Food growing and ...rats...

[Yetano]

Having already been pretty freaked out by the rat/decking thread, I looked out of the back window yesterday to be greeted by the sight of a bloody great rat scurrying around in between some pots.

We have not really been in the garden as it's just been levelled, so maybe it was enjoying the quiet.

I had planned to grow lots of food. Will a veg patch attract rats? Is it a bad idea, or are rats everywhere anyway and I just need to accept that?

No help to offer just sympathy on the decking / rat thing.
I want a bird feeder but can't face the rat implications

You may need to protect pea and bean seeds, or start them indoors and plant out later. Other than that, I see no reason why they should be any more attracted to veg than to flowers.

They don’t like disturbance, and your likely to spend more time in the veg garden, so that should be a deterrent

We have an urban allotment and have no problem with rodents. The other side of the site do, but that’s because two plot holders have chickens and don’t clean up after them so basically have an all you can eat buffet every day...

If you are going to have a compost bin then I would go for a sealed tumbler rather than an open one.

We learnt the hard way with our compost bin. It was only when I turned it that I realised the little bastards had tunnelled from next door, straight up into the bin. I had been giving them a lovely helping of fruit and veg every day! They must have been eating it for months! Healthiest rats on the block, I imagine them with glowing eyes and silky fur

The only time I've had them in the compost is when we were temporarily without cats.

Rats were attracted to our fruit / nut trees and we ended up with quite a severe infestation.