Rats. Lots of rats.

Tom Mann Centuria · 10-08-2020 6:17pm #1

Living in the countryside we know there are obviously lots of rats about, but we've seldom seen any in our garden, I think once in 17 years. Now all of a sudden we've seen five or six this afternoon. Not what we wanted to see obviously, is there any reason they'd all appear at once? We do have overgrown grass and wild flower beds but they've also been there for ten plus years. Really don't know what to do.

mloc123 · 10-08-2020 6:19pm

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

Living in the countryside we know there are obviously lots of rats about, but we've seldom seen any in our garden, I think once in 17 years. Now all of a sudden we've seen five or six this afternoon. Not what we wanted to see obviously, is there any reason they'd all appear at once? We do have overgrown grass and wild flower beds but they've also been there for ten plus years. Really don't know what to do.

Any local building work nearby recently? They cleared a field about 1-2km from us back in March to start building... The place was overrun with rats afterwards.

Tom Mann Centuria · 10-08-2020 6:24pm

mloc123 wrote: »

Any local building work nearby recently? They cleared a field about 1-2km from us back in March to start building... The place was overrun with rats afterwards.

Yeah they are actually. They are doing building work about same distance away. How do I get rid of them though.

kylith · 10-08-2020 10:36pm

Terriers, traps, or making sure there’s no food for them and they should move on.

mloc123 · 11-08-2020 10:07am

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

Yeah they are actually. They are doing building work about same distance away. How do I get rid of them though.

In the end... I didn't do anything and it seems they moved on

The main points I read at the time was.. don't feed them. We had been feeding birds, but stopped leaving any food out for them (no need from March on anyway).

Tom Mann Centuria · 11-08-2020 11:41am

mloc123 wrote: »

In the end... I didn't do anything and it seems they moved on
The main points I read at the time was.. don't feed them. We had been feeding birds, but stopped leaving any food out for them (no need from March on anyway).

Yeah we've been feeding the birds, stopped now, so fingers toes and everything else crossed they go.

So far this year we have sparrow's in the roof, bees in the loft, the odd shrew in the utility room. Could take all them, but rats is just a step too far.

who what when · 11-08-2020 11:45am

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

So far this year we have sparrow's in the roof, bees in the loft, the odd shrew in the utility room. Could take all them, but rats is just a step too far.

That's unusual. Was always of the opinion that shrews were very adverse to entering houses. Unless helped by a cat of course which happens in our house from time to time.

gzoladz · 11-08-2020 2:37pm

Loads of rats in Herbert Park too...the Dodder workings have impacted the fox habitat in the banks or the river, you hardly see any fox (alive) now, and rats are benefiting from it.

mloc123 · 11-08-2020 2:39pm

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

Yeah we've been feeding the birds, stopped now, so fingers toes and everything else crossed they go.

So far this year we have sparrow's in the roof, bees in the loft, the odd shrew in the utility room. Could take all them, but rats is just a step too far.

The first day we were sitting having dinner and I saw the rat out side the door looking in at us... I am sure they get a bad rep, but he put me off my dinner that day :pac:

Tom Mann Centuria · 11-08-2020 4:48pm

who what when wrote: »

That's unusual. Was always of the opinion that shrews were very adverse to entering houses. Unless helped by a cat of course which happens in our house from time to time.

We had a shrew in daughters room about 3 years ago. Then nothing, then four all in space of 2 days in the utility room. We must have a lot around us because a couple of times I've had to fish dead ones from storm water drains when the grill thing wasn't properly fitting. I can cope with them, we've got a catch and release trap for them now.

mloc123 wrote: »

The first day we were sitting having dinner and I saw the rat out side the door looking in at us... I am sure they get a bad rep, but he put me off my dinner that day :pac:

Yeah, must say we've had better days.

Eddie B · 11-08-2020 7:16pm

who what when wrote: »

That's unusual. Was always of the opinion that shrews were very adverse to entering houses. Unless helped by a cat of course which happens in our house from time to time.

Probably white toothed shrew. Bigger than pygmy shrews. They often come indoors. Actually chased one out the front door about two weeks ago. Huge amount of them here in Offaly.

Tom Mann Centuria · 11-08-2020 7:19pm

Eddie B wrote: »

Probably white toothed shrew. Bigger than pygmy shrews. They often come indoors. Actually chased one out the front door about two weeks ago. Huge amount of them here in Offaly.

I thought they were pygmy shrews we had but must confess I'm not very up on my shrews. Nippy little feckers I know that much.

Graces7 · 20-08-2020 11:29am

when I moved here almost four years ago, the dwelling was clear of anything. But my biggest cat took up residence by the gate and almost every day I found a dead rat, one of them the size of a well grown kitten. he cleared the lot out. There was a well-established rat run there. Never a problem since. This has happened in a few of my deep rural houses. I would never be without a good cat .

gzoladz · 20-08-2020 12:57pm

I saw a masive one along the Dodder this morning, for a second I thought it was a Pine Marten.

Graces7 · 20-08-2020 10:13pm

gzoladz wrote: »

I saw a masive one along the Dodder this morning, for a second I thought it was a Pine Marten.

Yep' I was so glad the huge one I saw was dead! I had no idea rats could get to that size. Not a mark on it either; maybe it died of fright when it saw Boycat. He is a big bruiser of a cat and long haired. Gentle as they come unless you are a rat.

Graces7 · 21-08-2020 11:16am

This is freaky!

I had not seen a rat for many months, When I went to the gate just now? A dead rat . Medium sized!

Tom Mann Centuria · 21-08-2020 12:08pm

Graces7 wrote: »

This is freaky!

I had not seen a rat for many months, When I went to the gate just now? A dead rat . Medium sized!

I wonder if they're reading boards.

helsbells · 21-08-2020 11:30pm

I was at my front door a few minutes ago and out of the corner of my eye saw something move .... Saw a big huge rat walking out the driveway ... then he stopped and turned round and walked back into the driveway !!!!!!

Will have to buy and set traps tomorrow ...

Freaked out ðŸ˜±

Oscar Bravo · 21-08-2020 11:34pm

helsbells wrote: »

I was at my front door a few minutes ago and out of the corner of my eye saw something move .... Saw a big huge rat walking out the driveway ... then he stopped and turned round and walked back into the driveway !!!!!!

Will have to buy and set traps tomorrow ...

Freaked out &#55357;&#56881;

That was phil Hogan, he got lost returning from Cliften

Blowheads · 21-08-2020 11:35pm

Now is the time of year to be laying poison

John_Rambo · 21-08-2020 11:38pm

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

I wonder if they're reading boards.

Lol! I see reports rural, urban and islander (hi Graces, hope you're doing well) about an increased rat presence. I flagged this in April regarding city rodents and the loss of food due to restaurant closures and the flotsam and jetsam in back alleys that they thrive on.

I was hoping local wildlife (raptors and foxes) would sort it out, but since lockdown there's been rat invasions throughout the cities.

Graces7 · 23-08-2020 5:48am

Blowheads wrote: »

Now is the time of year to be laying poison

Not with birds etc around . Traps by all means but not into the food chain to kill indiscriminately please.

Graces7 · 23-08-2020 5:55am

John_Rambo wrote: »

Lol! I see reports rural, urban and islander (hi Graces, hope you're doing well) about an increased rat presence. I flagged this in April regarding city rodents and the loss of food due to restaurant closures and the flotsam and jetsam in back alleys that they thrive on.

I was hoping local wildlife (raptors and foxes) would sort it out, but since lockdown there's been rat invasions throughout the cities.

Out here no food outlets! I think that they just tried using their age old run … Tough! Boycat, my oldest and best ratter, lurks by that run. POW!

worded · 23-08-2020 6:12am

Very effective home made poison is Dry plaster and something sweet
See #3. Very effective I hear

https://dengarden.com/pest-control/how-to-keep-rats-out-of-a-home-

The danger of Over the counter rodent poison is you end up poisoning animals
That eat the poisoned dead rodents, like your Cat !

Graces7 · 23-08-2020 2:00pm

worded wrote: »

Very effective home made poison is Dry plaster and something sweet
See #3. Very effective I hear

https://dengarden.com/pest-control/how-to-keep-rats-out-of-a-home-

The danger of Over the counter rodent poison is you end up poisoning animals
That eat the poisoned dead rodents, like your Cat !

I honestly would not use that as other critters and birds would fancy it... Actually my cats never eat the rats they kill; they bring them entire to me.

A good rat trap is best and humane. Rats cannot help being rats and having plaster set inside you must be sheer agony.

worded · 23-08-2020 3:02pm

Graces7 wrote: »

I honestly would not use that as other critters and birds would fancy it... Actually my cats never eat the rats they kill; they bring them entire to me.

A good rat trap is best and humane. Rats cannot help being rats and having plaster set inside you must be sheer agony.

I agree with you, no deadly poison is going to be Pleasent. Bit a lot of ppl will be conflicted as they breed so quick and are vectors.

A local cat was sick and a vet said partially eating a poisoned rodent was suspected. The cat recovered. If someone is goi to use poison at least use something that targets the species and doesn’t affect others. That’s why I posted that plaster idea.

What type of trap would you use?
Capture and release? God you’d want to be brave to have a live rat in a cage and where to release it?

Graces7 · 27-08-2020 2:34pm

worded wrote: »

I agree with you, no deadly poison is going to be Pleasent. Bit a lot of ppl will be conflicted as they breed so quick and are vectors.

A local cat was sick and a vet said partially eating a poisoned rodent was suspected. The cat recovered. If someone is goi to use poison at least use something that targets the species and doesn’t affect others. That’s why I posted that plaster idea.

What type of trap would you use?
Capture and release? God you’d want to be brave to have a live rat in a cage and where to release it?

The plaster sets in the rat's insides and will be agony. That is how it slowly kills

If I needed a trap it would be a sudden death type snap trap. The one time I used a trap and release mouse trap they learned how to reverse and reopen the door, and the one time I hand caught a mouse and released it, it came back next day with all its mates.

As I have excellent ratters that is this solved! Also they never entered the house

There was one house I lived in where I could hear rats in the roof space, then they started getting into the house at night to steal food off an older deaf cat. So I changed the cat to a feisty younger on and was woken by screams in the night,

When I got the courage to investigate there was a very dead rat covered in blood and the young cat shaking, End of rats there.

Hate killing but if needful then a quick unexpected death.

Graces7 · 07-09-2020 7:00am

Just apologised to a large dead rat as I removed it from by the gate where the cat had left it.

They have the prettiest little white feet.

Not their fault they are rats; just is we cannot safely share our space with them; maybe they feel the same... :eek:

bobbyy gee · 07-09-2020 7:05am

jack russel dogs kill them
have you gor compost heap ot water cut down grass cut off food and water supply

https://www.bhg.com.au/how-to-get-rid-of-rats-in-your-garden

Graces7 · 13-09-2020 12:50pm

The thing is that rats do fulfil a needful function in disposing of dead critters in the wild. They are efficient machines. In the right place. Like any critters.

Graces7 · 17-09-2020 2:29pm

Graces7 wrote: »

Out here no food outlets! I think that they just tried using their age old run … Tough! Boycat, my oldest and best ratter, lurks by that run. POW!

My neighbour, who owns the land around this place, has recently pointed out that the rat run carries on into the field next door. These runs are ancient. and they never abandon them . So they were en route to somewhere when my cats nabbed them.

So the cats remain ON GUARD!

NB the rats were never thus interested in this place!

Rats. Lots of rats.

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