Seen A Rat.....

.....something to be worried about or just keep an eye on?

Last night, just before dark and for the first time I saw a rat in our garden, popping in and out from under our shed, it was on its own and searching for food. I don't have a problem with any wildlife but am aware that populations of rats can explode quickly given the right conditions.

I'm not talking a dirty great black rat here, it was a small brown rat.

I always garden in essentially a clean a way as possible in that when I feed birds on the ground it is sparingly so as not to leave any food lying around, if there is any left uneaten after a day I usually brush it up.

I am not overly concerned by this sighting as yet but am aware that some action may be possible in a worse case scenario, so am just looking for others views really.

Thanks for reading

 

As the rat was on its own, and you don't leave food around to encourage it to make a home in your garden, then I wouldn't worry personally.
We are never far from them but they are usually not visible and I think that too much hype is put out there about RATS.
Just don't encourage them is all we need to remember.

 

I keep see flyers around , about infestation of rats in my area due of flying tipping and rubbish in gardens ......never seen one in mine ....maybe the reason is that my garden attract the local
wild life ......the evil cats .

 

Just love your babes, Sal xx

My cats can't be bothered ... this is what we get ...

 

I had a domint cat in my garden , unfortunatly his condition started to get bad and for the love of him , I had to call the rspca ......

http://www.rspca-bedfordshirenorth.org.uk/rspca_images/rspca_cats/adoption/May 2013/quincy-large2.jpg

those cats are new , so they are making a bit of mess in the garden , but as much as they keep pigeons and rats away , I`m happy with them .....

 

A good couple of responses have occurred as a consequence of your query and I will try to address both

First and foremost, your own concerns: you are talking about a woodland rat as opposed to a sewer rat. While both do have the potential to carry diseases, the former is less likely to cause problems than the latter. How long/far do you wait until it becomes " a problem?" is subjective - for some members, the sight of one is enough to pull out the whole artillery! For me, woodland rats have their place in the ecology. (Sewer rats? I view differently )

I am yet to be convinced that chook owners encourage rats (although, as a chook owner, I do admit my arguments could be perceived as biased, on the one hand, yet, 'experienced' on the other!

You will have to make a judgement call on that ). With good husbandry, chook owners are as likely to 'encourage' rats as people who own dogs (who poop in the garden), cats, rabbits, gerbils, hamster, guinea pigs, goats, pigs: I say again "good husbandry" !

Personally? Just keep an eye on

 

Was it definitely a rat?

Thing is with rats is they are remarkably clever creatures. If you saw one, there will be more.

My dad had a real problem with them a few years ago on his allotment, so he set a none-lethal trap (an arrangement that would almost comically land a container over the top of the rat when it took the bait). He actually sat and watched from his shed as they came out. One took the bait and got trapped. He humanely dispatched the trapped rat, reset the trap, then waited again. He waited and waited, and nothing. The rats were still there, he saw them, time and time again, but never once did any of them go near the bait.

 

Hi Clueless, yes it was definitely a rat

I watched last night for 30 minutes or so and saw it again a couple of times, seems to be same one as it has a limp (something wrong with a rear foot), still not seen any others or evidence that would suggest there are dozens of them, although in reality it is unlikely to be alone as you say.

I don't have a problem with this particular species of rat either so long as they don't bring their whole 'east midlands' population to dine in my back garden As "M" says I'll keep an eye on the little fellas

Thanks for the replies so far

 

My Jack Russell caught and killed one recently. I hadn't seen them or noticed any signs of them so they were obviously keeping themselves to themselves. I haven't bothered about it since. I figure that if they make a nuisance of themselves I'll do something about them but until then, if they leave me alone, I'll leave them alone. I can't make the same promise on behalf of my dogs though!

 

Being nextdoor to the countryside we get them all the time.
So with the lack of food in other areas they seek out other sources and feed this back to the rest of the nest. A bit like bees when I think about it, they have an uncanny way of passing on information to each other and use this to maximise the rewards.

 

Bilbo675 I have read your thread about your lonesome rat,and I hate to think of this poor creature being lonely please pm you address and I will package up a few mates for it,being on the edge of a nature reserve with a river we have one or two going spare

 

Lazydog, your location sounds amazing, I'll catch "Ben" and send him to you instead, he'll be well chuffed