Rat 23 December 2017 at 11:18AM in Greenfingered MoneySaving 7 replies 1.7K views

fifi35

I have just seen a rat eating the bird seed dropped from the feeder. I have tried not to panic and my thoughts are:
stop feeding the birds or just let the rat have its share. It was bold as brass in broad daylight grazing under the bird feeder. When I went out it casually disappeared into the stone wall. My house backs on to farmland so there must be lots of rats around. I did think of shooting it with my sons 2.2 air rifle but don't think I actually could.
Could I have your thoughts please on what you would do?

Thanks.

Fifi

Silvertabby

I assume you mean .22 - a 2.2 must be the size of a cannon!

Seriously, if you've never fired a rifle before your chances of hitting a moving target are remote - and even if you did, could you dispose of the body yourself?

As you back onto a farm there won't be a lot you can do, other than try to keep the area around the bird feeders as clean as possible. Have you tried the feeders with the large dishes attached? We have them (not because of rats, thank goodness!) but because they do cut down on the ground mess.

elsien

Silvertabby wrote: »

I assume you mean .22 - a 2.2 must be the size of a canon!
.

Well, it is Christmas.

Where there's birdseed there will always be rats. The options are not to put seed out, or use feeders that are harder for them to access. And check for any nests on your premises. Mine had taken up residence in my compost bin.

I chose to keep feeding the birds, but asked my neighbour to take a seed feeder off our joint fence in my side return after I spotted a large rat doing a tightrope walk along the top. I'm sure they're still around somewhere just less visible. Which is fine by me.

Thought of getting a terrier?

smudger1964

Get these http://www.wilko.com/weed-killers+weed-guards/big-cheese-ultra-power-rat-trap-twinpack/invt/0409378
Bait it with peanut butter and within days mr rat will be no more..you dont have to touch it just pick up trap and release into bin

fifi35

Thanks for all the replies. Will get the traps from Wilko. Silvertabby. The rat was so brazen it was still for ages whilst it ate the seeds. My son said he would shoot it but he wouldn't dispose of it. I have a Cockapoo but think he would be scared of the rat!! Might loan my neighbours jack russell.

Silvertabby

“ I assume you mean .22 - a 2.2 must be the size of a canon!
.
Originally posted by Silvertabby ”

Well, it is Christmas. Posted by elsien

Good spot - put it down to too much brandy in the mince pies!

I've corrected my original post.

bouicca21

Rats appeared in the garden at my last house because of the mess falling off the bird table. Got them (including one that was the spit of Samuel Whiskers - presumably the patriarch) with rat traps.

It's made me very wary about feeding the birds here in my new place as I know there are rats about. If anyone has suggestions about a feeder that wouldn't encourage rats, I'd love to know about it.

scd3scd4

The best Rat traps on the market are by far the Victor with the plastic yellow floating platform.


Yep peanut butter works best.