Awful weather - typical Brits talk

YoungBlueEyes

Traps are working! Bacon rind is a winner! Only appear to be catching mice so far tho (1 overnight, 1 this morning). No sign of either of the big bu99ers I’ve seen running round 🫣

Them Devonian drunkards have got another round in, evidently. Cold wind but sunny, they reckon it’s mild and has been raining all morning and will continue to. It’s like they’re not even trying!  

Farway

Hooray for the traps YBE, mice seem to be a bit dim IME, but rats are MENSA grade rodents and don't seem to go for the first tasty morsel they find.

There is a bit on YouTube about catching rats,UK based, describes ideal trap & bait locations and how they skulk along the edges. For schadenfreude, there are also videos of professionals rat shooting with airguns

Cold & dull here today, same drunkards forecasting I suppose.

 Had to go out & post a letter so into Morrisons while there, a bit of shopping, some jam doughnuts, thanks for asking .

Also, browsed the very poor sparse plant section, and bought three prepacked roots of Echinacea, hopefully to add in the poor soil at the front, should look nice with the Shasta daisies

YoungBlueEyes

I nipped out this morning and bought another trap, speed the thing up a bit. I want to start feeding my birds again! Blackie that gives me The Look is about to start tapping on my kitchen window, bless him. 

I don’t know how many (or exactly what) is under the decking. I’ve seen 2 rats and caught 2 mice, god knows what the final tally will be… 

I love a jam donut with a big mug of strong tea. I did get some once that had lemon and lime curd in them, they were pure heaven 😍 Can’t remember where from like, naturally.  

twopenny

Good luck Blue. My neighbours cat bought one in deceased. 
A friend has a rat in their wall cavity.
And today i found someone had tied a multi 'bird food' ball to the small tree in the field behind. Perfect for rats. I'll remove it tomorrow.

Nothing done today but getting rid of 2 loads of garden waste down the dump and surveying the garden.
So want to move plants but a bit late if we get a hot spring, summer.

I'm going to try and be strong and if the weather continues better than predicted get on with the tidying and painting.

I love doughnuts with strong coffee.....the best ever was a custard and dark chocolate top finger doughnut. Thank goodness they don't still make them!

YoungBlueEyes

I couldn't watch any rat videos Farway. I don't need images like that swishing round my brain while I'm trying to get to sleep, I've trouble enough doing that as it is

A rat in the wall cavity?! That's nightmarish! I'd be going full Kirsty Alsopp and gerrin that beggar out.

Caught another one this morning, bacon rind really is working. Still only a mouse though. So that's 3 so far. I wish the Holey Roamin' Terror would do his stuff but lovely neighbour won't stop feeding him. The 2 big holes he had down his back where the abscesses burst have completely disappeared, truly "nothing to see here, move along".

Fingers crossed for your plant moving today 2P, get another job ticked off the list

twopenny

No gardening tody unless things change.
It's freezing cold out there with a stiff wind.

Good luck with your project Blue. What about repellent plants?

Farway

Booo, my previous pots just vanished , so round two

Another one with a cold dull morning, no wind though

Limited gardening today, just pot up the Echinacea I bought yesterday

Then complete my Mr F seed order, it's free P & P this weekend, so I decided that I will buy some Canna seeds because I don't want to take the chance of never finding a plant at a suitable price, and the free P & P gives me a chance at least

Then spotted Achillea filipendulina Cloth of Gold Seeds, seems ideal for my volunteer border, over six feet tall allegedly and likes poor soils plus insect friendly with RHS award, what's not to like?

May even pop some in my son's rough patch in his disgraceful front garden

YoungBlueEyes

Plants to repel rats/mice? I didn't know such a thing existed, I'll have to go look. The decking's coming up in the next few weeks (himself says...) which is 90% of the battle I think.

Ooh those are pretty flowers Farway, I particularly like the canna. And the pot they're in! Those cloth of golds would brighten up anyone's garden

Cold here yesterday and cold today. The wind just whips the heat right off ya. Sunny today whereas the rest the of the week is grey cloud and cold wind. Say them drunkards. So get your bikinis washed - it's gonna be scorchioooo!  

YoungBlueEyes

Oh and himself said the lemon+lime curd doughnuts were from Sainsbury's in-store bakery

Farway

Sunny start, still chilly out though

.

Seeds ordered & on the way, itching to get sowing now.

With the veg shortages I'm rethinking my options again for this year, I may grow more beans than originally planned, and probably get some lettuce in, never really bothered with growing lettuce but could be a useful measure, just in case, I have some Little Gem seeds I can use

Although not planned ahead, I am very glad I have apple trees, can't say same for the cherry, as mentioned before, lovely fruit of which I get to eat about two after the slugs and weather have finished

Potted up the Echinacea yesterday, they already had shoots showing so at least still alive

My gooseberry has started into growth, and a seedling I found and potted up last year is growing way, maybe fruit this year? Farway's Seedling , a prizewinner I expect, it'll win on thorns at least

YoungBlueEyes said:

Plants to repel rats/mice? I didn't know such a thing existed, I'll have to go look. The decking's coming up in the next few weeks (himself says...) which is 90% of the battle I think.

Something like the one in Little House of Horrors?.

Remind himself to tie string round his trousers, rats up your trouser leg etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRxfbPW3mfY 

Not for the rat averse