[Mr Bean]

My daughter decided that she would like an allotment and I agreed to help her. We've been quite successful and are reaping the rewards now except for one thing. The allotments are teeming with rats. Early risers talk about seeing up to 100 over the field.

The broad beans went in virtually a single night once they found them. I made some poly tunnels and we have tomatoes ripening but as soon as they go red the rats have them and I don't fancy them anyway after that. We never had a single strawberry despite netting them.

The whole area's like the wild west with gun touting allotmenteers heading for a shoot out.
We've complained to the allotment association but what they intend doing I'm not sure.
Does anyone know what the allotment associations responsibilities are in this area.
Any advice on how to handle this would be welcome.

[jack russell]

the council are the people to contact regarding rats, they are duty bound to act straight away and if the numbers are as high as you say then it seems to be a major problem :shock:

URRGGGHHH

shudder :evil:

good luck i am glad they are not that bad on my plot

[Rampant_Weasel]

on my fathers allotment all the plot holders have a poison bait station or more.....team effort and it works, once the rats appear they dont last long if the stations are kept 'topped up'. shooting them is no good with that many.
ask bodger hes the expert (although there are others but cant remember who)

[FCG]

Ugh, i wouldn't eat anything a rat could of piddled on. Weils disease and all that.

[Rampant_Weasel]

good point mike, important fact about rats and mice- they have no sphincter muscle and a weak bladder so they are constantly dropping stools and urine wherever they go

[Bodger]

Funnily enough, I bought some of the green plastic bait stations from Mole Valley Farmers in Devon only last week. They were only about four pounds each and are an extremely safe way of putting poison bait down.
Having said that, if you have the number of rats you say you have, its going to cost you an arm and a leg in rat poison to get them under control and as somone has already said, its surely upto the council to get things sorted.

[deezkatz]

Mr Bean, your not on Scott Road allotment are you??
I have many rat friends up there too!!!!!!!!

[Mr Bean]

Thanks for your replies everyone.
Yes deezkatz I am. We started in the Spring and it took a while for the penny to drop about the rats.
I'm not 100% sure about the responsibilities of the council. I'm not an expert but I've been told you have to pay for the service. That's something I have to look into. Not that I would mind paying my share if I thought it would help.
My own opinion is that the only way to control vermin is to keep the site clean. Get rid of all the dilapidated buildings. Get people off the unused plots, clean up the piles of rubbish, (it's not a dump) and keep it tidy. There's supposed to be a waiting list as long as your arm so there's no need loose any income. The responsibility for this lies squarely on the shoulders of the management. They have clearly been too weak and nothing will change unless they start sorting things out.

[Rampant_Weasel]

if there is an infestation ( which no doubt it is) call the enviroment health and they should send someone to investigate.stress the point that there are hundreds and not just the odd lone ranger.i`m sure they are legally bound to clear the problem at no cost to u, public health etc

[deezkatz]

I spoke to our main guy today (I'm also on the same allotment as Mr Bean) as I sent him an email last night.
He came round and said that the council were there last week, and they are coming back tomorrow (weds) to check if the bait is working.
Russel has also put more poison down too.
Although he said he popped up there today to check everything and there are quite a few people up there with chickens, but one person feeds them out of a dog bowl! so there was 3 rats chomping on the food whilst he was up there, so I suggested he needs to speak to the chicken people! and set more guidelines if they want to keep the chickens!!

although i saw my friend today (my dear sweet rat cat i've named him) !!! lol x

[Rampant_Weasel]

the chicken feed is ur problem and until that is addressed u will always have rats cos cereal crops are their fav food....
if u do a bit of research on the net u can educate urself well about rats and their behaviour - know your enemy, understand his tactics and u will easily defeat him - as the saying goes, dont think it applies to rats tho , very clever they are  :roll:

[Mr Bean]

I was on my plot tonight and one of the chicken people took the bait out of the pipe on their plot and moved it to a shed. "Incase somebody's dog ate it"! Unbelievable.

I'm still trying to get to the bottom of whether any public body is obliged to act in a case of rat infestation, and unless anyone knows different it appears to be that they're not obliged to do anything. The Environmental Health section of the council have a service for getting rid of rats but you have to pay for it. I'll keep you posted on that one if I get any result.

[Rampant_Weasel]

if i were u i`d go to citizens advice to see exactly where u stand, if the council wont do anything tell the local paper - shame them into action!

[WirralWally]

Mr Bean & Deezkatz,

Northampton Council advise that 'Rats . . . . should be destroyed by a pest controller for which there is no charge to domestic premises.  There is a concessionary charge for charities and voluntary organisations'.

You may get lucky and find a kind-hearted soul at the Council who will classify your allotments as an extension of your domestic premises.

Phone number for enquiries: 01604 838000

More information NORTHAMPTON COUNCIL WEBSITE

[Mr Bean]

Thank you WirralWally but we are in Kettering and I can't get anything out of the council here other than we have to pay for the pest controller to visit which is what the allotment association are now doing.
I doubt if it will be very successful without a thorough tidy up of all the plots and re location of the chickens.