I have just seen a rat....

[iwatkins]

... on the roof of my next door neighbour's shed. We live in the centre of a city - should I report this to Environmental Health or someone?

Someone has been putting food for birds on the roof of this shed for years (ever since we moved in 10 years ago) but this is the first time I've seen on of these little vermin......

Sorry if this is off-topic, but this was the best fit I could find. First ivy, now rats. Good eh? :-)

Ian Watkins

[Jeanied]

Hate to say this but I think Environmental health will only refer you to a private pest control agency - they will also expect any rodent problems to be dealt with by the homeowners: their job will be enforcement not eradication! Or is that just where I live?

[Snadger]

I may be wrong, but I think the local Council pest contol office around here will send someone out FOC to eradicate either rats or wasps?
Seeing as the plague was spread by rats, I think this is only right and proper!

[Alice]

I would report it to Environmental Health pest control dept. Where's there's one there's more.

[Jeanied]

Hi Iwatkins - just looked on Peterborough council website - they have a pest control contractor who will deal with rats but as I suspected it will cost you unless you are on benefits in which case they will offer you a reduced rate. Gone are the days you can get this done for free.

[Aileen35]

Sorry to bring bad news but you are never more than 10ft from a rat, anywhere in the country, town or country.

The fact you have only just seen one just means you havent been looking. They are everywhere.

Valid point if there is one, there is loads. Our local council will send the rat man, but not if you have chickens! which we have.

Get them baited asap. We had rats in the house, now that is the most evil horrid thing you can imagine.

Kind a terrier, large cat anything, just get rid of them !

[OllieMartin]

Sorry to bring bad news but you are never more than 10ft from a rat, anywhere in the country, town or country.

How do they know that? I can think of places where I find it hard to believe any rats could be nearby, like the top of an office building etc.
With their lucifugal nature it must be hard to calculate this kind of fact.

[Jeanied]

With their lucifugal nature it must be hard to calculate this kind of fact.

Found it OllieMartin - good one.

[binley100]

i'd give your council a try, ours comes out and puts down poison free for rats. It's also a good idea to tell your neighbour so they can leave off feeding the birds . Which is totally unfair on the birds but now the rat knows its there it'll keep on coming back.

[rustylady]

i'd give your council a try, ours comes out and puts down poison free for rats.

Well you're lucky - our council now refer you to a private pest control firm, even if it's the neighbours encouraging the rats, and if you're the person reporting the problem you are the person who ends up paying the bill!!

[RobintheBobin]

Hi there; we had rats living in our garden a couple of years ago - they were so brazen that they used to poke their pink noses out whilst we had breakfast on the patio

We called in the local council rat man and he was very helpful; he explained that baiting is a) not particularly nice (dead and dying/bleeding rats keeling over on the path, etc) and b) not particularly effective. He explained that bait will often attract more rats and in reality killing off a few won't kill the entire nest. He told us that rats will go where the easy food is e.g. bird feeders, compost heaps, chicken coops and sometimes vegetable patches. We chose to be more humane as the rats weren't in our house and left them to it...at the sametime we removed our bird feeders (there are plenty more in the area) and so far we haven't had anymore visitors although the cold winter did help.

So overall I wouldn't bother calling the Enviro Health unless they are cosying up in your walls/loft/floorboards.

Ta ta