Advice for a hopeless gardener

[Nurseandy]

Poison & traps. If you see one rat you've got an infestation.
When we moved to a very rural house amidst ruined farm buildings about 20 years ago I had a very entertaining weekend sitting at an upstairs window with a four pack of tennants lager and an air rifle. Not as efficient as poison & traps but beats watching corrie.

[jansman]

Poison & traps. If you see one rat you've got an infestation.
When we moved to a very rural house amidst ruined farm buildings about 20 years ago I had a very entertaining weekend sitting at an upstairs window with a four pack of tennants lager and an air rifle. Not as efficient as poison & traps but beats watching corrie.

It’s good fun too!

[jennyjj01]

I had a very entertaining weekend sitting at an upstairs window with a four pack of tennants lager and an air rifle. Not as efficient as poison & traps but beats watching corrie.

It’s good fun too!

I'm stuck in the mindset that demands justification for killing anything. I don't kill spiders or wasps or even flies. Killing a mammal that I won't be eating would give me nightmares .. Will give me nightmares.

[jansman]

I had a very entertaining weekend sitting at an upstairs window with a four pack of tennants lager and an air rifle. Not as efficient as poison & traps but beats watching corrie.

It’s good fun too!

I'm stuck in the mindset that demands justification for killing anything. I don't kill spiders or wasps or even flies. Killing a mammal that I won't be eating would give me nightmares .. Will give me nightmares.

If you are that kind of person, fair enough. However, rats are dirty, disease ridden, and as said, if you have one you have an infestation. Rats are vermin.
We have permanent poison points down as we have filthy neighbours with rats in their tips they call gardens. They always have a home in one place ( the neighbours) and food sources elsewhere ( our veg garden and previous home of poultry) and another neighbour too.

[GillyBee]

It is probably the "food waste" that is worrying your committee. Make sure none of it is cooked and try to bury the rest. And put a couple of poison boxes near the heaps where the committee can see them. It is up to you if you actually fill them with poison.
We have 2 boxes permanently in our small garden but only top up with poison bait if there is any sign of a rat. It works and have not had to deal with bodies. (Except for the mouse that stank out the greenhouse when it died)

[jennyjj01]

It is probably the "food waste" that is worrying your committee. Make sure none of it is cooked and try to bury the rest. And put a couple of poison boxes near the heaps where the committee can see them. It is up to you if you actually fill them with poison.
We have 2 boxes permanently in our small garden but only top up with poison bait if there is any sign of a rat. It works and have not had to deal with bodies. (Except for the mouse that stank out the greenhouse when it died)

Thanks.

Rats do frequent the site. They no doubt find MY heap interesting and I now need to be conspicuous in discouraging their visits. For the benefit of my neighbours and the committee. Sod the rats. If they could hide I'd let them live.

I'm already compliant with sensible selection of ingredients, but traps and bait stations are going down.

So a question or two .... While I'm googling it.....
How do I lay traps so as not to catch cats, hedgehogs or other unintended quarry?
How long could I leave dead rats in the traps before it becomes unacceptable?

[GillyBee]

I bought a couple of these bait traps. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00XL382T4/ ... F9kZXRhaWw
They restrict access to the poison to creatures that can get into the entry and navigate the turn to reach the bait. Ii.e. rats and mice) The bait is designed to be attractive to rodents rather than hedgehogs and the like and there is a simple lock to deter curious humans. The entrance is too small for even a small cat.
The rats don't die in the trap - they are taken ill later and will probably die in their nest. You only know about the bodies if you are unlucky enough to find them. You need to keep the traps in the same place and handle with gloves as rats will be wary of anyting new or that smells "human". Mine stay in the same places all year but are only baited in we see a rat. (If I kept chickens I might be baiting them all the time.)

[jansman]

As stated above. Bait points can be visible. I always put a brick on top of mine so wind and cats cannot move them. Bait is well within,so no harm to anything except vermin. As for traps ( I use Fenn Traps) they MUST be covered - Law. I actually make tunnels to fit them under,and half cover each end to prevent anything but rats getting in. Safety to other creatures.They need putting down for two weeks with an unarmed trap first. Let the rats become comfortable . Then arm it. Generally speaking though,the poison bait points are easier. Make sure you check the bait weekly - and keep a record too of when and what you baited. I had an ar*ehole neighbour who blamed the rats in their garden upon my fowls,aviary and rabbits. It had nothing to do with the food and used baby nappies they dumped right at the top of their garden!

Your traps and bait points need to be on obvious trails,as vermin is habitual and self preserving! So trails are generally along the edges of ground.I also vary my poison,as they can ( eventually) develop resistance- and it keeps it effective. So I use Brodifacoum,Bromadiolone and Difenacoum at the moment. Come Autumn I’ll get others ready for Winter.

Dead rats are good rats!

[jennyjj01]

It is probably the "food waste" that is worrying your committee. Make sure none of it is cooked and try to bury the rest. And put a couple of poison boxes near the heaps where the committee can see them. It is up to you if you actually fill them with poison.

Met with the site manager, who was more than satisfied that my heap was not the CAUSE of the problem.
Once he was convinced that I was not composting meat or pastry, he was fine.
I've laid a couple of traps anyway, but no bait boxes. Traps in improvised tunnels to protect other critters.

Meanwhile, anyone here want to outshine google lens? Identify this plant growing on the edge of my plot....
It's very woody and I suspect it's a tree.... About 2.5 feet tall. Rather odd cluster of purpley leaves at the very tip.

[jansman]

Interesting topic is rodent control. Our terrier ‘told’ us yesterday afternoon that we had rats under the Summerhouse. I’ve slipped on regular bait checks during Winter to be honest ( being in hospital didn’t help). So I baited up last night,and early this morning sat quietly with my favourite air rifle. In twenty minutes I shot three of them - great! I like a body count,and there will be a few more,as the bait had been devoured.