ignore it.

[natureshooter]

Today in daylight in my back garden i noticed a rat having a clean up when the bird feeders have spilt onto the floor,it was large and grey colour,long long thin tail.

I watched it as was watching the birds for a while,just say there eating and nibbling away on bird seed,it then retreated under a larger pile of leaves i brushed up from the garden a couple of weeks ago.

I leave the leaves up against the base of a fence to rott down eventually.

I am also the house next door but one to the main train line in stafford,so this is very close.
I was wondering if they cam from there,or maybe keeping warm under the leaves.

Anyway

The point is,should i just leave it be or get a trap?

I do enjoy watching them though i must admit,and i have just set my cctv night vision up covering the area that it was seen.

Semi rural location outskirts of town.

Help appreciated

Thanks Gaz

[tameblackbirds]

I first spotted a rat cleaning up over three years ago. As I watched four magpies came down and harassed it and it left but..... in the last year or so we have had rats in our kitchen loft space and sadly had to use traps to catch them. Not saying that they may find their way into your house, but monitor them! and if possible clean up once the birds have stopped feeding and put the feeders further away from the house if possible.

[Richard Baber]

I think it's your call really. If you enjoy having them in the garden and they don't move into your house, then leave them be.

A large male rat started visiting my garden a couple of years ago, attracted by fallen bird seed. I then noticed burrows under my hedgehog box and in my compost bin, but was happy to live with this level of ratty activity. I like rats, having had a few as pets. But ever the opportunists, a female nested in our outhouse, just outside our back door. With cats in the house, they might not have made the move indoors, but who knows? It was too close for comfort, so I destroyed the nest, moved the compost bin and started using trays on my bird feeders. No rats since.

In your case, I'd be tempted to leave them be unless they get too invasive. They are fascinating, intelligent, resourceful animals.

[werdnal]

We know we have rats here. We have livestock, live in a very rural spot next to a working farm, with a river nearby - all idyllic rat habitat. We tend to ignore them as they are far enough away from the house not to cause us any problems. They have got into our pigeon shed in the past and we had to trap them - not something we like doing, but didn't feel we had any choice. Our neighbour also has a couple of whippets who have caught several, and as far as we know he uses traps in his outbuildings so probably helps keep the numbers down.

I always find it strange how people see a rat and start worrying, when a lot of us love to see a squirrel in the garden (we have these too). They are very similar creatures, albeit squirrels possibly carrying less disease than rats, but both will happily colonise loft spaces etc given the opportunity.

I'd 2nd cleaning up as much spilt bird seed as you can, but its never easy, and they are agile and clever enough to climb up to the feeder if they cannot find anything on the ground. Make sure you wash your hands after touching anything they may have been in contact with, and be careful of you have any recent cuts on your hands (Weils disease).

I'd say live and let live, unless you start seeing lots or any evidence that they are moving nearer the house.

[John_M]

We've had rats in the compost bin for the last 5 or 6 years, and occasionally see one under the bird feeders. They've never come any closer to the house as far as I know, and they aren't a problem, apart from when one of the cats brings one in (invariably a juvenile) so we just leave them alone. At least they're turning the compost over.

[natureshooter]

thanks all for help,for now i think i will leave it be,only 1 and didnt even see it last night,think it may spend most its life on the railway enbackment about 30ft away,only wire fence between that and the street.

Thanks Gary

[Cowgirl]

We have one that hangs out of the hedge & gets peanuts from the feeder. So far I've only seen the one & as long as he doesn't get bold & try & get into my shed or house to chew electrical cabl esI'm content to just watch & monitor. Trouble is they often bring their mates & that's when you have to act, a few years ago I looked out my front window & there were 7 all scurrying about so I had to get rid.

I do think they are good to watch tho.