Their's a Rat in ma garden! what am i gonna do

[rob39]

Hi all notice a couple of rats setting up a holiday home in the garden, and to be honest I don't want them to stay to long. I've found their burrow so what's the best DIY rat killer????

[bearded bloke]

Cut off their source of food, keep disturbing their burrow/s by digging up &/or flooding with a hose, they will soon move on

[Scarlet]

Rat snapper traps are good, if you've found some of their runs, bait them with some peanut butter/ chocolate.

[roitelet]

Rat poison!!!! Get it from an agricultural merchant it's more effective. The grain based one is the best.

[noviceveggrower]

We have them keep appearing in our garden. We flood any suspect nest sites out with water and bate up our outside storage area. Also disturb their run way, they like to stick to the edges of the garden the best they can so put things in their way.
We have woodland at the bottom of our garden and our previous neighbours had a mega compost bin i.e a mega dumping ground for everything so the appear out of there.

[WendyC]

They also need access to water, because they wee all the time, they drink a lot. Useful fact learnt from council rat catcher. If you can remove any water supply so much the better.

[Knight of Albion]

Cut off their source of food, keep disturbing their burrow/s by digging up &/or flooding with a hose, they will soon move on

This is good advice. Especially the first part. There will be a 'food source', that you are unwittingly providing, that has attracted them. Food scraps on a compost heap? They are hugely adaptable, even potato peelings (actually full of nutrients) will entice them in.

I don't believe in killing things, so traps and poisons ... Even if you don't have any qualms about these things, bear in mind, if there is a food source, there will soon be another rat or rats turning up.
Prevention is the best course of action.

[DannyK]

My foxes seem to keep them down. I've seen them catch mice too.

If using traps outside take care not to endanger other wildlife. I stopped using mouse traps in greenhouse as I caught a frog once and robins come in too.

[fishpond]

As has been said, if you don't/can't remove the food source, then no matter how many you kill, there will be others to fill the void.
Personally, I would live with them, at least you won't be bothered by mice.
They may even b****r off of their own accord if you make life difficult for them.
But they are very cautious and very clever.

[DannyK]

Two of my four rat catchers taken yesterday.

[fishpond]

Lovely creatures, but my chickens are not too fond of them.

[Gardengoddess]

I had the same problem recently, I flooded with a hosepipe for two days. The holes went down a long way, but fingers crossed it is successful. I have also read, a long time ago to put pet hair in the hole, I don't know whether this works, but, anything is worth a try.

[Valleyman]

I had the same problem recently, I flooded with a hosepipe for two days. The holes went down a long way, but fingers crossed it is successful. I have also read, a long time ago to put pet hair in the hole, I don't know whether this works, but, anything is worth a try.

As someone who has flooded a rat hole with a hosepipe before. A quick warning to those who try it... Stand back and expect them to come running towards you. That way it minimises the screaming and running around when a few rats run over your bare feet.

Tucking your trousers in your socks is also a sensible precaution.

[weed]

As someone who has flooded a rat hole with a hosepipe before. A quick warning to those who try it... Stand back and expect them to come running towards you. That way it minimises the screaming and running around when a few rats run over your bare feet.

Tucking your trousers in your socks is also a sensible precaution.

you are not alone i did the same thing then also got a shock but the spade was in reach so my squeal soon turned into squashing sounds all gone from that area but my neighbours decking has some so its air rifle time when they come my side no poison or traps as to much wildlife around including lazy bone idle useless incompetent indolent, slothful, work-shy, shiftless, inactive, inert slow, heavy, dull, plodding; negligent, slack, lax, lackadaisical, impassive, good-for-nothing, do-nothing; leisurely; CATS

[weed]

Get out of the green house and do your bloody job







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