[Yorkie]

We have rats on parts of our allotment site.

I need to advise the relevant tenants what steps they might take to help make the place less attractive.  I think the main problems are compost heaps / daleks / underneath sheds.

I have heard of mesh being placed underneath daleks to help stop the rats entering the bin, but will chicken wire do?  Or is weldmesh required?  And what size holes?

[jondav14]

I did some gardening for someone a few years back, their daleks had been taken over, simple solution, put paving slabs under them, no more rats. I left a slight gap between the slabs so the worms could get in.

[Totty]

We have two cats in the garden, and I've never seen a mouse or rat anywhere near.
Perhaps you could try putting one of the local cats that probably makes a litter tray of your seed beds, in the bottom of the dalek. Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak........

Totty

[jondav14]

We also have 2 cats, we had rats in our garden last year, for about a week. They ended up on our kitchen floor as presents 

[fatcat1955]

Rats will chew straight through chicken wire.

[8doubles]

Rats will chew straight through chicken wire.

True , also something stronger to shovel the compost off would be a plus.

[Yorkie]

Rats will chew straight through chicken wire.

That was my suspicion too, but thought I'd check this out with others.

The advice will be weldmesh, then.

(Not sure I can legitimately suggest they acquire a dead cat from a neighbour ...  )

[bricoop]

I put loads of broken glass bottles under my 2 sheds that works for me.Plus I have a Jack Russell which provides good back up also.

[Yorkie]

Thanks all.

[gavinjconway]

Yorkie .... I'm sure when I went to school I was taught that a dead cat cant catch a rat.. 

[Goosegirl]

What if you built a platform out of paving slabs placed on top of bricks to put your compost bin on and put mesh round the brick edges? You could always insert some rat poison through the mesh if needed; also, the added height would make removing compost easier.

[Yorkie]

I may suggest to the shed owner that they use mesh to try to form a barrier, GG.

I should point out that my own compost bin has only once been of interest to a rat, which got short shrift when I put bricks round the edge where they'd tried to tunnel in at ground level 

[gavinjconway]

Rats only need a small tiny slit to get through... I truly think that it is a lost cause trying to protect compost bins on a whole site as they live wherever there is a small nook or cranny that they can hide in or make a house. Traps and Bait is the only way to keep a bit of control of them.

Or you could use one of our "patented" African style rat traps as per the photo of one of mine on my plot...

Simples.. Dig a hole, place plastic fertilizer bucket about 3/4 below ground level, fit a wire hoop over the bucket with a sweetcorn cob drilled to act as a roller on the wire.. Bait the cob with some peanut butter and fill the bucket to about 1/3 depth.

Rat comes to the trap and falls off the roller and into the water.... and they cant swim.. You will catch loads.. Dot them all around the site and you could feed the lions in a zoo!! (Oh and I'll take 5p per rat caught) 

[gavinjconway]

I may suggest to the shed owner that they use mesh to try to form a barrier, GG.

I should point out that my own compost bin has only once been of interest to a rat, which got short shrift when I put bricks round the edge where they'd tried to tunnel in at ground level 

Mesh would need to be no bigger than 1/4" or mice and small rats will just squeeze through..  Honestly its impossible to keep them out.

[3759allen]

i would say traps would be the way forward, as much as i don't usually object to chemicals if they do the job but poison can harm so much more than rats.

trap it and use a air riffle / air pistol to dispatch quickly and humanly. as it's an allotment i dare say you may get people objecting to this method though.