[ecky]

Is it safe to eat carrots that have been attacked by rats. They snip of the tops and gnaw the top inch and some. Can anything be done to discourage the blighters

[digalotty]

 just the thought would put me off

[8doubles]

It is safe to eat the rats if you cook them first but i do not fancy it.
I will quite happily cut the bad bits out and cook slug damaged veg but rat damage is another matter.
Get the rats destroyed as soon as possible, as they walk they urinate and leave nasty viruses you can catch by contact with the soil.

If you are on council allotments the council should handle the matter.

[Spana]

I wouldn't eat them either.   But a friend stores her onions in a barn loft and they are covered in rat dropping and she eats them, makes no difference what i say.

My little terrier got a real biggy last night.  She been after it for days, just playing a waiting game. :happy:

[Nobbie]

It is safe to eat the rats if you cook them first but i do not fancy it.
I will quite happily cut the bad bits out and cook slug damaged veg but rat damage is another matter.
Get the rats destroyed as soon as possible, as they walk they urinate and leave nasty viruses you can catch by contact with the soil.

If you are on council allotments the council should handle the matter.

Good advice.

A former olympic rower died recently from Weils desease which is carried in rat urine. I have a tendency to pick and eat stuff straight from the allotment, but this has made me think.

I expect that cooking produce will kill the desease.

[ecky]

Thanks to all for your input. The whole site has been invaded since Mr Farmer harvested his next door field of oilseed rape. I was thinking that when cooked they shouls be ok but I'm not so sure now.  :blush:As to catching/killing the blighters I'm afraid I'm brasset so a bit stuck.

[solway cropper]

Boiling your carrots will kill any pathogens. Just don't eat them raw!!

[8doubles]

The farmer does have a legal obligation to control the rats on his land so if they are living his side of the fence have a polite word and he may help solve the infestation.
One of the downsides of living in the countryside is the after harvest migration of rodents into sheds and outbuildings with a supply of food nearby , not the farmers fault just nature taking full advantage.

[savbo]

I'm afraid I'm brasset so a bit stuck.

don't know that one!

[ecky]

Savbo -  Brasset lint  -  Skint

[Trikidiki]

I think you mean:  Boracic lint

[ecky]

hi trikidi. shows that being an experienced member helps.  have researched and boracic lint is indeed slang for being skint. have never seen it written before only heard thruout the years.
cheers

[michellela]

I think you mean:  Boracic lint

Bizarre.  I was looking at the words and thinking "never heard of that" but I've used the word brassic before and never realised it was derived from rhyming slang.

As for the carrots... I don't think I'd want to eat them however rats could have been running around other stuff and you might not know so not sure if it would be any more of a health risk to eat them.

[Trikidiki]

I thought it was Brassick or some such spelling for years until corrected by my father.

[ecky]

I thought so to (I spelt it diff.) until you put me strait