Nice People 12: Nice in Nice

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

I cut that edging earlier today as LIR said keep the grass cut .... so I thought I'd "shave" it down closer to the shed.... and that's what the cheeky farquers are scoffing!

Gives them less cover.

They 'll eat it green too.

They'll get water from sewers.

I'd have a look and see if you see rats elsewhere. My point is the council pest control guy might be persuaded to see them as a community issue not a sole domestic one. He'll probably still charge.

Rat men IME are nice guys. They often do extra visits ( I know you might find that intrusive, but it find it free and helpful) and they are kind. They love the offer of cups of tea or coffee ( to the point I wonder if not many offer them things).

I like rat men because they always tell me how clean I keep my yard, even here, which makes me wonder what dumps they go to.

PasturesNew

lostinrates wrote: »

Gives them less cover.

They 'll eat it green too.

They'll get water from sewers.

I'd have a look and see if you see rats elsewhere. My point is the council pest control guy might be persuaded to see them as a community issue not a sole domestic one. He'll probably still charge.

Rat men IME are nice guys. They often do extra visits ( I know you might find that intrusive, but it find it free and helpful) and they are kind. They love the offer of cups of tea or coffee ( to the point I wonder if not many offer them things).

I like rat men because they always tell me how clean I keep my yard, even here, which makes me wonder what dumps they go to.

My place is pretty spartan. There's the space behind and up one side of the shed that needs clearing out (perhaps he can give me the name of a bloke that can do that) ... but the grass is cut, the patio's clear, the shed's tidy/neat/newish ..... I think they're coming from the 10' high fern bush old bungalow that's at a right angle to my house. The bush is about 4-5' thick.

They're not, yet, crossing the garden that I've seen.... so my shed is the boundary of their radius. Reading Mr G it seems they'll roam up to 50-150 yards from their nest.

I've got a mirror on the floor, angled, so I can peek down and see if they're still there - just heard a seagull squeaking, looked and saw the 4rse end of a ratty disappearing again. ... and he's out again.

lostinrates

Big dog and kiwi are off to groomers tomorrow. Big dog loves groomers. Tbh I nearly cancelled because the end is nigh, but she likes it so what the hell. Kiwi hates it, but....he's going.

spirit, they were booked in especially for meeting you because I had a feeling they were going to be cuddled to better be nearly clean. They won't meet you, but is still talk to them about you a lot. Big dog's breath will still be bad, so you're not missing much .

ukmaggie45

PasturesNew wrote: »

My place is pretty spartan. There's the space behind and up one side of the shed that needs clearing out (perhaps he can give me the name of a bloke that can do that) ... but the grass is cut, the patio's clear, the shed's tidy/neat/newish ..... I think they're coming from the 10' high fern bush old bungalow that's at a right angle to my house. The bush is about 4-5' thick.

Our neighbour has seen the nasties in his garden shortly before we went off to Wales. He got in The Man, who came and looked in our garden, as well as the one on the other side. No signs in our garden (though ages ago I did see one running along the wall at boundary between our garden and Uni Halls at far end) but other side they were putting bird seed on the ground outside their patio windows so they could watch the birds. We feed the birds, but use bird feeders, and usually keep the grass short (it's like a hay meadow at the mo as hasn't been cut for 6 weeks, but that's not usual). The pigeons hoover up all the bits that fall from the feeders. :rotfl: But wondered if any of your neighbours put out stuff for the birds?

About 2 wks ago there was a thing on BBC daytime about council housing officers with Matt someone (Albright?). Went to the home of a woman who "fed" the birds, including putting out chicken carcasses on bird table. <roll eyes smilie> I didn't see to the end of the programme, doubt it's still online now. But it was a real problem for next door neighbours, whose kids couldn't play out in the garden etc, and one of the kids was so scared he wouldn't sleep in his bedroom. I think he was about 8/9, so not a tiny tot.

lostinrates

We find the hedge sparrows send seed flying from feeders. Its a bit f a promblem. While we're thrilled to have hedge sparrows, and they do clear up a lot,( they prefer ground feeding ITo looks like) we don't want any risk of food left tbh.

Besides which, kiwi also eats it.

Oh, and big dog knocks seed balls down and eats them like apples.

PasturesNew

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

wondered if any of your neighbours put out stuff for the birds?

Difficult to tell. If I look from my bedroom window I can see into two houses to the left. I am the end house and after me there are two 1930s bungalows who both have the bottom of their garden against the length of mine, as they are on a different road that goes at 90 degrees to mine - one entirely, the other by about 6'. Their gardens on that side are about 6' and 12' long respectively. I can't see what they do in their gardens.... as for the other two nearest neighbours in "my bit" I doubt they do, but you can never tell what people are doing in their garden if you can't see into it and don't know them.

PasturesNew

While next door were crunching on their shingle... the furries had s0dded off... now next door've gone indoors, I can see two furries nibbling again!

silvercar

We used to put seed balls out for the birds, until we found that all sorts were feasting.

lostinrates

silvercar wrote: »

We used to put seed balls out for the birds, until we found that all sorts were feasting.

I'm reasonably sure only birds eat from our window feeder. Its high ish on a plane of glass, but it only takes two fat balls and a tiny bit of grain( that's meant to be water I think) and lasts a day.

Our main bird feeder also lasts less than a day, but its the stuff on the floor that causes problems ( unless big dog gets the fat balls)

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

I never really saw them until I cut back some of the foliage coming over from next door .... that was too close to my shed and I thought that was encouraging the two spiders... I daren't of course..... now ... at all .... unlock the shed.....

You can collect conkers this week......of course, I have no idea if rats eat them. Rats eat concrete so I don't see why they wouldn't eat conkers.