Rats

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Location
North West
Nothing to do with cycling but had to vent. My next door neighbour has been putting mounds of dried oats out for the birds(I live on canal and by woodland). Now it's common knowledge that feeding birds by canal is ok so long as food is off ground and doesn't attract rats but just tipping huge amounts onto a patio table Is friggin stupid. We watched an 8" rat just sit eating it today and they are making a home in my dry stone wall behind garage and under decking. Shelter in my garden and feed in hers.
I decided to ask if she minded not putting food out in that manner and was met with a barrage of f**k offs and i don't care, leave my property and if you contact council pest control you will f***ing regret it. I know every one and will see you regret it......
All this from a 60+ year old !!!!
I was incredibly calm and polite and tried to reason and explain my concern at having a 5 year old son and rats in the garden was a little worrying.
Couldn't believe her attitude
 

vickster

Legendary Member
But call environmental health, or get a jack Russell, a large cat or a gun
 
Last edited by a moderator:

welsh dragon

Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll pass.
Nothing to do with cycling but had to vent. My next door neighbour has been putting mounds of dried oats out for the birds(I live on canal and by woodland). Now it's common knowledge that feeding birds by canal is ok so long as food is off ground and doesn't attract rats but just tipping huge amounts onto a patio table Is friggin stupid. We watched an 8" rat just sit eating it today and they are making a home in my dry stone wall behind garage and under decking. Shelter in my garden and feed in hers.
I decided to ask if she minded not putting food out in that manner and was met with a barrage of f**k offs and i don't care, leave my property and if you contact council pest control you will f***ing regret it. I know every one and will see you regret it......
All this from a 60+ year old !!!!
I was incredibly calm and polite and tried to reason and explain my concern at having a 5 year old son and rats in the garden was a little worrying.
Couldn't believe her attitude


You can call the environmental department, on the other hand, there are plenty of traps you can buy. I don't see the point of traps that keep the animals alive as they will just come back as soon as you release them.

Any hardware shop will sell appropriate traps, just bait them and put them where the rats are living and you will gradually reduce the population until they are jo longer viable. Or there are electronic traps that electrocute the rat when it enters the trap to eat the bait. These are fast and quite efficient at dealing with rats.

I personally wouldnt bother with poison. Although it works, it takes time to work and the rats can always crawl away to die and the smell is dreadful. Getting rid of rats is something that you have to keep an eye on, as you can never get rid of them completely, but you can control the numbers and keep them as an acceptable level. If your neighbour doesn't see the traps, then she cant give you any trouble.
 

Mrs M

Guru
Location
Aberdeenshire
I (much to my horror) found a large dead rat in the garden a few weeks ago, followed by a baby one a few days later, killed by the cat.
We've lived here for 24 years and never had a rat visiting :eek:.
Neighbour has been feeding the birds and putting food on the ground as well as higher up.
Called environmental health in the past because of the seagulls the food attracted but ratty and junior was the last straw.
Neighbour had another official visit recently and no rats since.
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
What are these people feeding the birds?
I have a seed bird feeder and a fat balls feeder, never seen a rat, not even when it's winter and the cat stays mostly indoors.
We have field mice here, but there were before I got the bird feeder.
BigCat gets them - the mice, he's not bothered with birds.
 

steveindenmark

Legendary Member
Have you thought of knocking on the neighbours door and explaining the problem. A couple of photos of the rats in question may help.
 
OP
OP
rideswithmoobs
Location
North West
What are these people feeding the birds?
I have a seed bird feeder and a fat balls feeder, never seen a rat, not even when it's winter and the cat stays mostly indoors.
We have field mice here, but there were before I got the bird feeder.
BigCat gets them - the mice, he's not bothered with birds.

It's because the canal is at the top of the gardens, and woods. Food on the ground attracts them and they live in dry stone walls. She dumps huge amounts on the floor for them making food source easy.
 
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