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Subject Topic: Rat problem Post Reply Post New Topic
Personiank01
25/5/2021 at 11:19am
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We live in a small village in the countryside and expect to see a rat or two. We do feed the birds and the seed is placed in bird containers out front and seed is placed on the roof of the shed at the bottom of the garden.
Our next door neighbour who has a council home started a hedgehog rescue centre a while ago and looks after a load of hedgehogs which is commendable.   Now her whole back garden is covered in marques to shade all the hedgehogs. Obviously the hedgehogs need to be fed and this could be one of the main reasons for the large number of rats around as the rats can probably access the food. My wife mentioned the rat issue to the neighbour who said it was our fault for feeding the birds?
Another issue is that she stacks up the used bedding at the far side of her home and it can be left there for months before being removed. Last week she got a big skip to remove the used bedding and filled it up so that it was almost over flowing, but still there is a large amount of used bedding left by the side of her home.
Lastly last summer we had so many flies around that we had to keep the windows closed. Prior to her starting the hedgehog rescue centre we had very few flies around. We put up sticky paper in the conservatory for the flies and within days it can be almost full of dead flies. Pointless complaining to the housing people.   We did raise concerns with the housing association a while ago, but they did nothing about it.
Is there any other organisation we can approach as we feel it is a Health and Safety issue especially as some of the overflow used bedding has now slid into a culvert or stream that runs behind the houses. The stream is not a natural stream although it looks like one as is not in concrete and is free flowing.
Any suggestions please?


Personblueexpo97
25/5/2021 at 11:32am
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It's got to be an Evironmental Health issue, surely.

But you think you've got problems, BBC

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PersonColin21
25/5/2021 at 12:42pm
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I would have thought food put out for hedgehogs would be more likely to attract rats than bird seed, but I could be wrong. If rats are becoming a problem I would contact the local council for advice. I'm sure they would put you through to the relevant department.


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Personbirder99
25/5/2021 at 4:10pm
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Get photographic evidence and date it. Do this for a few weeks and then contact you local authority environmental health dept and give them a copy of the evidence. They might just pay your neighbour a visit (if you are lucky) and remind them of the statutory requirements regarding rats and flies (two different pieces of legislation). However if your wife keeps feeding the birds the EHO will probably tell you to get your own house in order before speaking to your neighbours. If there is an ample supply of food for the rats it is unlikely that you would get a good take on any rodenticide or even take them in traps. Find the harbourage of the rats and you will get to the seat of the problem. The flies are a symptom of larvae (maggots) feeding on something. If you can get their food removed or even larvicide put down early enough you might be able to break the cycle but when it is warm they life cycle is very short compared with what it is at the moment.

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PersonMonty15
25/5/2021 at 4:31pm
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I very sadly had to stop feeding the birds in my garden, as was getting as many rats as birds it seemed! My neighbours had numerous old mattresses and other rubbish that provided an ideal nesting ground for rats, they also didn't seemed bothered by their presence, so whilst I was fighting to control them with traps (don't like putting poison into the food chain/environment), I was fighting a losing battle.

Managed to get clear from time to time, but they still come back far too often, and never got to feed the birds again. Council don't show much interest in vermin control, only refer you to commercial pest control firms.

In your situation and scale of problem, I'd have thought council would have to act, but you would almost certainly have to stop feeding birds.


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PersonAncient Uncle
25/5/2021 at 6:03pm
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We never used to have a rat problem in our village. There was an area of waste ground on the edge of village where they were known to live, but never a problem. A few years ago the land was sold for development, so was cleared and houses built. Now we have a rat problem.


PersonFiona W
via mobile 25/5/2021 at 7:24pm
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We had a rat problem when the local takeaways were closed over lockdown. Yes, we feed birds. The traps caught 8 rats first time, same again for the second flush. By then it was spring and when the third batch of rats arrived, the traps were catching birds not rats. So we bought a rat bait station & placed it on a rat run, and after a while we didn�t see any more rats. It wasn�t expensive.
But I�d make a formal complaint to environmental health about hedgehog lady, based on the rats. The local authority will also do rodent control for a reasonable fee for rat bait boxes. And alert RSPCA to check if she needs a license.
I expect she�s very well meaning. I haven�t seen a hedgehog for years.
Edit to add: contact the British Hedgehog Society.
https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk

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Persontango55
25/5/2021 at 8:24pm
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Complain in writing to your local council first and if they refuse to acknowledge your complaint then take it further to the County Council. If all fails then as a last resort write to your local MP over the issue, that's what they're there for, to serve you, the public. I've done it twice over the past few years and you'll be amazed at the positive response when action is activated from people in higher authority.


PersonBob61
25/5/2021 at 10:58pm
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Council tenants and housing association tenants have rules which they have to abide by or they could get evicted. One of those rules is that they don't do anything to cause annoyance or distress to neighbours. There are also rules on keeping certain pets and livestock. I would suggest reporting the problem to the Council or the Housing Association whichever it happens to be and stress that your neighbours actions are causing you problems.

As already said though, feeding birds is a well known and common reason for the appearance of rats and mice...as well as tree rats (squirrels) which can cause no end of damage, so if rats are around you won't be helping the situation by feeding birds.


Personiank01
26/5/2021 at 6:22am
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Thanks for all the excellent advice. We have decided to firstly stop feeding the birds in the back garden with the seed on top of the shed. We will give that a week or two to kick in.
I don't see an issue with the feeders in front as they are off the ground and not even the squirrels tree rats can get to the seed. The front garden is not enclosed and what falls on the ground is mainly the husks from the seeds.
We do have two cats who are excellent at catching mice and rats, but having dead rats brought into the home virtually every day got us concerned. Previously they caught the odd one now and then and sometimes weeks would go by without them catching anything, but every day?
If we still have an issue with rats and flies in a couple of weeks then definitely time to get onto Environmental agency as used bedding or litter could be contaminating the stream also, but I will speak to neighbour first about that issue.


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PersonGerry Williams
26/5/2021 at 8:14pm
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Not seen a rat here for ages - in fact since shortly after our neighbours who kept chickens moved out - and we feed the birds (4 feeding stations) and get the occasional tree rat trying for an 'easy feed' (they don't often get away with it though!)

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PersonBob61
27/5/2021 at 1:03am
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The problem where I am is sky rats (pigeons)


PersonAncient Uncle
27/5/2021 at 5:59pm
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Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 27/5/2021
The problem where I am is sky rats (pigeons)


Our major problem is our neighbour who insists on feeding the seagulls and our caravan is an ideal perch while they wait.


PersonBob61
27/5/2021 at 7:17pm
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Quote: Originally posted by Ancient Uncle on 27/5/2021
Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 27/5/2021
The problem where I am is sky rats (pigeons)


Our major problem is our neighbour who insists on feeding the seagulls and our caravan is an ideal perch while they wait.


That would really annoy me.

A neighbour a few houses away from me insists on feeding the crows which has resulted in quite large numbers of them. Thankfully they aren't nesting near me. I have two telegraph poles in my garden so I sometimes find bits of stale meat, chicken bones, bacon etc; dropped at the bottom of them and have to check the garden first thing in the morning in order to remove any stale food or bones before the dog gets them.

Several of the neighbours in the area feed birds with seed or bread which of course attracts the wood pigeons as well as smaller birds. The wood pigeons make more of a mess on the lawn than the dog does and we always have to check shoes before entering the house!

There are grey squirrels in the woods at the back but apart from making the dog bark at them they have not caused me any problems. I gather they have managed to get into the loft space of some houses where they delight in chewing through cables!

Hedgehogs leave black poop all over the place and not to mention the leather jackets and miner bees that made a right mess of part of my lawn last year! Oh the joys of living in the countryside...let's protect the wildlife, eh?



Post last edited on 27/05/2021 19:22:41


PersonTriaxle
via mobile 27/5/2021 at 8:34pm
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Quote: Originally posted by Gerry Williams on 26/5/2021
Not seen a rat here for ages - in fact since shortly after our neighbours who kept chickens moved out - and we feed the birds (4 feeding stations) and get the occasional tree rat trying for an 'easy feed' (they don't often get away with it though!)


If you have chickens you have rats, fact. Get rid of the chickens, you will get rid of the rats.



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