rats

[nextqueen]

just seen a huge rat on our garden, was shocked how big it was. it went through into next doors garden where i assume it came from. they have a pile of rubbish at bottom of their garden piled next to shed. the rat went in there then it tried crawling up their gate. i think neighbours are away as i saw a wedding sticker on back of their car as they drove off last night. the other side to us has got a bird table and is regularly feeding pigeons that come every day now. know environmental health should know but feel i should tell neighbours first but they are away as i said. i just cannot believe how big the rat was, when i saw it scampering away i honestly thought it was an otter or something similar. ive taken two photos of rat on sh8t tip, theres no other word for it!

[4getmenot]

Is there a question? just ring environmental health now its your garden its going in too.

[RATTER15]

I was a Pest Controller for 13 years, nearly every rat job I went to I was hearing stories of these giant rats, they even witnessed these huge rats going through a hole in the skirting or floor etc, on examining these holes, I found the hole to be about 1 or 2 inches in diameter.

When I hear of rats the size of cats I cant help but laugh!!!

Before I was a pest controller I hunted rats for years with terriers, I went to all the chicken farms where I was sure to find at least one of these giant rats, Guess what, not a single giant rat!!

I did my training with what used to be MAFF, we were told then that they did not exist and I will tell you now, THEY DONT EXIST!! a large rat is one rat that is maybe 1 inch bigger than your average rat. anything else is a figment of your imagination I promise.

The Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) is what we are talking about, these are the largest rat, the other Rat we have in this country is the Black rat ( rattu rattus) is much smaller.

A large Brown rat is usually about 10 to 11 inches long and with a similar length tail, not exactly a giant lol.

Please don't got overly concerned at seeing 1 rat, they are a part of our wildlife so we all see the odd rat or two. Just be aware and monitor the situation or call in pest control to access the problem.

[nextqueen]

mmm, a week on wed thats helpful. just called environ, health and thats the earliest they can come. they said i can ask for poison to be put down in our garden or report next doors rubbish or both. ive just asked for the poison for now.as its in 10 days time that action will be taken then i think by then i will be able to speak to the neighbours by then! im going to tell other neighbours to warn them and to keep an eye out especially the bird feeding one, and yes it was a huge rat about 6 - 7inches and it was grey.

[nextqueen]

do you think i should get my own rat trap/poison in the meantime?

[RATTER15]

A "grey" rat is a baby, 6 to 7 inches confirms this!! I see what you mean when you say huge!!! must have been terrifying. lolol

well at least you are honest.

Stop worrying and let Pest Control deal with it, they aren't going to attack and kill anybody I promise!

[rowanwitch]

Tinkerbella my cat kill rats and brings them home...never bothers with mice... that was a llttle one... the small ones are quite cute it you look at them closely...

[bookbinder]

I once read an article about a rat catcher, and he said that a rat can collapse its skeleton so that it can get through a hole of about one inch in diameter.

[bednobs]

Rats are everywhere - i'm not sure environmental health will care.

[RATTER15]

Bednobs, it isn't quite true that rats are everywhere. It is the responsibility of Environment Health to monitor problem rat areas and to call in Pest Control where appropriate, but for this situation it is best dealt with by a call to Pest Control department of your council and seek their advice, they may treat the area free of charge.

[sometimesit]

I don't like the idea of posion but think you need to be sensible about this.
All the people in this area will have the problem. Putting food out for birds is one thing to control. dog fouling is another. Rubbish is another. drainage problems - broken pipes cover. All these will give help to rats.
I would recommend rat boxes and non toxic rat bait.
Most councils charge for this service now.

[nextqueen]

where there's one,there's more, thats what i say. dont they say that you are never more than a few yards away from a rat?

[nextqueen]

my dad used to say that if cornered they go for your throat. i remember walking the dogs late at night with my dad down a dark lane and i always used to hold my throat for protection.

[secretagentman]

Ratter15, Is this not a giant rat?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieAmdixoJ4w&feature=related

gr

[RATTER15]

OK, lets dispel a few myths about rats:

The rat in the video is not a rat found in the wild in this country as the video explains and is not a giant rat, it is a normal sized pouch rat.


Rats will never go for your throat, this myth came about from a theory that rats assume they can jump over anything to escape, thus to escape they jump upwards, a rat can jump no higher than about 2ft, and they will only jump if cornered and only to escape, they will not attack you as long as they have a means of escape, when ever I have been attacked by rats, it was because I was digging out their nest, they then only bit the toes of boots, the terrier made sure they got no further. I have had rats run up my legs and up my arms but only ever to escape, not to attack me.

Rats are not so prolific that you are no more than a few yards from one, its a joke, this nonsense comes from rats living in sewers, if there were rats in the sewers and the sewers were totally over run with them this myth would hold a little water but these days pest control keep this problem to an absolute minimum in most areas.

Where there is one rat there is more, yes you are right, there is usually more, that applies to just about every species on the planet but just because you have seen one rat doesn't mean you have a rat problem, it may have been a rat just passing by. they do live in our countryside.

Rats excite people like no other creature! if you seen one the whole world will be over run and we will all be eaten by giant sized rats!!!!!!!

Rats are extremely easy to eradicate, I don't care what anybody says, when I went out on a rat job, I knew I would kill every rat with one visit, mice however are a bigger problem!

[carlton23]

They say that at any one time you are never more than 6ft from a rat, tho, I can`t believe it myself.

[boxtops]

Like rowan, my cats bring them in dead quite regularly, 6 ins younguns mostly, I have no idea exactly where they find them but a the odd one doesn't worry me.

[ttfn]

carlton - the last time I went into Bournemouth town at night I parked in the Exeter Road car park. I had walked 6 feet away from the car and a rat ran over my shoe. They literally are everywhere.
boxy - presumably No 1 son only ever brings you dead rats and it is only the dead ones that don't worry you!

[boxtops]

Yes indeed ttfn - the livestock in the past has included a magpie which sat in the light fitting swearing at me, but the rats are definitely goners.