Author Topic: Rats in the compost. What to do?  (Read 3582 times)

Rats in the compost. What to do?
« on: 30 April, 2010, 02:39:46 pm »
Well, that's it, innit? R. norvegicus. Saw signs, then spotted one of the little buggers when I lifted the lid of the compost bin. Don't fancy having 'em around. They appear to have burrowed under the shed,  possibly from the garden next door, under the wall.

Advice, please.
"A woman on a bicycle has all the world before her where to choose; she can go where she will, no man hindering." The Type-Writer Girl, 1897

Rapples

Re: Rats in the compost. What to do?
« Reply #1 on: 30 April, 2010, 02:56:08 pm »
JRT :thumbsup:

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Re: Rats in the compost. What to do?
« Reply #2 on: 30 April, 2010, 03:02:19 pm »
Poison and / or traps?

But you knew that didn't you?

Terriers work well also

Re: Rats in the compost. What to do?
« Reply #3 on: 30 April, 2010, 03:04:41 pm »
Well, that's it, innit? R. norvegicus. Saw signs, then spotted one of the little buggers when I lifted the lid of the compost bin. Don't fancy having 'em around. They appear to have burrowed under the shed,  possibly from the garden next door, under the wall.

Advice, please.

Give the council a call, ours is free for rats,  but they charge for mice and wasps.

Woofage

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  • Ain't no hooves on my bike.
Re: Rats in the compost. What to do?
« Reply #4 on: 30 April, 2010, 03:09:55 pm »
Our solution was to remove the compost bins. Not ideal, I know, but we didn't want the buggers living next to the chickens. Ours also came from next door; he keeps pigeons. I know they're still around though as the cats left one by the back door the other day :sick:.
Pen Pusher

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Re: Rats in the compost. What to do?
« Reply #5 on: 30 April, 2010, 03:24:20 pm »
.... I know they're still around ....

There are rats every where all the time

Jaded

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Re: Rats in the compost. What to do?
« Reply #6 on: 30 April, 2010, 03:40:58 pm »
I'm sure Hugh Fearlessly Eats-It-All will have a recipe.
It is simpler than it looks.

mr endon

Re: Rats in the compost. What to do?
« Reply #7 on: 30 April, 2010, 05:57:16 pm »
Prep for dust-off..

Re: Rats in the compost. What to do?
« Reply #8 on: 30 April, 2010, 06:14:03 pm »
Poison and / or traps?

But you knew that didn't you?
I was hoping for specific recommendations.
"A woman on a bicycle has all the world before her where to choose; she can go where she will, no man hindering." The Type-Writer Girl, 1897

Re: Rats in the compost. What to do?
« Reply #9 on: 30 April, 2010, 06:44:17 pm »
I was hoping for specific recommendations.

Well Talisker works pretty well, but he's not terribly transportable.

Actually, it is rocket science.
 

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Re: Rats in the compost. What to do?
« Reply #10 on: 07 May, 2010, 05:02:07 pm »
Poison and / or traps?

But you knew that didn't you?
I was hoping for specific recommendations.

I always use Slaymor poison and the black plastic traps that our local farming coop sells

Oaky

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Re: Rats in the compost. What to do?
« Reply #11 on: 08 May, 2010, 08:45:39 am »
Chop them up small and stir the heap around frequently?  ;D
You are in a maze of twisty flat droves, all alike.

85.4 miles from Marsh Gibbon

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Re: Rats in the compost. What to do?
« Reply #12 on: 08 May, 2010, 08:49:55 am »
Should the next sentence be "What am I gonna do?"  ;D

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Re: Rats in the compost. What to do?
« Reply #13 on: 08 May, 2010, 10:09:37 am »
We had this a few years back. We called in the bloke from the council, who put a bit of poisin down. I had the pleasure of despatching a dying rat with a blow to the head from a croquet mallet.

He also suggested we remove the compost heap. As we wanted to carry on composting, we bought a metal composting bin, to replace the wooden slatted rat friendly one.
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

Re: Rats in the compost. What to do?
« Reply #14 on: 09 May, 2010, 11:46:00 pm »
We had them in ours at one stage. We had an avary which was then just a big rabbit run. The little buggers had tunneled a way in, would drink from the pond from another hole they made and also go the the compost bin.
We used some rat poison which seemed to just get rid of them. It was stuff we just got from B&Q or maybe Wilkos. Rentakill stuff or something. Came with some little white trays to put it in aswell.
Found one dying on the patio one time though so had to wack that one with a spade so it died faster.
We have something back now though. Cats quite often going to the same spot, or sitting and watching this spot. Sniffing around it.
Dont appear to be in the compost bin this time though, yet.


Don't question. It makes people angry.

Re: Rats in the compost. What to do?
« Reply #15 on: 18 May, 2010, 08:46:52 pm »
I bought some blue-dyed wheat laced with bromadiolone (same as in Slaymor) & with Rentokils name on the front. They liked it, poor deluded creatures. Almost a kilo of it went in ten days.

I've seen no sign of rodent life for almost a week. Fingers crossed, eh?
"A woman on a bicycle has all the world before her where to choose; she can go where she will, no man hindering." The Type-Writer Girl, 1897