I smell a rat!

[Shanker45]

Have a friend with a Jack Russell who has a good rat catching pedigree who is going to come over and let him loose. Hoping there are none nesting in the garden and are just passing through to get the food next door. Will speak to neighbours about what food waste they are putting in the composter and leaving out for birds. Wouldn't be too concerned if just myself but slightly concerned about our two boys who love playing out in the garden.
Thanks for the advice all.

 

[Arthritic Toe]

Definitely true about the composters. Its not just meat that attracts them either, in ours they were burrowng up from the bottom and scoffing the potato pealings etc. As previously mentioned - chicken wire over the bottom prevents this.

 

[MattBackHome]

Lots of rats in Preston Park at the moment, scuttling in and around the rose garden snaffling up piles of bread left for the pigeons by people with brains the size of single-celled protozoa.

I would reserve a whole circle of hell for the wierdos, so devoid of affection in their life that they need to pleasure random BIRDS through food offerings. I understand the attraction of feeding ducks, if you happen to be 5. But who really leaves out these piles? What do they get out of it? Do they actually go out and buy more bread just to leave it out on the ground?

 

[Bold Seagull]

Definitely true about the composters. Its not just meat that attracts them either, in ours they were burrowng up from the bottom and scoffing the potato pealings etc. As previously mentioned - chicken wire over the bottom prevents this.

I know, we've got one of those heavy duty plastic ones and they ate through the plastic which is pretty thick to make an access hole. It was carnage where they had dragged out what they didn't want. I advised my neighbour to get chicken wire which he didn't do at first, but has now, so must have had some visitors as well!

Most domestic cats these days are shit scared of rats. Far too pampered to be considered an old fashioned battle hardened 'ratter'!