Dead rat problem

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by Madahhlia, Aug 20, 2014.

  1. Madahhlia

    Madahhlia Total Gardener

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    I've discovered a very, very dead rat in my pond. It is floating on a bed of duckweed, half hidden under some fronds which is why I didn't discover it while it was in a more solid state, shall we say. I thought the garden was a bit whiffy but assumed it was a surfeit of dead slugs.

    I've got a box ready to put it in, but frankly, it is little more than a large patch of maggot infested grey soup on the surface of the pond. When I lift it up with a spade it is not going to be a clean grab! It is grossing me out to even think about it.

    What if I just pushed it below the water and let the duckweed close over the top? Could I make the problem just go out of sight (and smell) and out of mind? It's not like I go bathing in the pond. Or would I regret not taking decisive action now? I was planning to tie it up in a bin bag and put it in the wheelie bin which won't be emptied till next Tuesday. Yuk and thrice yuk.
     
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    • kindredspirit

      kindredspirit Gardening around a big Puddle. :)

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      Take it out now with a bucket on the end of a pole.
       
    • JWK

      JWK Gardener Staff Member

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      Yeuk, I agree with kindred, you need to get it out as soon as possible - wear rubber gloves and be careful.
       
    • Phil A

      Phil A Guest

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      :yikes:

      Long pole and put it somewhere to dry.

      Don't go near the water with any unprotected cuts. I've had Weills disease you don't want that :hate-shocked:
       
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      • longk

        longk Total Gardener

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        I'll second that from my own experience.
        Contact your local council - they should be able to provide you with a safe means of disposal even if you have to fish it out yourself. If you do have to fish it out, wear a mask and goggles.
         
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        • Lolimac

          Lolimac Guest

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          :eeew:....That must be awful Madahhlia ,hope you manage to get rid of it OK:dbgrtmb:
           
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          • Madahhlia

            Madahhlia Total Gardener

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            I think I'll search for a disposable bucket. It could go round the back of the shed but I think it'll take a while to dry out. I'd rather just bin it, bucket and all. Also, it's in the corner of the pond on a thick layer of duckweed so it will be quite hard to get the bucket to go under it.

            Might be a bit late, I think I got water from the pond on my hands a week or so ago.
            OMG, can maggots jump?? Good tip about attempting to offload the grim task onto the council, though. I'll give them a ring in the morning.
             
          • Phil A

            Phil A Guest

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            Get yourself down the docs and say you may have been exposed to weil's disease.

            If you have you need the antibotics now, no good waiting, it can kill you a year later.
             
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            • Madahhlia

              Madahhlia Total Gardener

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              I definitely put my hands in the water to pull out a plant pot. Can't remember if I had any cuts. So will have to phone NHS Direct in the morning as well. *sigh*
               
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              • longk

                longk Total Gardener

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                Stuff the maggots (although I'm not sure that they're amphibian anyway:snork:). The bacteria is water borne and can infect you orally, through open wounds (no matter how small) and through your eyes as well (via the tear ducts I presume).

                At the very least, get there at the first hint of a sniffle. I thought that I was going down with the flu and having had the real flu once before I didn't want it to get its claws into me again. It was the first time that I'd seen my new doctor and she was on the ball - asked me for a urine and blood sample resulting in an early diagnosis.
                I don't hold out with pestering the doc over every little thing (I only found out that I broke my left hand in two places many years ago when I broke it again in January) but this is seriously bad news if you ever get it.

                It doesn't need that long. And the recovery period can be a long time too, leaving your immune system weakened also.
                 
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                • Madahhlia

                  Madahhlia Total Gardener

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                  Well, the council isn't interested in removing it, though they will pick up bagged dead animals from the doorstep.
                   
                • Madahhlia

                  Madahhlia Total Gardener

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                  NHS 111 say the chance of Weil's is extremely slim - only 44 non-fatal cases in the UK last year - so I think if I ask my doctor for antibiotic cover she will say no. And write something derogatory about middle-class worried-well on my records, most probably.
                   
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                  • Madahhlia

                    Madahhlia Total Gardener

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                    Tried Rentokil and a specialist cleaning firm -no joy.

                    Just spoken to my brother (who is a farmer so has a no-nonsense approach to dead animals) and he suggests letting nature take its course as it's halfway there already. So as that is the line of least resistance that is probably what I'll do. I'm on hols next week anyway, maybe when I get back the problem will have gone away.
                     
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                    • Madahhlia

                      Madahhlia Total Gardener

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                      Rat update: the good news is that the rat situation has improved. Most of the maggoty sludge has disappeared beneath the duckweed and something has thoughtfully dragged the skeleton out onto the path.
                      I can cope with that. It seems quite big, though. I really hope it isn't someone's pussy cat.

                      The bad news is I now also have a dead hedgehog.
                       
                    • longk

                      longk Total Gardener

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                      Chuck it in the bin on bin night (not now or the bin'll stink).
                       
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