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Years ago when I was at home with Mum and Dad they bought a dog as a pet. But it was supposed to originate from Belgium as a barge dog that was a ratter. Don't hear much of them now. We called it Skippy as they were known as Little Skipper. The dog was a Schipperke.
Is having them in the garden that much of an issue as long as they’re not in the house? It’s their planet too after all. As others have said if you sort out the possible food source they’ll likely move along.
Is having them in the garden that much of an issue as long as they’re not in the house? It’s their planet too after all. As others have said if you sort out the possible food source they’ll likely move along.
Yes.
It’s a serious issue for both humans, esp kids who might not wash their hands much, or not tend to open cuts/grazes; and pets. Particularly if you have a water feature in the garden.
There was a guy on the Orkney Islands years ago who’d contracted Weill’s disease and whose brain turned to cabbage as a result. Horrendous.
It’s a serious issue for both humans, esp kids who might not wash their hands much, or not tend to open cuts/grazes; and pets. Particularly if you have a water feature in the garden.
There was a guy on the Orkney Islands years ago who’d contracted Weill’s disease and whose brain turned to cabbage as a result. Horrendous.
tbf cats are pretty risky in terms of disease transmission too
tbf cats are pretty risky in terms of disease transmission too
True, but I think rats trump them in terms of serious diseases.
Having said that, I once had the loveliest of neighbours who allowed their cat to pad all over their kitchen work surfaces & draining board; and who then wondered why they both went down with salmonella poisoning three times in three months ...
Dad had a rat trapped down an alley at the side of the house. Eventually it went for him. But he had my trusty cricket bat and he dispatched it with a fine cover drive.
I had rats in the garden. Rat poison put under the shed sorted them out. Put one down where pets etc cant get at it and keep an eye on it. Replace when it goes until it does not go anymore.
Hmm, do you have a shed or other buildings slightly raised from the ground? These are the most likely places for a nest, although rats are excellent diggers they will look for safe places rather than commit to a burrow. A strong solution of Jeyes Fluid and water poured around the base of a building once a week (using a watering can) will usually deter them from hanging around. Rats will tend to stick to the bases of walls or fences when moving around so this is the best place to put traps or poison (I wouldn't recommend poison, it's effective but they'll usually take anything like that back to the nest and, if the nest is under a shed or whatever, you'll have to put up with the stink of rotting corpses especially in hot weather). If you know someone who owns a terrier - and is not squeamish about them doing the job they were bred for - see if they'll pop round with the dog once or twice a day for a week or two, that'll do the trick.
Hmm, do you have a shed or other buildings slightly raised from the ground? These are the most likely places for a nest, although rats are excellent diggers they will look for safe places rather than commit to a burrow. A strong solution of Jeyes Fluid and water poured around the base of a building once a week (using a watering can) will usually deter them from hanging around. Rats will tend to stick to the bases of walls or fences when moving around so this is the best place to put traps or poison (I wouldn't recommend poison, it's effective but they'll usually take anything like that back to the nest and, if the nest is under a shed or whatever, you'll have to put up with the stink of rotting corpses especially in hot weather). If you know someone who owns a terrier - and is not squeamish about them doing the job they were bred for - see if they'll pop round with the dog once or twice a day for a week or two, that'll do the trick.
Good post. Tracking powder can also be helpful in leading to the nest's location, though most of the stuff I bought on the Orkney Islands years ago was also poisonous to them, so when they lick-cleaned their feet, they'd also die in unreachable places -> stink!
Hmm, do you have a shed or other buildings slightly raised from the ground? These are the most likely places for a nest, although rats are excellent diggers they will look for safe places rather than commit to a burrow. A strong solution of Jeyes Fluid and water poured around the base of a building once a week (using a watering can) will usually deter them from hanging around. Rats will tend to stick to the bases of walls or fences when moving around so this is the best place to put traps or poison (I wouldn't recommend poison, it's effective but they'll usually take anything like that back to the nest and, if the nest is under a shed or whatever, you'll have to put up with the stink of rotting corpses especially in hot weather). If you know someone who owns a terrier - and is not squeamish about them doing the job they were bred for - see if they'll pop round with the dog once or twice a day for a week or two, that'll do the trick.
We had a nest under the shed. I poisoned them but we had no smell.