[maybelle]

I have got some rats visiting my goats they have dug huge holes in two of the  corners of the shed. I have put some poison blocks in side one of the safe black rat boxes. Has anyone else got problems with rat at the moment? 

[jaykay]

Oh yes! Also poisoning them, think I'm beginning to win......

[princesspiggy]

never seen any- but would give me the excuse to get a terrier.

our cats feed is being snaffled at twice the rate as normal so i have wondered if we have visitors?
i know we do have them cos the pest controller - (he was collecting a wasps nest before i was brave enough to spray and run myself) showed me their holes in the mud.
 but we have never seen one or their. tho our dogs go bonkers at night which i presume is a lurking fox, maybe its rats  arghhh dropping
we def have mice and i was told mice dont like to share same place as rats, is that true?

[colliewoman]

I found an enormous male rat dead today its face all bloodied up by the duck house.
oh how I love my muscovy drake, he hates rodents

[maybelle]

Princesspiggy- I don't know whether rats and mice share the same place. I havn't seen any mice. Hopefully they will be poisoned soon! The rats must be getting hungry as they have dragged some apples into their run.

[Penninehillbilly]

My dad always said you didn't get rats and mice in one place.

We have had a major problem here, some people have a barn nearby and some time ago they branched out from sheep to keeping pigs as well, in the barn. I'd noticed the rat holes in the lane outside their barn, but they said you couldn't use poison where you had pigs.  result was about 3 months ago I noticed rat holes appearing under the hen hut and in thepolytunnel, things got worse when they were obviously up round the house, OH opened the garage door and one ran across, luckily went outward instead of in. I did have a word and they said they were putting bait down after I'd first mentioned it, but the rats weren't taking it. (prefered the bakery waste)
So far I've spent £50 on the stuff, but I hate putting it down because I've since seen cats about, cleared 6 dead rats, though they are supposed to go in their holes to die. Bait not going as fast now, I just hope they are clearing them up there, it seems they are feeding them and they are spreading out to our place.
Sorry to go on, but this has been winding me up for weeks, can't tell anybody round here or it may backfire

[Lesley Silvester]

I found an enormous male rat dead today its face all bloodied up by the duck house.
oh how I love my muscovy drake, he hates rodents

 

I haven't seen a rat for some time although I have had a few under the goat shed.

[maybelle]

It makes me feel weird knowing the rats are running about in the goat shed 

[Lesley Silvester]

Don't know if mine went in the goat shed although there's a good chance seeing as that's where the food is.  I've seen them running across my patio to under the shed and also found evidence, ie a hole, leading to under some decking but bait seemed to clear them.  Either word has got about that this is not a rat friendly house, or they're becoming sneakier.   

On the Isle of Arran, our house was built on a raised beach with conduits carrying the water off the hill behind us into the fleld in front.  Perfect rat housing.  We had an arrangement with the nearby Field Centre that I would collect their scraps every day.  Some was good enough for us to eat and the rest went to dogs or hens.  When we were out throwing bread, etc down the hens and rats would gather round together.

[maybelle]

Its good feeding scraps apart from it attracting the rats. I have stopped feeding the birds as it encourages the rats.

[Lesley Silvester]

Rat population increased when the local mink were almost wiped out.  Mink population increased again and rat population dropped.

[jaykay]

Do mink confine themselves to rats though or do they help themselves to chooks and ducks too - always my worry with stoats 

[Penninehillbilly]

Mink took half my ducks, I'd rather deal with rats even tho I hate poison

[maybelle]

Have put poison down in bait boxes at livery yard and have found 2 dead ones this week.

[Lesley Silvester]

Used to lose up to half my flock of chooks and ducks to mink every autumn.  Very distressing.  They also take rabbits.