Neighbour has a forest

Shelly1986

zaax wrote: »

Rats can get though a 1cm hole, any bigger they need to be blocked.

The OP needs to find out where they are getting in, until you have blocked all the holes only use traps, but they won't go until you use poison.

And don't just block them with expanding foam, work some wire mesh into the hole also then seal it in, rodents will happily munch through the expanding foam, I learnt the hard way!

prosaver

http://www.pestcontrolsupermarket.com/rat-bait-boxes--stations-x2-heavy-duty-locking-free-nitrile-gloves-105-p.asp?gclid=CKiQuKHvxcMCFafLtAodlBcAhA
use this you
or put your own poison down .the pest control just put loads under my shed and that was it ..no more rats.. we had mice coming in from next door cause they had pets and use to leave pet food out ..so i got poison from b and q and put it under kitchen cupboards and in the loft .. bye bye mices ..

Get help from a professional pest control service or follow our "do it yourself" guide below.
Prevention is better than cure:

• don't leave open food out overnight.
• don't leave uneaten cat or dog food out in dishes overnight.
• remove all food spillages when they happen.
• empty kitchen bins frequently
• store food in rodent proof metal containers.
• keep your yard and gardens free from waste and spills of refuse
• regularly clean behind cookers, fridges, freezers and washing machines to stop build up of food debris
• seal structural defects in the house to prevent mice gaining access to your home.

sgun

Sticky traps are horrendously inhumane, please don't use them. Also there is only one type of rat poison that is safe for other wildlife including owls that will eat dying rats and then die themselves (Eradibait). By far the best way to discourage rats (and you will never be rid of them) is to get the garden cleared.

I would echo what others have said and contact local councillors and perhaps the social services department at the council - they may be able to point you in the direction of a charity who can help. There are plenty of charities who do garden tidies and they would be able to sort out all the legalities for you.

daytona0

bris wrote: »

It's called trespass which is a civil matter, nothing to do with the police, the property is abandoned or as good as. The old gentleman is probably mortified that this has happened and there is nothing he can do about it, I call it neighbourly, helping a neighbour in need. Now what exactly would he want to sue you for, tidying up his garden and clearing a rat infestation, what compensation do you think he would get for that?

Aye, you are correct to an extent but trespass can be a criminal matter in certain instances too. (http://www.problemneighbours.co.uk/rights-under-access-to-neighbouring-land-act.html)

There is a difference between the property being abandoned and being "as good as abandoned". To me the phrase has some very negative connotations in that you believe that there is a person living there (thus it is NO abandoned) but they do not have the same rights as you. Some instances would result in this, such as if the person is not of able mind to make their own decisions. I did ask more than one question initially and you did not answer any of these which would have boxed off the whole issue with a simple "yes" or "no" answer.

Not going to argue with the last point you made about being neigbhourly because I agree. I do find it interesting that you used the word "probably" though because, without SPEAKING to the neighbour, you do not know how they wish to have their garden.

As for suing, quite a few people would have a go at suing in this instance because we are still in the benefits culture whereby a lot of poorer people will have a cheap shot at gaining some money. Not 100% going to happen, but need to bear in mind that actions (without consent) have consequences! I can't honestly tell you whether this is a legitimate reason to sue though but it might happen.

If this was infecting me with rats I would do it, but then again I like to get things done rather than bleat on about them on forums where no one can help any way.
Good luck dealing with the rats for another 4 years though.

Everyone is different. I'd possibly do the same. I'm just expressing an alternative viewpoint as an idea to explore.

Ps you are welcome to come into my garden and cut my grass anytime, no pear trees sorry, but I do have an old tree stump I have been meaning to get round too, thanks for the kind offer..

I have your permission to do this, therefore you have now made it an invalid point. Unfortunately I am no longer able to carry out the work due to this fact.

Savvy_Sue

Darkhawk wrote: »

He did not recommend poison as there is always a chance they might die within our walls.

Darkhawk wrote: »

I wanted to use poison after seeing them constantly ignore our other traps but I am still afraid that they could die in a hard to access place in the property. The stench would be unbearable

I'd consult a different pest control company, TBH. My understanding is that the poison dehydrates them and they decompose without causing any smells. We have a company visit regularly at work and the rodent population has been brought under control with bait left out for them. No bodies, no smells.

Gingernutty

Can you not get into the garden and do a bit of judicious weeding/weed spraying/ burning yourself?

As you knock back the undergrowth, there's less shelter for the wildlife and you're doing a neighbour a favour as well.

Win, win.