Rats

[Brightness]

More than likely, dead rats are minging things (as are live ones).

We live not too far away from a brook and one of our (not very clean) neighbours has lots of animals in their garden, guinea pigs, rabbits, huge dog and an aviary. Consequently, we get the occasional rat. Luckily, my next door neighbour is very elderly so he calls the council and the rat man comes out for free (we think they actually have 2 nests, 1 under the slabs under our shed and one under his shed ). I am paranoid that my spaniels will eat the poison or a dead rat so the poison gets put under his shed with a few traps.

If the minging neighbour bothered cleaning up his garden then we wouldn't have a problem at all - especially as me and next door neighbour have squirrel and rat proof bird feeders!

 

[Aberlee]

I had a rat, bugger ate my rolling pin for gods sake!
Anyway, put down a rat trap £2.50 from local CWG store, rat was dead within 90 minutes, problem solved!

 

[nanny]

I can guarantee the ultrasonic plugins do work.My son had rats in his house in between the floor boards and the ceiling between bedroom and lounge also cavity wall,He purchased 2 plugins and the rats disappeared.He keeps these plugged in all the time and they have not been heard or seen since.Hope this helps you.

 

[DIYIdoit]

You can get live traps, which traps them in a small cage, then you can either let them go in your local woods or your enemies garden!

 

[paulodipoggio]

save some bird seed/peanuts - scatter near the hedge/rat run
get a decent powered air pistol/rifle - preferably ( not a BB toy), and ambush the little bu$$ers
prepare to shoot a few times to kill, then bag and bin
suggest gloves as lots of diseases ppossible - weils, etc but depends to some extent whether just a garden rat or a river/sewer rat

 

[johnnypanic]

We had rats in our attic, twice Hired a pest control firm, who were pretty damn useless. Contacted the council and the local environmental health department and was told it wasn't their problem, even though my wife was heavily pregnant at the time.

Eventually got rid, by blocking every possible entrance and using poisin in the attic.

Had two rats in the garden as well, but a bit of poision laid in a bit of 4" pipe sorted this out. The pipe ensures that cats, dogs, birds, etc. can't gain access, but luckily the rat does and then fecks off to die elsewhere

Johnnypanic

 

[montymike]

Dealing with rats.

The first thing you need to do is 'proof' the room or building. This involves fitting draft excluders to the bottom of doors, these look like metal strips with the bristles attached. Rats and mice don't like them.

Once you have done that, put wire wool in any holes in the walls etc, (rats and mice do not like to gnaw on wire wool), especially where pipes go through walls, as rats and mice use these to travel around buildings.

Once this has been done, make sure that all foods are stored, don't leave any food lying on surfaces etc..

These basic steps will help prevent rodents.

For the problem of putting poison down in a garden, there is a method which may help.

Get something like a biscuit tin, (any metal container with a lid), and make two holes in each side, about 3-4 cm in diameter. Then secure the 'biscuit tin' against an outside wall, then put some rat poison in the tin. The rats run along the edge of the wall, into the 'biscuit tin' where they find the poison, and begin to eat it, because they feel safe. Once they have eaten, they will then come out of the 'biscuit tin' and continue on their journey.

(Rentokil supply a posh 'biscuit tin' at approx £150, costs them £30).

It may take a few days for the rats to become accustomed to the 'biscuit tin'.