Protecting sweetcorn from Rats

[andy_j]

Had a lovely group of corn on the cob on the lotty....started eating them, delish.

Went up to get some more today after not being up there for a few days due to the weather etc and the rats have eaten every single one of the 35 plants i planted.

I went for a walk to see other people's plots and they were just the same. On one plot, i even saw the rat still there.

So is there anything i can do ? do i need to put corrugated iron sheets around the corn....or is there anything else.

Many thanks

[KevinM67]

I think it may be a thankless task trying to build some sort of protective cage from the b@ggers.

What about trying to protect the actual cobs - possibly by covering them with cut plastic bottles or something, I honestly have no idea.

We are so lucky to have natural predators like foxes, kestrels, etc. at our allotments - that our main issue is trying to dispose of the remains of the odd caught one.

[Penellype]

Rats are a real pest, and very clever - you'll have a job keeping them out. My friend's garden, where I am looking after the vegetable garden, is near to fields and stables, and there are rats about. They have taken up residence in the no dig bed that I'm growing potatoes in, and are chomping their way through the tubers . The owners tend to put poison down, but they have to be careful because there are dogs and cats around.