Rats

Welding Rod

I have noticed an unusual number of dead or dying rats around the yard over the past few weeks, even though I don’t have poison laid anywhere. Nearest neighbouring yard where there might be poison laid is well over half a kilometre away.
Have seen five in total clearly dying and moving very slowly away. Banged them with back of the shovel to finish them off. This morning came across my fourth example of already dead one in the feeding passage!

Any ideas what might be the cause?

Say my name

Welding Rod wrote: »

I have noticed an unusual number of dead or dying rats around the yard over the past few weeks, even though I don’t have poison laid anywhere. Nearest neighbouring yard where there might be poison laid is well over half a kilometre away.
Have seen five in total clearly dying and moving very slowly away. Banged them with back of the shovel to finish them off. This morning came across my fourth example of already dead one in the feeding passage!

Any ideas what might be the cause?

Are you living in the southeast?

I saw a big mangy rat this morning barely able to move in the yard.

It'd remind you of the mixo in rabbits.

This lad this morning was trying to eat some dropped bird seed from a feeder. I reckon if it's a virus, it's spread from birds.

Cavanjack

Long may it continue

kk.man

Say my name wrote: »

Are you living in the southeast?

I saw a big mangy rat this morning barely able to move in the yard.

It'd remind you of the mixo in rabbits.

This lad this morning was trying to eat some dropped bird seed from a feeder. I reckon if it's a virus, it's spread from birds.

It's funny you should mention this, I set poison November to March around the yard. There has been no up take on the poison the last 4 weeks.

Who2

Same around me, there’s been a couple of big ones dead the last few days and no poison laid in a long time.

Say my name

Was it Base Price that posted before that there was some new disease spreading through the rabbit population?

I wonder was it Tularemia?

liam7831

There's always a rat

Birdnuts

Could be all the heavy rain recently has forced them out of drains and sewars causing them to die of exposure/hunger(not much natural food about this time of year)

Birdnuts

Say my name wrote: »

Was it Base Price that posted before that there was some new disease spreading through the rabbit population?

I wonder was it Tularemia?

RHD

Say my name

Birdnuts wrote: »

RHD

I couldn't see a steering wheel.

Who2

Birdnuts wrote: »

Could be all the heavy rain recently has forced them out of drains and sewars causing them to die of exposure/hunger(not much natural food about this time of year)

I doubt it, one was not too far from the meal bin.

uck51js9zml2yt

Kids found a dead mouse outside out gate today.

yosemitesam1

Saw two or three dead like that over the winter too. Very little uptake on poison and only two rats caught in cage after a great run last year

gozunda

If a virus is killing rats - that's some serious virus. Rats have exceptional immune systems...

foxy farmer

Super Rat

https://www.rte.ie/amp/1037897/

Odelay

foxy farmer wrote: »

Super Rat

https://www.rte.ie/amp/1037897/

Cute little things.

whisky_galore

Odelay wrote: »

Cute little things.

Some dope actually imported these things and they escaped.

Should be far stricter laws on what you can and can't bring into the country unless you're Dublin Zoo or Fota, not any old open farm or petting zoo.

whelan2

It's crows around here at the moment, 4 dead on my parents lawn this last few days and dog here playing with a half dead one today..

MickeyShtyles

whelan2 wrote: »

It's crows around here at the moment, 4 dead on my parents lawn this last few days and dog here playing with a half dead one today..

Be careful with that Whelan.
A number of years ago up fairly close to you there was a lad poisoning crows, heaps of them at a time.

Birdnuts

MickeyShtyles wrote: »

Be careful with that Whelan.
A number of years ago up fairly close to you there was a lad poisoning crows, heaps of them at a time.

I remember a case in the news a few years ago about someone being prosecuted for that in some part of Meath - it was certainly more common years ago before it was thankfully outlawed in 2010.

whelan2

We had something similar this time last year too. Oh went out and rang the neck of the half dead one and threw it in the skip. They dog took it from the skip... The crows congregate in big trees opposite my parents house

Birdnuts

whelan2 wrote: »

We had something similar this time last year too. Oh went out and rang the neck of the half dead one and threw it in the skip. They dog took it from the skip... The crows congregate in big trees opposite my parents house

Could be a disease called Trichimosis - pigeons and finches get it too and its usually at its worse around this time of year. If your concerned you could let your local NPWS ranger know and they could test the carcass.

whelan2

Birdnuts wrote: »

Could be a disease called Trichimosis - pigeons and finches get it too and its usually at its worse around this time of year. If your concerned you could let your local NPWS ranger know and they could test the carcass.

Ye will keep an eye out. Thought it was the cold weather last year caused it.