Post by Granny Goose on Apr 29, 2018 19:14:23 GMT
A couple of years ago I gradually became aware that something was missing in my garden....it became very quiet, there was no birdsong to wake me at dawn, and no tweeting at dusk! The garden became very "still" and felt like there was no life in it! Even the sparrows had disappeared! I couldn't put my finger on it, the plants still grew, the garden still looked OK but it just "felt wrong!"
One morning that summer, I came down as usual, went into the kitchen to "put kettle on"and there was a very large, grey rat on my kitchen windowsill (fortunately on the outside 😁) looking in at me!
I was well freaked out I can tell you!!!😬😬
We called in a "Private Rat Catcher" (our local council rat man had a 6 week waiting list!), he arrived 48hrs later, set a couple of traps and did a thorough inspection of my garden,sheds and greenhouse.
This is what he told me...
1. Rats are responsible for the diminishing number of birds in our gardens. They attack and kill birds once they've settled down to roost at night.
2. Bird feeders and bird food attracts rats to our gardens.
3. Bulbs, seeds, dried seed heads stored in greenhouses or sheds are very attractive to rats and they will find a way in to gnaw on them.
4. Candles in the garden also attract rats, they love the wax!!
5. Large climbing plants, especially on house walls, are loved by rats....they love to climb and lie in wait! (I have a very large Virginia creeper growing along the back of my house, above my kitchen window and that was where Ratty had set up home!)
So....I stopped feeding the birds, I cleared out my sheds and greenhouse and now only store seeds in an air tight container, and I stopped leaving candles outside on the tables (I do still light candles out there, but bring them back inside when I've finished enjoying them.) I'm not ready to part with my wall climbers yet, but did give them a serious pruning!
I'm happy to say that Ratty has never been seen since and that the birds have gradually returned to my garden, in bigger numbers, despite the fact that I don't feed them, they forage around and find their own food now, and the life and spirit of the garden has returned!
I'm posting this just for information and to pass on the advice of the Rat Catcher! He cost me £150, you get this info for free! 😀
One morning that summer, I came down as usual, went into the kitchen to "put kettle on"and there was a very large, grey rat on my kitchen windowsill (fortunately on the outside 😁) looking in at me!
I was well freaked out I can tell you!!!😬😬
We called in a "Private Rat Catcher" (our local council rat man had a 6 week waiting list!), he arrived 48hrs later, set a couple of traps and did a thorough inspection of my garden,sheds and greenhouse.
This is what he told me...
1. Rats are responsible for the diminishing number of birds in our gardens. They attack and kill birds once they've settled down to roost at night.
2. Bird feeders and bird food attracts rats to our gardens.
3. Bulbs, seeds, dried seed heads stored in greenhouses or sheds are very attractive to rats and they will find a way in to gnaw on them.
4. Candles in the garden also attract rats, they love the wax!!
5. Large climbing plants, especially on house walls, are loved by rats....they love to climb and lie in wait! (I have a very large Virginia creeper growing along the back of my house, above my kitchen window and that was where Ratty had set up home!)
So....I stopped feeding the birds, I cleared out my sheds and greenhouse and now only store seeds in an air tight container, and I stopped leaving candles outside on the tables (I do still light candles out there, but bring them back inside when I've finished enjoying them.) I'm not ready to part with my wall climbers yet, but did give them a serious pruning!
I'm happy to say that Ratty has never been seen since and that the birds have gradually returned to my garden, in bigger numbers, despite the fact that I don't feed them, they forage around and find their own food now, and the life and spirit of the garden has returned!
I'm posting this just for information and to pass on the advice of the Rat Catcher! He cost me £150, you get this info for free! 😀
Luckily I've never seen a rat (so far, bet I've put a jinx on it now! 
) in this garden, the only one I ever saw in the old garden was one the cat dumped on the doorstep once when she was a stray & we used to feed her along with our neighbours. I don't think we have any living in the garden, I put the infrared camera out a few times a week & the only rodent I've seen on it is a woodmouse, we have a tiny baby one at the moment which probably won't last long if the local cats see it & a magpie has been poking around where it hides. I store the bird food in the kitchen so there's only the food on the trays & grass but I'll keep an eye out.
