The rat in our garden...

[Lindsay-c]

There were field mice living under my next door neighbour's shed. Now they are gone and there is a brown rat which comes out during the day now to climb up our little tree and feed on the birdhouse.

I have argued against putting down poison as it could harm the birds or other wildlife and I do not wish to kill it.

I could take in all the food from the birdhouse but then it might come indoors and that's no use anyway since the neighbours feed their dogs outside...

I have offered to get a humane trap to capture it and release it into a countryside area away from any residential areas. Is this an okay idea?

or can anyone give me other advice ?

thanks

[~T~]

Originally Posted by Lindsay-c

There were field mice living under my next door neighbour's shed. Now they are gone and there is a brown rat which comes out during the day now to climb up our little tree and feed on the birdhouse.

I have argued against putting down poison as it could harm the birds or other wildlife and I do not wish to kill it.

I could take in all the food from the birdhouse but then it might come indoors and that's no use anyway since the neighbours feed their dogs outside...

I have offered to get a humane trap to capture it and release it into a countryside area away from any residential areas. Is this an okay idea?

or can anyone give me other advice ?

thanks

I don't see why not.

[ForestPaul]

Originally Posted by Lindsay-c

I have offered to get a humane trap to capture it and release it into a countryside area away from any residential areas. Is this an okay idea?

or can anyone give me other advice ?

thanks

If you catch and release it somewhere else it will either become a pest to someone else, or die due to lack of food and shelter or become predated.
More humane to trap it and kill it IMO.

You're also unlikely to have just one rat, I'd imagine there are more around.

[the poacher]

if you have "a" rat living under a shed,then in all probability you may have a family there,and if not now then i would presume,very shortly.rats are notorious for there burrowing and nest building especially under structures such as you describe,and can be very destructive with foundations on a small scale , more so when scraps of food are present as you describe,easy pickings,the bane of all bird watchers who like to feed there birds.on the other hand,they are great for watching,and taking pics and in all probability,will not venture into your house in the summer,if ever.if things get really bad in the future you can always contact your local council,but i will warn you,they will charge a fee.do not be scared of the rat,it is he who is scared of us.the biggest problem for most is kill or not to kill.

[dampflippers]

If you can think of a good release site where it won't harm the local wildlife, humane trap it and release with a little pile of birdseed.

If you decide on a kill trap it MUST be where nothing else can accidentally get caught.

[Lindsay-c]

Many thanks for the responses

I understand that if I release into the countryside that it could become predated on but this is better than someone here killing it. Least then it will make a nice dinner for some other organism and thats natural...

I shant be killing it. It has as much right to be here as us and I'm a veggie so that would be hypocritical

I also am aware there are probably more. I have a feeling the one I've seen is the same one and is fairly new so it's rat posse may not have come along to these parts yet. I say yet because as I said there is little I can do about scraps of food being left outside.

I have also thought about people or other wildlife it may affect if I do release it which is why I asked for other people's opinions and I will have a very careful think of a suitable place before I set a humane trap

[the poacher]

do not forget this is a RAT,it has a social standing among its empire of other rats,just as we do,for certain i would hate to be released into an unknown world,far from home set in an idiom to which i am unaccustomed.remember the meerkat ,outnumbered,not my family, driven out,left on your own,to fend for oneself.This and many other.Man Walks Among Us,Be Still,Be Still

[wizzo]

Unless the Rat tries to get into your house, I'd leave it where it is and forget about it. As Poacher says, it's more afraid of you and won't attack you if you leave well alone. Every creature has a place and purpose in life's chain, and as you say yourself Lindsey, I don't believe we have the moral right to just kill everything that we don't like. Let us know what you decide - Wizzo

[ediblehedge]

Hi, I've seen the odd rat in the garden and also the droppings in shed but we've never been over run by them as I think it's because we have a good fox population here too. The rat has it's place in the ecosystem and as long as the rat(s) don't expand their population massively out of control then it's happily living here with us.
I don't think many of my neighbours agree though!

[~T~]

Originally Posted by the poacher

do not forget this is a RAT,it has a social standing among its empire of other rats,just as we do,for certain i would hate to be released into an unknown world,far from home set in an idiom to which i am unaccustomed.remember the meerkat ,outnumbered,not my family, driven out,left on your own,to fend for oneself.This and many other.Man Walks Among Us,Be Still,Be Still

Do not forget that this is a RAT, an animal that had colonised the globe thanks to it's love of travelling. I don't think a little trip to the countryside will phase it