Rat 🐀

[Floridatilly]

Oh my word! Sat in my garden around 4pm and along the fence is a rat 🐀 bold as brass! I jumped up and knocked the chair over so it shot under the fence to next doors garden.

I do not know if its a coincidence but the dog owner from hell (3 doors away) had, possibly still have a rat problem due to the dog living outside, dog food and dog poo thrown over the back of the fence. Their next door neighbours, two doors down from us were complaining over lockdown because the rats were coming from that garden into theirs.

This rat might not have anything to do with that but we have never seen a rat in the 16 years we have lived here. I know they are supposed to be everywhere but you don’t generally see them especially in the day time.

I have read that peppermint oil deters rats? Any other suggestions?

[mariechez]

I would be reporting that property to Environmental Health and get a pest controller. If you don't deal with the source they wont go away.

[janeywaney]

Contact your local council they will put you through to the department that deals with pest control.

Jane

[Megandllsmum]

If a neighbour of mine was flinging dog muck over back of his fence I'd be ringing council or environmental health, we have two dogs but I scour the garden daily for dog poo landmines, as occasionally I can miss them doing their business but most of the time I see them and tidy straight up after them both. Our next door but one neighbour during lockdown said he had a rats nest in one of his hedges, we never saw anything in our g sarden thank god but in an evening dog would go crazy looking in the hedges and sniffing about. Neighbour digged the hedge out and put fencing up he was that spooked by what he found, he did get rid of the rat problem too

[stecee]

We put a bird feeder up on a tree branch at the start of spring. Within a fortnight I saw a rat in the garden, it went straight to the area where the bird feeder was and was feeding on the seeds and nuts that had fell on the floor.
I took the feeder down and I’ve not seen the rat since.

[Guest]

For me seeing one rat outside wouldn’t bother me but then I’m a mad animal person. They are all around us anyway. I’ve never seen one in my garden but my cats have killed and brought them in so they are around. If the garden was over run with them, I would call a pest man to come in. As for your neighbour like other have suggested I would call environmental health.

[Floridatilly]

I have spoken to my next door neighbour and her next door neighbour lives next door to the dog owner. Over lockdown the dog owners neighbour actually videotaped the rats coming over the wall from where the dog sleeps. They spoke to him and he said he had laid 4 traps.
So, my next door neighbour has suggested we chat with her next door neighbour when she comes back from holiday in the next day or two. To see if they are still coming from the dogs back garden.
Sorry, that’s very confusing lol

[Floridatilly]

Its my birthday today and every time a friend texts to ask what I got I gave been answering
‘A cocky, rat on my new lawn!’
I am so annoyed with it! It was so bold! Strolling along like it owned the place!

[AL1S0N]

My mum has seen a lot of rats in her garden lately, (also first incidence in 20 odd years) but environmental health want £500 to deal with them!

[Hmr89]

We had a rat visit a couple of times this year(apparently it's been super common over the Summer due to the hot weather and factors relating to lockdown). Can really recommend the pest control blocks from Screwfix- just make sure they are secured in a way that other wildlife won't be able to access them. Took two boxes but we never saw him again.