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4:59 pm Sat 11-Jun-11
| Sooliz
| | sunny Somerset | |
|  Councillor | posts 2152 | 
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Just seen a rat sitting on our dining room windowsill – outside, thankfully . I banged on the window, it fell off the sill, then climbed back up the climbing hydrangea that's on the wall beside the window and peered in at me with, I swear (and I was!!! ), a expression on it's face. Damn cheek!
We've seen the odd one or two right down the bottom of the garden where the compost heaps, veg plots and waste ground are, but never so close (actually on!!) the cottage before. There's a pond about 12ft from the dining room window, the thing jumped out of the hydrangea and bounded over to the pond, running around the outside of it before disappearing behind the pond irises. I know they live near water, and I guess there's plenty of food around for it, we have half a dozen bird feeders in the shrubs near the pond, and our garden borders our neighbour's paddock (she has 2 horses, a large manure heap and storage bins of horse feed).
I don't mind wildlife in the garden, we have plenty of it besides birds, bees and butterflies……mice and voles down the bottom of the garden, frogs, toads and newts, slow worms in the compost, foxes and badgers visiting at night. But rats…..eewwww!   
Any suggestions? (and not of the 'bung it in a stew' variety, thank you ).
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learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
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5:10 pm Sat 11-Jun-11
| Toffeeapple
| | North Bucks | |
| | posts 9258 | |
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Your local council should be able to advise you on that one Sue. Personally, I like them – though in small doses. I doubt that it would try to venture into your home, they are quite wary of humans.
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5:10 pm Sat 11-Jun-11
| RuthG
| | Village near Durham | |
|  Improver | posts 99 | |
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We once had two actually in the house. One we caught in a trap, like an overgrown mouse trap; the other died under the floorboards. Took me ages to work out where the smell was coming from. Hubby thought I was making it up as he couldnt smell it at all 
The only way I know of to get rid of rats outside is to call the ratman from the council who will put down warfarin in all the likely places. If you have children and/or livestock, the ratman will be very careful that he lays the stuff where they cant get at it.
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5:53 pm Sat 11-Jun-11
| seth
| | lincolnshire fens | |
|  Councillor | posts 1198 | |
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You'll probably find that as it is not a required by law council service it has probably been cut or put out to a private contractor. Our council has negotiated a discount rate of £41 with a pest control firm . £41 buys an awful lot of bait a trip to Mole Valley Farmers for 'TomCat' or ' Neosorexa' . Make a tunnel about 3ins wide of bricks covered with a tile to place the bait in so that nothing else can get at it .When disposing of bodies wear rubber gloves they carry all sorts of nasties . Don't be tempted by Warfarin most rats are now immune to it .
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I don't suffer from insanity,I enjoy it.
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5:55 pm Sat 11-Jun-11
| RuthG
| | Village near Durham | |
|  Improver | posts 99 | |
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Our council does it for free 
Yes, deffo use gloves; they can carry Weil's disease, which can be fatal.
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6:23 pm Sat 11-Jun-11
| Sooliz
| | sunny Somerset | |
|  Councillor | posts 2152 | 
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Thanks everyone. Just been on our council website…..they do come out (my mother's council – different area – don't! They have to get in a private contractor) and lay a baited trap – cost £17.05. No mention of coming back to inspect the trap and dispose of any bodies 
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learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
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6:41 pm Sat 11-Jun-11
| Danny
| | Newmarket, England | |
| Admin
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£17 is not too bad, Nadine. It's £40 in our area.
It's probably worth it in case they start to breed.
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7:04 pm Sat 11-Jun-11
| danast
| | Argyll, Scotland | |
|  Supreme Being | posts 5735 | |
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Danny, I don't think Nadine needs a ratcatcher.
Perhaps yesterday was just too much for you. 
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Old teachers never die, they just lose their class
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7:21 pm Sat 11-Jun-11
| Toffeeapple
| | North Bucks | |
| | posts 9258 | |
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7:27 pm Sat 11-Jun-11
| Sooliz
| | sunny Somerset | |
|  Councillor | posts 2152 | 
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learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
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7:33 pm Sat 11-Jun-11
| Danny
| | Newmarket, England | |
| Admin
| posts 4444 | |
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7:33 pm Sat 11-Jun-11
| ep
| | Bulgaria | |
|  Supreme Being | posts 3047 | |
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Toffeeapple said:
Bless him!
Bet that's not what you said yesterday TA…..I know I didn't…. 
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7:37 pm Sat 11-Jun-11
| RuthG
| | Village near Durham | |
|  Improver | posts 99 | |
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Ive been confused ever since someone said 'Nadine doesnt want a ratcatcher' 
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7:43 pm Sat 11-Jun-11
| Danny
| | Newmarket, England | |
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| posts 4444 | |
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RuthG said:
Ive been confused ever since someone said 'Nadine doesnt want a ratcatcher' 
Same here, Ruth. That's why I feel whooshed!
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8:11 pm Sat 11-Jun-11
| Sooliz
| | sunny Somerset | |
|  Councillor | posts 2152 | 
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Danny said:
RuthG said:
Ive been confused ever since someone said 'Nadine doesnt want a ratcatcher' 
Same here, Ruth. That's why I feel whooshed!
Welcome to my world……..the blonde whooshy world    
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learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
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