Rats' Paradise

[Coldicote]

My back garden boundary has a hedge with a ditch the other side of it running the length of the road. It's a rats' paradise and not unusual to see two or three at the same time. I enquired in a shop about rat poison and was sadly asked "Do you really want to kill them?" What are your thoughts about it? Are they really so bad or should one accept them as a natural part of the environment?

[hc4361]

I live in a similar situation to you and see rats. I also see foxes. As long as they don't come in the house or rummage through my dustbin they don't bother me.

So far (30 years), so good

[B00]

The thing is Coldicote, even if you did buy some poison, you aint gonna eradicate the problem are you? The ditch (which I assume they're living in?) will always be there. If you clear one family away, another one's just gonna move into the now vacated home.

[NOX]

We have rattie and mices in our garden, never ventured into the house though, occasionally in the outbuildings but never in the house. As Boo says it's pretty pointless if they're just living in the ditch as you'll just get more from where they've come from after you off the rest.

[rowanwitch]

Daft as it sounds lots of rodents may attract attractive predators like owls (can we mention nocturnal birds of prey if it is in context) and raptors Id live with them... and watch the skies or borrow a Jack Russell

[Coldicote]

Thanks for these answers. Some people throw their hands up in horror at the thought of rats. As I'm not alone with the experience, I don't feel too bad about tolerating them as long as they don't come into my home.

[LoftyLottie]

I live in the same position with a ditch running at the back and front of my house and fields. We have learned to tolerate the rats as long as they don't come into the house. It's a fact of living in the country and I agree with BOO.

[DTCwordfan]

I have found them in my mothers house and its been a heck of a job to get them out (poison) - also she has bats (and is bats) and those you can't touch.....we even have to check trees before anything comes down, an old beech hit by lightning due to be removed, one that is left with its first 15 feet of trunk, one major limb and a huge notch in it, ideal for batties (and vampires).

[debroi8]

I had the same problem and eventually put in a patio deck to stop the problem.

http://www.envirodeck.co.za

[Coldicote]

Useful information thank you.