RATS lots of Rats

Correct me if I'm wrong, but did Ireland ever have any great numbers of owls at all?

I seem to remember hearing from a few boffins that they were one of the species that never quite made it here in any numbers.
I've yet to see one in the wild

boneless wrote: »

We had plenty of barn and long eared (I think...) but their habitat was taken away... I see a barn owl frequently in UCD. I'd love to know where the nest is!!

I also noticed a lot of rats recently in Dublin. At least the buzzards will eat well!!

I live next to UCD and I keep hearing a Barn owl in the small patch of woods by my apartment. Maybe he's nesting there?

Also, I saw a rat swimming in the canal the other day *shudders*

Sure, no problem.

Roen wrote: »

Well they're everywhere to be honest. I'm not sure if those stats about only ever being a maximum of 30 feet from a rat no matter where you are are true, but they are genuinely in every single part of this land, in every environment you can think of.

I think a suspended bird feeder is the answer to your worries, just tie one or two on to a tree or other highish object and the birds will have somewhere to land and feed away.

They're pretty cheap from any DIY/garden centre.

I had rats climb poles to get at the bird feeders!! :mad: They are resourceful animals!!

Don't use poison it kills everything that eats it not just rats.
Rats are everywhere best you can do is just not give them a free lunch.
If you just buy a few feeders and hang them from something fairly high and use fishing line or something like it to tie it on with, but leave a fairly long length of line between the feeder and whatever you tie it on to.
Their good at climbing but they shouldn't be able to get a grip on the line.

I know a lot of people who use fishing line or fine wire and the rats cant seem to get a grip of it and I've seen a few try,But your going to have rats anyway and as long as you are hygienic and careful around the house you shouldn't have a problem.

Apart from being very cruel I suspect its just an old wives tale or farmers tale as the case may be and cant see it being effective.

We've had a minor rat problem lately too but we have a big pond and I think they took advantage of any fish pellets that were uneaten in the summer and we just didn't notice they were here till lately. I've got suspended bird feeders too and I've no doubt they scavenge amongst the bits that drop to the floor. All the bird food is kept in the house and they aren't in here - I hope.

I've been using good old metal "snap ur fingers off" rat traps (never ever set one when you've been drinking). Caught 2 big ones using mini picnic bars as bait. Now the damn kids have eaten all the mini picnic bars and nothing else seems to wedge on the trap as well, cheese, meat etc all pulls off too easily. There only seem to be little baby rats now, I watched one sat on the trap nibbling some cheese but it didn't set it off as it was too lightweight.

So I bought 2 smaller plastic prebaited mouse traps and seems to be doing the business - didn't catch any last night so hopefully they've all gone.

It got quite competitive, me vs them, even though I hate killing things and even rescue tiny spiders and daddylonglegs out the house. I can't resist a gleeful grin when I draw back the kitchen curtains and see I have got one of the bast**ds

Well I didn't catch any last night either, so hopefully thats the end of them. We get owls here by the way, I forgot to say, Long eared owls bred in the trees opposite a couple of summers ago. Used to sit on the bench outside about 9pm with a glass of wine and watch them flying about (where was the damn summer this year? I still can't believe its nearly Christmas and I didn't get a suntan at all)

The young owls sound like squeaky gates that need oiling, strange sound for a bird. I also saw a barn owl over the garden last year and a friend of mine saw one a few weeks ago so they are still about.

I sympathise with the wasp problem. I have 2 beehives and I've had a couple of stings, the last one was above my ear and my eye swelled up, looked like I'd gone 5 rounds in a boxing ring Wasps are enemy number 1 because they raid the beehives and steal the honey for themselves. I used to just shoo them outside but 'm afraid it was squash the wasp this year.

dodgyme wrote: »

Thinks it is probably a good idea if you contact birdwatch ireland about the owls. They would be very interested as these beauiful creature are in major danger. And they have a good website also.

I was a member of Birdwatch Ireland until recently but I've lapsed lol. Do you think they will be interested in the owl sightings. I didn't think they were that "rare". We get hen harriers here too and merlins, I thought they were just interested in real rarities, like European/American migrants like the mourning dove seen recently ?

dodgyme wrote: »

Is there alot of juvenile woodland near you?

Yes there is a lot of young forestry within a 15 mile radius, well all ages of forestry, and we have an expanse of blanket bog nearby as well. The Cork branch guy never got back to me when I emailed him about something before, I'll dig an old copy of Wings out and see who else I can get hold of.

I know that it can be used responsibly but a lot of people tend to be careless with it and even when used responsibly sometimes other animals like shrews, wood mice,wrens and robins cant still get at it.
And in general unless you have a fairly big population of them they wont do much harm and their around you anyway whether you see them or not.