[hoporus]

hi there I have managed to grow a lot this year in containers and was doin really well
the man next door brought some hens into his garden(he is not allowed and i am working on it )but with them have come rats we can see them early evening eating the hen food As we have a cat i dare not put poison down Does anyone have any ideas please other than an air rifle  Any help apprecated  Thank you

[Bigfatsi]

Chicken dinner. Then no food, then no rats. Too cruel?...   

Simon

[Lewjam]

large steel rat traps are easy to install and bait.

Can buy them from BNQ or any other such store.

As long as your not squeemish about binning the bodies afterwords.

Lew

[Wild Pony]

Yup rat traps, but mind your fingers setting them, I broke one last year setting a trap, oh boy did that hurt and I had to release it as I was on my own and get up the hospital....yikes!!!!

[gimli]

small cat friendly terrier 

[Livinhope]

A Jack Russell

[mobilekat]

Traps are great, as are terriers!

But the two together tends to result in broken traps- and damaged terriers!

[Beetroot queen]

My cat has her bags packed ready for her holiday at your house.

I would look at traps if the problem is bad

[Livinhope]

We have had rats living in our garden for years, we have had three chickens for about 9 months, so they are not the cause.  The cause over the years has been neighbours either site throwing food on the ground for the birds.  We've watched the rats come out from under our shed and make their way through the fences to the snack bars either side, but it's us who buy the poison to get rid of them.

[Irene]

Wild Pony:

Ouch!!!!!

[hoporus]

Thanks for all your ideas ill go and get some traps  The guy next door is a real pest as he doesnt put just hen food out but chunks of bread  I have read somewhere about plaster of paris and corn somewhere also  Thanks everyone

[Livinhope]

Just a thought, but if the person next door is not allowed hens and it's causing a rat infestation doesn't environmental health come into this somewhere?

[nobby90]

Rats are everwhere already, get used to them.  Just because you cant see them doesnt mean they aren't there.

The food that fall from our bird table attracts them.  It doent need to be Hens.

Bate is the most effective method of controling Rats.  You will never remove them.  Modern bates use a chemical that slowly builds in their system and they die in their sleep under ground.  So no dead rats around the place.  Also because the method it uses they dont get immune.

[chrisjsmith]

I use glue traps.  Work every time.

Whack em with a two-by-four when you get one.

[Livinhope]

Rats are everwhere already, get used to them.  Just because you cant see them doesnt mean they aren't there.

The food that fall from our bird table attracts them.  It doent need to be Hens.

Bate is the most effective method of controling Rats.  You will never remove them.  Modern bates use a chemical that slowly builds in their system and they die in their sleep under ground.  So no dead rats around the place.  Also because the method it uses they dont get immune.

And they don't smell either when they're dead.