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Original poster

Mum putting rat poison down in her garden - do others see this as cruel or unethical or is it just me?

103 replies

GardenRat · 20/02/2025 12:57

My mum has been having a problem with rats being present in her back garden. She is dealing with it by putting rat poison in bait boxes around the garden. I don’t agree with her on this as I understand that rats die a slow and agonising death from the effects of the poison. Also, if any other animal (including birds) was to eat the rat poison itself, or try to eat a rat that has died from poisoning, then that other animal could also potentially become very ill or die. Her position is that she doesn’t care about that, and that using rat poison is the only realistic option she has to dissuade the rodents from entering her house. What are your thoughts on the matter MN?

OP posts:

Snugglemonkey · 20/02/2025 21:21

NeedthatFridayfeeling · 20/02/2025 13:22

Yes they bloody are! I used to like them, then i moved house and the bastards dig up my bulbs and young plants 😡little shits.
Rats outside, i used to have them at my old house and left them alone in the garden, i did have traps and bait boxes in my loft though as spotted the odd mouse and was worried about wire damage etc. Maybe that's your mums concern? if they get in and eat through cables it could cause an awful lot of damage.

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I leave them out nuts. They leave my bulbs alone now.

NeedthatFridayfeeling · 20/02/2025 21:25

@Snugglemonkey i did that too but they still took the bulbs ☹️ i just try and scare them off

Grammarnut · 20/02/2025 21:54

Hoppinggreen · 20/02/2025 16:02

I have been very clear.
In a house and/or causing major issues outside then I would totally understand someone wanting to get rid of them.
I don't subscribe to the "saw one rat in my garden and now we are all going to die" hysteria though.

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Well, nor do I. I saw one taking the bird food the other day. I didn't do anything about it except assume a fellow creature needed food.

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