To just get rid of the rats?

[ArabeIIaFigg]

(I should preface this: I know I'm not being unreasonable - at least, I think so - but I'd appreciate some input!).

So we live near a body of water. As a result of the recent flooding, a family of displaced rats has taken up residence in our garage. They've already caused a fair amount of damage to the doors and even managed to get into my car and chew DD's car seat (it held scent memories of Smarties and chips). I've called The Exterminator and they're coming this week.

Our neighbours apparently also have rats and have been feeding them. Supposedly they believe that a well-fed rat won't eat fittings or fixtures. They have also mentioned that having creatures "dealt with" is cruel, and would never allow such a thing (this was said in the past when DH was seen disposing of a headless mouse). Mrs Neighbour has some hoarding issues and I'm worried about creating some sort of shitstorm over a dead rat. Am I being unreasonable to assume that their behaviour will guarantee a lifelong supply of rats in our house? They'll see the Anti-Pesto Pest Control van for sure, and I'm worried about the reaction. I don't want rats but I also don't really want a feud.

Oh dear god get rid of the rats!!! Pet rats fine, but well fed wild rats will just multiple till infinity!

Who cares what the neighbours think? Just get rid of those rats.

Well you are likely to just have another family move in. 🤷

www.aaps.org.uk/what-we-do/pest-control-and-the-law/

You're going to have a feud and you're going to have to deal with her rats as well as yours. Or she is. Or the council is.

I think.

It's a bit frustrating because the exterminators are really bloody expensive, and I feel it's going to be an exercise in futility if they keep feeding the rats (and creating the conditions for them to live in; they've got bags upon bags of birdseed in their garden, for example).

So while I know that we need to deal with our rats, I'm not sure if there's any way to get them to sort their situation out...?

Get them to look at how many descendants a pair of rats can produce in a year. Its terrifying how quickly they can increase their numbers. Even if half of them die before sexual maturity you are looking at many hundreds from just one pair and their offspring.

I used to keep pet rats but I wouldn't encourage wild rats.

Pest controllers often have unmarked vehicles. The guy who dealt with our ‘problem’ did. So maybe your neighbour won’t even notice?

[quote LaetitiaASD]www.aaps.org.uk/what-we-do/pest-control-and-the-law/[/quote]
We're not in the UK but I will check local regulations, thanks for the tip. I hadn't even considered that it could be a legal obligation to murder gently encourage the rats to leave.

Oh god no get rid. Not only can they cause hundreds of pounds worth of damage but their urine can carry Weil's disease which can lead to kidney and liver failure if caught.

Maybe well fed rats chew fewer cables but they also have more babies. And the babies have more babies and when the babies get big they look for cosy new homes.

Get pest control in. If the neighbours kick off remind them that once upon a time rats helped to wipe out half of Europe so I think very much YANBU.

Best pest control possible. Our old garden abbutted the Thames so I hear you. If our neighbours had encouraged we'd not have hesitated to report them to environmental services.

Get a dog or cat also.

We had rats coming in from neighbouring properties, and had exterminators in. They didn’t solve the problem, and cost a fortune. We ended up buying our own (cheap) boxes and bait which didn’t seem to work for weeks and weeks, but all of a sudden I noticed they had gone and I haven’t seen a single one since. We still have the bait boxes out and I don’t check them very often as they don’t like things which have been disturbed, but they definitely seem to have done the job!

Get a dog or cat also.

Not so sure about that. Our old cat would bring live rats into the house and then release them. Our current cats would shit themselves if they saw a rat; they’re terrified of pigeons.

Rats pee and poo everywhere. I would get rid of them in a second.

Save your money and get bait boxes. Otherwise you will have to have the exterminater out every few weeks.

@honeybeesknees

We had rats coming in from neighbouring properties, and had exterminators in. They didn’t solve the problem, and cost a fortune. We ended up buying our own (cheap) boxes and bait which didn’t seem to work for weeks and weeks, but all of a sudden I noticed they had gone and I haven’t seen a single one since. We still have the bait boxes out and I don’t check them very often as they don’t like things which have been disturbed, but they definitely seem to have done the job!

I agree with this. There is no real need to pay an expert as they use the same stuff you can buy on amazon. However, rats are intelligent creatures (and have amazing social skills, they really are excellent creatures, it is such a shame that they can not co exist with us) so if they are getting safe food they will not touch the bait boxes and as they say above even if you remove all food sources they still take a while to take the bait as they don't trust it.

I’d recommend shutting a pair of massive farm cats into the garage and then letting them do their worst. If the neighbours complain just tell them it’s the circle of life with a smile.

@RosesAndHellebores

Best pest control possible. Our old garden abbutted the Thames so I hear you. If our neighbours had encouraged we'd not have hesitated to report them to environmental services.

Get a dog or cat also.

Resident dogs and cat will be sacked for their pest control abilities.

I have chickens and horses and as a result ended up with a rat problem, I got two feral cats from Celia hammond. They are free you just have to feed them and get them a dry place to sleep. And they will even trap them and pay for vet treatment if there is a problem. I now have Zero rats they have been so efficient and I literally just feed them they have no interest in coming into the house. I cannot put enough emphasis on how quickly they have dealt with the problem. Your neighbour can feed them all she likes the cats will take care of it.

I’ve read on here before about Terrier teams being very efficient rodent killers.

I would be worried about them moving in the house when the weather gets colder.

"big cheese" rat bait its green & used with their plastic bait station (wilko sells them) we used them (near neighbouring pub kept pot bellied pigs - why one sked oneself?) & they did work very well
scewfix sells something similar
but buy a bait box so no birds or other creatures eat it

I have heard that if you add chocolate &/or peanut butter to the bait they will enjoy (!!!) it even more -just enough to smell

Absolutely do not put up with this, she is batshit. Contact the council/environmental health team and discuss with them. You will have to pay for your own exterminators but surely they would have something to say to the neighbour.

All feeding rats will get you is more rats.