OMG rat in my garden!!

[tallulah71]

pommie Wrote:

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> thats why its good to have foxes around as they

> will eat them!

like it's good to have dogs around.....?

[sambless]

OH MY GOD YOU SAW A RAT IN YOUR GARDEN!?. I'm so sorry, that must of been awful. You don't have young children do you? I really hope they didn't see, that would be awful. Hope you manage to deal with the horrible shit soon! Good luck!

[Sue]

sambless Wrote:

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You don't have

> young children do you? I really hope they didn't

> see, that would be awful.

xxxxxx

Eh? Rats may be vermin and a health hazard, and therefore have to be controlled, but they are also animals and part of the natural world.

What's wrong with children seeing them? Or are you joking?

[civilservant]

I think sambless may just be trying to be ironic - not true, sambless?

junior civilservant has been reading the children's classic A Little Princess, in which one of the few friends that the heroine (aged 10 or 11) is left with after she loses her fortune is a common house rat that she names Melchisedec.

Junior civilservant has been been hoping for a tame rat friend ever since...

[FlorenceRedbird]

I would also recommend Colin from K&O. We had rats in our cellar - we called the Council and Rentokil, but it wasn't until we called Colin that he sorted the problem. He is brilliant.

[Grotty]

We see a rat in our garden about twice a year and have mice in the house more often. Called the council who came round and the bloke basically said that our decking outside was a haven for rodents. We just have to do what we can to prevent them getting in the house. He also didn't charge us anything as he suggested a) it would be cheaper to do it ourselves and b) with a row of victorian terrace houses/some run down gardens/decking we were unlikely ever to be able to completely rid ourselves of these pests. To keep them out the house he advised putting meshing over the airbricks, filling all gaps/holes in the house with wire wool and laying poison outside and in on a weekly basis! We moved our shed in the garden recently and found 3 large rat skeletons underneath it. Hideous...

[Sue]

Grotty Wrote:

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We moved our shed in the

> garden recently and found 3 large rat skeletons

> underneath it. Hideous...

xxxxxx

At least you weren't living in the shed whilst the rats decomposed :))

[QueenMab]

I don't think you need do anything really. I've seen the odd rat in or near my garden in my time, in various locations of London. London, nay the world, is full of rats, so you're likely to see them now and again. If you start seeing them regularly in your garden you might think about calling the council or put down some poison, but otherwise I wouldn't worry

[Frankito]

I saw a rat with an oyster card once, evolution in motion.

[Sue]

QueenMab Wrote:

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> I don't think you need do anything really. I've

> seen the odd rat in or near my garden in my time,

> in various locations of London. London, nay the

> world, is full of rats, so you're likely to see

> them now and again. If you start seeing them

> regularly in your garden you might think about

> calling the council or put down some poison, but

> otherwise I wouldn't worry

xxxxxxxx

Very sensible advice :)

[DulwichFox]

pommie Wrote:

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> thats why its good to have foxes around as they

> will eat them!

Exactly...

Fox.

[The Minkey]

I wouldn't be too bothered at a single sighting of a lone rat, if you keep seeing one or several, then you may need to act.

I was away a couple of months back and my OH said he saw a rat under the birdfeeder so I kept a close eye out but have never seen one. Reckon it ended up on Mr Fox's plate. I know I have mice in the shed, but it's down the bottom of the garden and they seem to keep themselves to themselves so I operate a live and let live policy where they're concerned.

[EDmummy]

Thanks, The Minkey. I was being alarmist at the time as a rat in our house would have been the last straw. We fight against the mice every Autumn and Winter and the last few Summers moths have eaten pretty much all of our clothes (and carpets). A rat would have sent me right round the bend! Haven't seen it since but I know it ... and it's family are close at hand. Only thing our foxes have eaten lately is a pigeon (feathers on our lawn but not carcase - thankfully).

[Sue]

EDmummy Wrote:

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> the last few Summers moths

> have eaten pretty much all of our clothes (and

> carpets).

xxxxxx

Presume you've seen the moth thread/s on the forum discussing solutions?

Touch wood, I haven't seen a hole or a moth for months (now I will probably get invaded again!)

[DulwichFox]

Sue Wrote:

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> EDmummy Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > the last few Summers moths

> > have eaten pretty much all of our clothes (and

> > carpets).

>

> xxxxxx

>

> Presume you've seen the moth thread/s on the forum

> discussing solutions?

>

> Touch wood, I haven't seen a hole or a moth for

> months (now I will probably get invaded again!)

Hi Sue..

I have some moths you can have. :))

Fox

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> Hi Sue..

>

> I have some moths you can have. :))

>

> Fox

xxxxxxxx

OK if any turn up in my house now I shall know who to blame, and they will be delivered straight back through your letterbox :))

ETA: Maybe it was moths who ate your Skoda.

Sorry admin, I promise to go back to the rat issue now. Rats. Mmmm.

[Sue]

EDmummy Wrote:

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> Only thing our

> foxes have eaten lately is a pigeon (feathers on

> our lawn but not carcase - thankfully).

xxxxxxx

But if they'd devoured other things completely, you wouldn't know - you only know something's eaten a pigeon because they left bits behind.

Maybe a cat (or a rat??!) ate the pigeon?

[The Minkey]

Sparrowhawks also tend to leave a feathery mess after lunch.

[Ridgley]

Ratty wrote

---------------------------------------

--------------------

ratty - acting like a @#$%& since 1970

What are you doing hanging about in EDmummy's garden:))