[Rampant_Weasel]

yep thats the same situation here, and now ive took the bird food away havent seen it at all, poison untouched.
there is a dyke at the bottom of the garden and then the village park after that, maybe they are in the dyke and only come into the garden when they can smell food.?

[Maryann]

1 dead Rat found on our front drive Sunday morning  :shock:

Looked in trap and poison untouched  - but there are at least 4 or 5 other area's where poison was laid and it's difficult to check all of them as they have been tucked away down close to burrow and in other awkward places by the rat man.

So now we don't know if this is 'our' rat or not or if it died of old age or poison or what.

Still 1 rat down, so not complaining  

[Rampant_Weasel]

no sign of any burrows here, thats why i think it might be a chancer from the local park scavenging

[Maryann]

I hope you are right RW but from what all the experts keep telling us it would seem they would be fairly likely to set up home close to where there is food readily available.

The burrows are not that easy to find - well thats to say I didn't spot it  :?

I have been weeding and pruning in that area for the last 20 years and didn't see the 'entrance' which is just like a small hole in the soil.

To be fair it is in an area of the garden that is my least favourite place as it has a holly hedge boundary and is very shady. The holly leaves make it a nightmare for weeding as even when they drop off and die they are still sharp and prickly. The rats (or rat!) obviously not bothered by them and the birds use the hedge for nesting - just my delicate little hands    that hate them.

Good luck and fingers crossed your rat is just passing through.

Keep us posted as would be interested to see how it goes for you.

[Rampant_Weasel]

there are very few plants in the garden to hide things ( we only started working on it last year).about 5 very small shrubs and my veg patch.2 doors down there is an avary with parrots in it maybe that is their main food source.

[CZ Silhouette]

2 doors down there is an avary with parrots in it maybe that is their main food source.

Where birds are kept the rats will not be ar away. Even if the bird feed is kept out of reach they with still be attracted to what the birds drop.

My mates partner has a horse & every evening afters she feeds it you just have to wait 5mins & out come the rats to pick up the left overs. They dont get away with it for long in the summer. we sit there with the air rifles wait for them.