Furry friends

[lottielady]

Just when I thought everything was sorted I have gone through my compost bin this morning and found a nest of rats could anyone offer some advice please.

All the food is kept indoors and bedding in a secure bin, all food is bought in at night and stored inside.
We have down two bait boxes with eradibait in ironically one next to the compost bin niether of those appear to have been touched. Is there likley to be another food source in my garden that I am not thinking of the compost bin has mainly been used for soiled chicken bedding and a few veg scraps. Both bait boxes have not been touched.

Is it also likely that the rats would live under my shed which is next door to the bin but raise there young somewhere else and when we found the babies there was no sign of the mother is she likely to return or find elsewhere to go the shed has a sonic plug in it.

I feel sick at the thought of these in the garden and have even thought of getting rid of the chooks so far the kids have talked me out of it but I am not sure I could go through that again.

Safe to say the compost bin is going.

Any advice would be greatly received

[Suechooks]

They nest in compost for the warmth so I'd guess the mother is around somewhere. If you have one of the Dalek type bins you can put small mesh wire netting on the bottom to keep the rats out. Rats are everywhere - its said no one is more than 10 feet away from one at anytime
If you're really worried you could contact the pest control guy at your council but usually they put down bait boxes with the blue block bait.
Try mixing the Eradibait with some peanut butter to tempt them to eat it.
Don't panic!

[lottielady]

Thanks for calming me I have moved the compost bin to the allotment now and will have to take the house waste down there. I have peanut butter that is my next trick. The other problem I have is a really difficult neighbour who thinks that anythin that moves is to do with the chickens so I am perhaps a little too paranoid, having said that I have a friend up the road who keeps 13 birds and has only just said she is going to take the food in at night. I know they are around and almost wouldn't bother me if they were living elsewhere I think it is just the thought of the battle with the neighbour knowing they are in my garden. Thanks

[Liza]

Rats are very intelligent, they can spot a scam and some are immune to poison, others eat the greens in compost for the vitamin K, which then stops the internal bleeding that the poison causes.( A very slow death by the way. )

Does your neighbor have a bird table, put bread out etc ? If so then you can blame her for the rats, as it seems that you are being very careful with your feed.

As Sue said your never really that far away from rats, it just so happens they like your compost bin.

I am not a great fan of rats but I have a Jack Russell so only come across dead ones

[Hilary B]

This will sound brutal, it is, but it may work. If you find a nest of young rats, and manage to despatch them (which is the bit some folk won't manage), leave the dead ones where their mother will find them. It may make her move on!

[RichmondHens]

The rats would probably be there whether or not you kept chickens. As others have said, they are attracted by all sorts of things - bird tables, compost bins etc. Chicken food (and poo) is just something else for them to eat.

Just do your bit to keep the rats down - traps, bait, whatever so you keep on top of them. Then if officialdom comes knocking on your door you can show them how much you are doing to keep the rats down.

[RichmondHens]

This will sound brutal, it is, but it may work. If you find a nest of young rats, and manage to despatch them (which is the bit some folk won't manage), leave the dead ones where their mother will find them. It may make her move on!

My husband shot a nursing mother rat. When the babies missed her they crawled out the nest in search of food (they could barely walk) and I'm afraid to say I stamped on them. Grisly but had to be done.

[kirsty b]

I had some snap type traps (think tom and Jerry ones ) and one sort of caught the head of a rat and didn't do the job so I ad to finish it off. Made me feel quite ill, but had to be done.

Have no chooks at mo so will use the time to lift shed, and raise it so rats can't nest under there. Its a running battle I've had over the years because of derelict plots all around me.

[lottielady]

she has been back this afternoon so going to put the bait and ping traps down reloaded all the babies are now dead and disposed of my husband did that poor brave soul, where I live there are lots of bungalows and elderly people with garages and sheds that are not opened often so they are around I had the rat man out before birds I think it is just the fact the finger gets pointed all the time at us chicken keepers, thanks for all your advice lets hope we get it

[jessmorris]

My neighbour called out the pest control people because she had ONE mouse in her garage. He had a look around my garden and declared that the hens and food weren't the prob. But it did leave me feeling worried mostly that she'd complain to them before me, in effect, report me to the authorities! Left a nasty taste in the mouth. Especially as her cat repeatedly poos in my veg plot which is very unhealthy for me!
I had rats from bird food and don't think they are any worse from keeping hens, but you are right, some people do use chooks as an excuse!
All we can do is exercise good hygiene and not panic!

[Liza]

My husband shot a nursing mother rat. When the babies missed her they crawled out the nest in search of food (they could barely walk) and I'm afraid to say I stamped on them. Grisly but had to be done.

At least it was quick that is the main thing, shooting, traps and dogs is far better than poisoning in my opinion, I don't think a slow death is necessary for any creature.