[Learnerlady]

Hi, a bit fed up at the moment, visited plot yesterday and rats have been having a field day in the shed eating all the spuds, celeriac (and I only had a couple worth harvesting) last of apples, medlars and even the dried artichoke heads I had saved for decorations. Outside the netted PSB and parsnips have gone but thankfully they didn't get into the netted kale and still have a couple of cabbages!!!
Good job I'd just ordered seeds as after the sweetcorn, chard and radish were all got by critters during last year I was wondering if it was worth all the hard work!!!!
I've lost stuff before but this growing season has been really bad. I'm sure when the better weather comes I'll forget about all this and crack on though 

[Anton]

Sorry to hear your tale of woe, Learnerlady. What kind of surrounding area do you have to have such a rat infestation? I have a field at the back of my plot and although I have seen foxes gamboling there I have yet to have any rats wrecking my plants. Just touched wood though.

On other hand, we hung up some bird food in the trees in our home gardenwhen the frost was particularly bad and three days ago I was shocked to see a rat climbing up one of the (admittedly low) trees to have a feed. It appears to have taken up residence behind our garden compost bin!

Anton

[AndyRVTR]

Maybe set a couple of traps in your shed in future.. that'll help!

[Snow]

Sorry to hear that !.  I don't store food in my shed but do set traps, I always catch a couple. Plus mice. Some vermin ate all my greenhouse salads during the cold snap which was annoying, even dug down and ate the parsley roots. Thankfully they don't seem to like garlic

[snowdrops]

No wonder you’re feeling demoralised, I would too. Perhaps spend this ‘non gardening’ time to plan to thwart the little beggars next year. Certainly reducing numbers would help.

[Subversive_plot]

Sorry to hear your troubles LL.  Is there a way to attract local predators, such as owls and hawks?

We have an abundance of predators here, and I have never seen a rat!

[rowlandwells]

rats are a problem this time of year when they get settled in a nice warm place maybe under the garden shed we had a problem last year so I set several good strong traps with something on the trap they needed to tug on and after several days bingo the end of the rats the only thing I was told to do was fix a chain to the trap because rats are strong and can pull the trap everywhere with the chain fixed not a chance

rats and mice  the worst pests they eat and chew everything and spoil everything in there way so treat yourself to a good rat trap and chain 

[Learnerlady]

Hi, thanks for the sympathy and ideas. Have spoken with a few other plot holders and they've also had issues this year so looks like will need traps.
The site has houses on 2 sides but open fields on the other two and this is only second year on this particular plot which is closer to the fields and has a vacant overgrown plot next door. Don't think there are nests on our plot as shed is on slabs and the compost bins were turned in Dec but will keep an eye out.
Sure when new seeds arrive I'll get my enthusiasm back

[Tenhens]

Always glad to see the days getting longer which can help lift one's  mood.
 Similar issue with sweet corn cleared apparently by badgers. Happened the last two years so decided not to bother and concentrate on other crops.

Good luck for the upcoming season and in the words of Norman Stanley Fletcher   ' Don't let the * grind you down'.

[missmoneypenny]

Oh dear. I don’t store any veg at the allotment over winter but something ( I assumed a fox but maybe it was a rodent ) has broken into by Blood Fish and Bone and eaten it. They are desperate at this time of year.

[Subversive_plot]

For things rats and mice find edible, have you considered storing them in (new, clean) metal trash cans with a lid?  Especially if you can make a way to lock the lid down.  You could drill some small holes for ventilation as needed, nothing a mouse could fit through.

A steel drum with a lid would also work.

Thank God for the owls, snakes hawks and foxes that keep our vermin down the natural way!

[Debz]

We've had a problem on our site with rats too.  Last year we had a fox move in to the site and although its been a bit of a nuisance when it digs, we also found several dead rats so we think that it's making up for the digging it does by dispatching rodents.  Rats are a blooming nuisance though as they've taken all my sweetcorn in the past just as it was nearly ready.

[bayleaf]

Plastic buckets like the big ones for FBand B with the lids that can be snapped on work well for keeping animals out of stuff at the plot.

[AndyRVTR]

I've recently had problems with rats from next door.. they live under their shed and seem to think its OK to come through my garden into the next garden. Needless to say, I have other ideas.. these 3 won't be doing it again... now I just need to catch Mr & Mr's Rat!

[Learnerlady]

Happy to report that we've been busy down the plot and have now cleared and cleaned the shed and put metal mesh and additional wood and bricks where the critters had gotten in.
On the lookout for metal containers as suggested for next year but otherwise will store in the garage at home. We've tended to use the shed as it stays warmer than the brick garage and have decided to focus on just second earlies which usually last until Jan/Feb.
The FB&B was stored in the snappy lid type of bucket and the critters had eaten through the plastic lid but don't seem to have eaten it??? Saving large glass coffee jars and keeping bulk at home.
Now where did I put that planting scheme