# Rats in my garden!



## Flutterby (Aug 1, 2010)

I'm having an interesting weekend, yesterday the man who replaced the porch found a wasps nest - luckily caught it in time and got rid of it.  This morning my cat was going slightly crazy and it turns out we have rats in the garden.  He's been watching the same place for weeks now and today he caught a rat and almost got another one!  Think he would have managed to get it but hubby went out and tried to assist!  Cat looked on in disgust!  Not sure I'm very happy at having them in the garden, my main worry is how many are there?  It costs ?105  to get our local council out to deal with them and I don't want poison put down because of other animals and our cat.  Any ideas?


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## am64 (Aug 1, 2010)

do you know anyone with a ferret ...just a whiff of them send the rats a packing


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## Flutterby (Aug 1, 2010)

am64 said:


> do you know anyone with a ferret ...just a whiff of them send the rats a packing



I don't - I wish I did!  The cats doing his best, he only moves from his lookout post to eat!


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## Steff (Aug 1, 2010)

you can buy a small device that sends ultra sound or something like that to keep them away,you put it down at the side of your house wall where the rodents are likely to run,,it sends electronic pulses out,,i dont know too much about these gadgets but i have seen them in the newspapers from time to time....they arent expensive to buy or run...just google in ( electronic rodent deterrent) or something like that..


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## MargB (Aug 1, 2010)

Are you sure your Council will charge that to come out for rats?  No idea why but I thought they came out free for rats.  Meeses they will charge but rats - maybe it is different from Council to Council.


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## Copepod (Aug 1, 2010)

Sounds like your cat can cope, provided hubby doesn't interfere! Actually, smell of cat can also deter rodents - we put our cat to explore inside our shed every couple of a couple of months - she comes out covered in cobwebs and dust, but it stops mice and rats eating our seedings. Much better & safer using biological, rather than chemical (poisons) or physical (traps) control. If cat didn't work, I could borrow some of my boss's ferrets for half a day - he likes us to handle them when we feed them when he's away, so they don't get too wild and keen to bite humans.


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## Freddie99 (Aug 1, 2010)

For me that'd be the perfect exucse to get hold of an air rifle and sit at the back door in an ambush position for half a day. Seeing as you've got a cat just let him get on with it!


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## Steff (Aug 1, 2010)

this link tells you what the fee is in your part of the country.

http://www.homeserve.com/advice/councils

Also found this

Each local council has their own policy as to how they deal with rodent removal. While some offer a free service, approximately 60% charge a fee, although in certain cases they offer a discount to those on a low income. 

You will need to make contact with the Environmental Health Department of your local council to report the problem and find out what applies in your area. It's important to note that councils don't provide a set timescale for their pest control service, which can be a problem if your rat infestation is serious. The following link offers a Directory of Local Councils.

The 1949 Prevention of Damage by Pests Act requires local authorities (excluding Northern Ireland) to keep their district free from rodents, but they're not obliged to pay the bill.


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## Northerner (Aug 1, 2010)

I've got (at least) one rat at the back of my garden - I think they are everywhere. I've seen it pop out out and grab bread that I've thrown out for the birds, but it doesn't really come close to the house so I say live and let live. There are cats in the houses either side which probably stop a whole legion arriving 

I've had mice in the house, but hard to keep them out - have some humane traps to escort them to the local park (where they usually get eaten by seagulls )


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## am64 (Aug 1, 2010)

one of the old guys i meet when walking my dog told me that he had a Glis glis in his kitchen and how he'd been up all night with it scrabbling around ...and that because they were a protected species that he had to call out the pest control to catch it ...and all they did is suggest he bait a biscuit tin and watch for it ...cost him ?110 !!! i also wondered what a Glis glis was he described it as a x rat and squirrel ...Its an edible dormouse brought over by Romans and still alive and kicking in the Chilterns !!


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Aug 1, 2010)

Northerner said:


> I've got (at least) one rat at the back of my garden - I think they are everywhere. I've seen it pop out out and grab bread that I've thrown out for the birds, but it doesn't really come close to the house so I say live and let live. There are cats in the houses either side which probably stop a whole legion arriving
> 
> I've had mice in the house, but hard to keep them out - have some humane traps to escort them to the local park (where they usually get eaten by seagulls )



yeah there are rats evvverywhere in this town, I see at least one a day on my walk to and from work. I remember one time when I was walking home from maccy ds at 3am (when i worked nights there!) i saw a little rat scuttle along the bridge that goes over the railway!!! I screamed so loud it was unreal haha! I know we have them in our garden too, nasty things


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## Flutterby (Aug 1, 2010)

Thanks everyone for your feedback.  I checked the council website and it's ?105 for 3 visits unless you are in receipt of certain benefits which I need to look into.  The good news is that the cat (Mr Sparkles) caught and killed the 2nd one which hubby had failed to get this morning.  Mr Sparkles is walking tall and proud! I've been looking at devices like the ultra sonic or whatever one but we will see what happens now.  Just hope there aren't any more although I suspect there may be.  Mr S is on the lookout now so woe betide any hapless rattys!


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## Flutterby (Aug 1, 2010)

am64 said:


> one of the old guys i meet when walking my dog told me that he had a Glis glis in his kitchen and how he'd been up all night with it scrabbling around ...and that because they were a protected species that he had to call out the pest control to catch it ...and all they did is suggest he bait a biscuit tin and watch for it ...cost him ?110 !!! i also wondered what a Glis glis was he described it as a x rat and squirrel ...Its an edible dormouse brought over by Romans and still alive and kicking in the Chilterns !!



I am so glad you found out what a Glis Glis is!  I was desperately hoping you were going to tell us!  I've heard of those dormice but didn't know that was what they are called.  Bit mean to charge the poor guy that much for such mundane advice!


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## Copepod (Aug 4, 2010)

Congratulations to Mr Sparkle -Mr Flutterby didn't get in the way this time, then? 
There are 2 species of dormice are present in British Isles: Common or Hazel Dormouse (_Muscardinus avellanarius_), found throughout southern England and Wales, and a couple of sites in Scotland, and Edible Dormouse (_Glis glis_) introduced to Great Britain, partly to eat, by the Romans, now found only in the Chilterns. 
If you see a representative of either species, please report to National Biodiversity Network, rather than trying to kill it, although I don't think they're so interested in _Glis glis_, as it's non-native.
Perhaps not quite such mundane information from the man who charged ?110 - probably a charge set by council, not the person giving the advice, but I doubt anyone can identify small furry animals over the phone!


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## Flutterby (Aug 4, 2010)

Copepod said:


> Congratulations to Mr Sparkle -Mr Flutterby didn't get in the way this time, then?



I will pass on your congratulations to Mr Sparkles!  No Mr Flutterby kept out of the way!

Mr Sparkles is still on duty but no more rats as yet.  Everyday he looks for them and sits under the patio table to stare at the place he thinks they came from.  Bless him, he had a special treat of his favourite cat meat on Monday!!


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## am64 (Aug 4, 2010)

Copepod said:


> Congratulations to Mr Sparkle -Mr Flutterby didn't get in the way this time, then?
> There are 2 species of dormice are present in British Isles: Common or Hazel Dormouse (_Muscardinus avellanarius_), found throughout southern England and Wales, and a couple of sites in Scotland, and Edible Dormouse (_Glis glis_) introduced to Great Britain, partly to eat, by the Romans, now found only in the Chilterns.
> If you see a representative of either species, please report to National Biodiversity Network, rather than trying to kill it, although I don't think they're so interested in _Glis glis_, as it's non-native.
> Perhaps not quite such mundane information from the man who charged ?110 - probably a charge set by council, not the person giving the advice, but I doubt anyone can identify small furry animals over the phone!



glis glis are protected apparently....and yes im in the chilterns ... yes a charge set by the council who visited !!


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## AlisonM (Aug 5, 2010)

Steffie said:


> you can buy a small device that sends ultra sound or something like that to keep them away,you put it down at the side of your house wall where the rodents are likely to run,,it sends electronic pulses out,,i dont know too much about these gadgets but i have seen them in the newspapers from time to time....they arent expensive to buy or run...just google in ( electronic rodent deterrent) or something like that..



I had one of those ultrasound gadgets in London, it didn't work! I resorted to old fashioned humane traps, but that was for mice. Here's a few options on sale at Amazon.


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