There's a rat in the garden, what am I going to do?

There's a rat in the garden, what am I going to do?

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so called

Original Poster:

9,074 posts

208 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
For the three or four years, developers have been building houses in the fields across from my house.
It seems to have resulted in rats moving over to 'our side of the road'.
Two years ago it was particularly bad as I would see them every morning as I prepared to leave for work in the early hours.

This year I've started to see them again.
I don't want to put poison down due to our own dogs and cat, and my daughter has asked that I don't kill them.
So far the crafty little beggars have defeated the various home made and purchased humane traps.

My next idea, taken from the 007 film Skyfall, is the oil drum.
I'm not filling with water but just placing a tit bit in it as bait.
I'm not digging the lawn up and burying it either so Mr Ratty will need to negotiate a ramp.
Then I'll leave it to my daughter to persuade the beast to walk into a shoe box and close the lid so that it/they can be relocated.

Better ideas welcome. smile

Pieman68

4,264 posts

233 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
You're gonna fix that rat, that's what you're gonna do paperbag

randlemarcus

13,507 posts

230 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
Poison on the lawn is not a great idea, but in bait boxes, tucked into their rat runs, should be safe enough from the cat, as the entrances are very small.

Alternatively, have a word with the cat, and tell him he needs to step up.

P.S. you do know if you see one, ten others are close by?

Boosted LS1

21,165 posts

259 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
I wouldn't do anything. Soon you'll be told an infestation and plague will be next and you'll have to shoot them with a .22. For now I'd make sure there's not a food source for it/them. I get an occasional one here as I live by a brook but in 20 years it's never been an issue.

Busterbulldog

670 posts

130 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
Having had experience with a trapped rat I would be willing to bet you won't get the thing in a shoebox.
I didn't realise how scary a trapped rat was until I caught one. Kill it.

so called

Original Poster:

9,074 posts

208 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
Pieman68 said:
You're gonna fix that rat, that's what you're gonna do paperbag
thumbup

so called

Original Poster:

9,074 posts

208 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
randlemarcus said:
Poison on the lawn is not a great idea, but in bait boxes, tucked into their rat runs, should be safe enough from the cat, as the entrances are very small.

Alternatively, have a word with the cat, and tell him he needs to step up.

P.S. you do know if you see one, ten others are close by?
Worried for cat and dogs if a rat comes out of the bait box.

Cat is 19 years old now and couldn't catch a snail if she tried.
She used to bring mice into the house but alive, not deceased.

Yes, but occasionally see two at a time. yikes

so called

Original Poster:

9,074 posts

208 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
Boosted LS1 said:
I wouldn't do anything. Soon you'll be told an infestation and plague will be next and you'll have to shoot them with a .22. For now I'd make sure there's not a food source for it/them. I get an occasional one here as I live by a brook but in 20 years it's never been an issue.
Or a pandemic.
Cant shoot them while my daughters working from home. shoot

so called

Original Poster:

9,074 posts

208 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
Busterbulldog said:
Having had experience with a trapped rat I would be willing to bet you won't get the thing in a shoebox.
I didn't realise how scary a trapped rat was until I caught one. Kill it.
That's why I've volunteered my daughter.
She used to have pet rats so thinks there all cute, lovely and cuddly. cloud9

Mort7

1,487 posts

107 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
We had a problem when the old guy who lived nearby in a large poorly maintained house moved in with his daughter, and major work began on the house. The indigenous rat population moved further afield looking for food - including our garden.

We stopped feeding the birds for a few weeks, and they moved on. We're now feeding the birds again and so far there has been no sign. So as has been suggested above, make sure there's no food source and they'll go elsewhere.

Our cat, and visiting neighbour's cats, probably helped too.


so called

Original Poster:

9,074 posts

208 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
Mort7 said:
We had a problem when the old guy who lived nearby in a large poorly maintained house moved in with his daughter, and major work began on the house. The indigenous rat population moved further afield looking for food - including our garden.

We stopped feeding the birds for a few weeks, and they moved on. We're now feeding the birds again and so far there has been no sign. So as has been suggested above, make sure there's no food source and they'll go elsewhere.

Our cat, and visiting neighbour's cats, probably helped too.
Yes, we've stopped stocking the bird feeders.
At its worst, we would see rats climb a Rhododendron and dive onto one of our bird feeders. Quite impressive.

Maybe I'm overplaying the issue.
We have fields at the bottom of our garden and the sightings are now always at the bottom of the garden.
Previously it had been up to the house and in my garage.
I had to move my P&J out to protect it from damage.

Thanks for all the reply's.

Marlin45

1,327 posts

163 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
so called said:
For the three or four years, developers have been building houses in the fields across from my house.
It seems to have resulted in rats moving over to 'our side of the road'.
Two years ago it was particularly bad as I would see them every morning as I prepared to leave for work in the early hours.

This year I've started to see them again.
I don't want to put poison down due to our own dogs and cat, and my daughter has asked that I don't kill them.
So far the crafty little beggars have defeated the various home made and purchased humane traps.......
Relocation is a waste of time so the only options available to you are removing the food source (so they go elsewhere), killing them or space fairies taking them away? Chose from one of the above.

Busterbulldog

670 posts

130 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
so called said:
Busterbulldog said:
Having had experience with a trapped rat I would be willing to bet you won't get the thing in a shoebox.
I didn't realise how scary a trapped rat was until I caught one. Kill it.
That's why I've volunteered my daughter.
She used to have pet rats so thinks there all cute, lovely and cuddly. cloud9
I had pet rats too years ago , my best guess is she will get hurt , in comparison a trapped wild rat is like that rabbit in Monty python's the holy grail. Just kill it.

55palfers

5,892 posts

163 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
I have one of these.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/pest-stop-electronic-ro...

Very effective.

Bait with peanut butter.

moorx

3,481 posts

113 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
Busterbulldog said:
I had pet rats too years ago , my best guess is she will get hurt , in comparison a trapped wild rat is like that rabbit in Monty python's the holy grail. Just kill it.
This. My saluki cross caught a wild rat recently, and even he got bitten before he killed it. If she does get close up and personal, make sure her Lepto booster is up to date (only kidding!)

wazztie16

1,469 posts

130 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
Busterbulldog said:
I didn't realise how scary a trapped rat was until I caught one.
I watched my stepdad deal with one when i was younger, terrifying.

This one was huge as well.

Radec

3,779 posts

46 months

Friday 29th May 2020
quotequote all
This gets good reviews and very effective, bit pricey though.

https://youtu.be/6s2PcbFu0nw

Busterbulldog

670 posts

130 months

Saturday 30th May 2020
quotequote all
wazztie16 said:
Busterbulldog said:
I didn't realise how scary a trapped rat was until I caught one.
I watched my stepdad deal with one when i was younger, terrifying.

This one was huge as well.
Oh yeah , they are fast , really fast and act like they are rabid. Last 2 I caught I slung one in a barrel fire and shot the other.

bristoltype603

256 posts

46 months

Saturday 30th May 2020
quotequote all
The problem is by law if you catch a rat in a cage trap you can't just go and release them somewhere else.

Jasandjules

69,825 posts

228 months

Saturday 30th May 2020
quotequote all
Busterbulldog said:
Oh yeah , they are fast , really fast and act like they are rabid. Last 2 I caught I slung one in a barrel fire and shot the other.
You threw a live rat into a fire?