There's a rat in mi garden what am I gunna do?

[classic33]

OK. I'll leave them alone.

Pest control takes many forms. We've a local P.C.E. who carries an air rifle for despatching those at a distance.

 

[Profpointy]

ffs, there will be rats / mice etc in pretty much every garden. The numbers are limited by food and space, so even killing a load of em will make no difference. Just don't leave food for em and chill out. I'd not want rodents in the house (eg the one the cat brought in to play with later at 2am - but in the garden: what's the issue?

 

[vickster]

Look what I just rescued from my wretched cat! It's now continuing its life in the churchyard round the corner. Dunno if there's a church moggie but at least my Harry won't find it there!!

 

[Mark1978]

I use both Fenn traps and my air rifle to get rid of the blighters from around my chickens.

 

[SD1]

I use both Fenn traps and my air rifle to get rid of the blighters from around my chickens.

Neighbour lost 11 chicks to rats SHE knows how you feel. I wasn't happy either, had to cycle following year instead of leaning over fence for my breakfast eggs!!

 

[classic33]

OK. I'll leave them alone.

You get many beggars on your land?

 

[Mark1978]

Neighbour lost 11 chicks to rats SHE knows how you feel. I wasn't happy either, had to cycle following year instead of leaning over fence for my breakfast eggs!!

I've had the blighters chew into my chicken coops overnight (through 5mm shiplap cladding) and take fully grown birds (albeit small breeds). They ate the poor things alive . They were my best exhibition birds too. I've also had sheds decimated overnight when rats got in and took dozens of chicks in one go. One morning i woke up to find nearly 100 chicks gone.

 

[SD1]

I've had the blighters chew into my chicken coops overnight (through 5mm shiplap cladding) and take fully grown birds (albeit small breeds). They ate the poor things alive . They were my best exhibition birds too. I've also had sheds decimated overnight when rats got in and took dozens of chicks in one go. One morning i woke up to find nearly 100 chicks gone.

They like to rip out their gullets and take the feed from there even when there is plenty of feed on the floor.

 

[vickster]

This morning's offering from Harry

 

[vickster]

Indeed, I did once find a tail and rear legs nothing else on the stairs! Took a while to figure out what it was

My brother's fiancee is into taxidermy and asked me to keep any offerings in the freezer for her! This one was a bit scrawny, and it's bin day so...

 

[Deleted member 26715]

[QUOTE="classic33]Easy enough get, but strychnine will kill five times.[/QUOTE]
How? Surely once you're dead you're dead, or does it resuscitate you 4 times?

 

[Deleted member 26715]

[Phaeton said]How? Surely once you're dead you're dead, or does it resuscitate you 4 times?

Animals like my dog, feeding on poisoned carrion.[/QUOTE]
Ah! Thank you, educated, logical really if you think about it

 

[Profpointy]

my cat is partial to the odd mouse or rat as a midnight snack, so it is a bit of a worry her eating poisoned ones - doubtless easier to catch. I'd rather not confiscate them once she's bothered to catch them, as whole rodents are what a cat's designed to eat so presumably good for her

 

[Profpointy]

I'm not sure that cats eat dead stuff in the way dogs do, or some dogs like mine. She was lucky that I broke routine and came home again to find her in an agonising fit. I rushed her to the vet where they managed to pump her stomach in time, but her suffering until she could be sedated was horrible to see. There's no way poisons like strychnine should be allowed to enter the food chain lightly. Once it's there, it can't be controlled.

Nasty story about your dog - and great that she got away with it. A mate's dog wasn't so lucky having sneaked into a shed and scrumped rat poison directly. Luckily cats aren't as keen on carrion or eating any old thing.. I certainly agree with your last point about highly toxic substances willy nilly into the food chain

 

[classic33]

Animals like my dog, feeding on poisoned carrion.

Ah! Thank you, educated, logical really if you think about it[/QUOTE]
There's nearly always something that will eat "it".
With maggots being the worst second kill.