Do Not Feed The Rats (info)

DOTTYROSS

DOTTYROSS

Messages
2,001
Name
Gordon
Edit My Images
Yes
This is an article from my local free newspaper.

Whilst it is good to encourage birds into the garden by putting out food try to avoid this situation.

Rats and mice are coming nearer to peoples homes in search of food and shelter, and are now thriving on food put out for the birds.

They advise to keep feeders away from walls, off the ground, and not to overfeed, and clean up any spilt bird food.

As the picture shows, Rats are extremely good climbers. They also carry bacteria which is harmful to humans as well as the birds.

5514103993_38e93e08ec_b.jpg
[/url][/IMG]
 
We have a massive problem with rats.you really got to take the food away at night,during the day we have a couple of squirrels,some might disagree,but we bait with plenty of rat poison,placed under sheds or any where you can see a run,along fences,last year we had to stop all feeding full stop
 
That's only what us pest controllers have known for years. ;)

When ever anyone phones up about a rat problem the 1st question is
"do you feed the birds"?
99% say yes
The other 1% say no, but on closer questioning we find that they have rabbits / guinea pigs / chickens.

All these spill grain and bedding through the cage bars, and chickens are usually fed at
ground level.

So please folks carry on as you were, (y)
you'd hate to see me out of a job wouldn't you ? :D

Oh and BTW the "worse" disease rats carry is Weils disease,
This is carried in their urine and remains active for quite awhile.
Its usually caught by touching an area that the rat has urinated on with "broken skin"
or not washing your hands and eating / smoking etc. afterwards

Make no mistake this does kill people.
 
u8myufo said:
Its the big uns you got to watch out for :LOL: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3104027/Gnaws-II-Giant-rat-caught-in-Lincoln.html I once confronted one about this size when clearing out a Dutch barn, if I had been a better shot with a pitchfork I would have had the git.
Click to expand...

Flippin Heck :eek::eek::eek: Very James Herbert

We get rats outside, and mice in the feed shed - bloody hate them and put poison down where I can, although in the garden I have a dog that makes short work of them too (y)

We get smakes as well though too, and I've successfully deaded a couple of those with a shovel as they don't run so fast :puke:
 
Cobra said:
Oh and BTW the "worse" disease rats carry is Weils disease,
This is carried in their urine and remains active for quite awhile.
Its usually caught by touching an area that the rat has urinated on with "broken skin"
or not washing your hands and eating / smoking etc. afterwards

Make no mistake this does kill people.
Click to expand...

I had this last year really not pleasant, Im now totally over the top at washing my hands and everything esle that goes near my mouth, we think it came from an apple bought from a local fruit shop in Edinburgh. I didnt wash it just wiped it clean with tissues thinking that would be enough, result over a week in hospital in agony.

Apparantly this is a common way of catching it along with drinking out of bottles and cans.
 
Bucketp said:
I had this last year really not pleasant, Im now totally over the top at washing my hands and everything esle that goes near my mouth, we think it came from an apple bought from a local fruit shop in Edinburgh. I didnt wash it just wiped it clean with tissues thinking that would be enough, result over a week in hospital in agony.

Apparantly this is a common way of catching it along with drinking out of bottles and cans.
Click to expand...

All and anything like that, will transmit it, although the bacteria survives best in damp conditions like sewers, river banks and the like, yep not pleasant at all glad your OK (y)
 
Sgt_Major said:
I hang bird feeder from a rope, tied to a brass pole dug into the ground.

I reckon the brass is too slippy to climb, and the feeder overhangs the ground by about 5ft.
Click to expand...

Thats a plan (y) but they can't all be arsed to climb,
they just wait until the spillage (and there always is a certain amount) hits the ground ;)
 
My cat is a serious ratter. I have no idea where he finds them!
 
weils disease is pleasant to what fleas rats carry can give you.
chap at work caught a rat while moving steel. got bit by a flea from it.
his immune system has totally crashed, loads of tablets each day including steroids. Can't cut himself cos he'd get blood poisoning. :eek:

On my bird feeder station I welded a large square metal plate, like they use on ships mooring cables. Rats can't climb past it and it catches all seed cases etc.
 
bopins said:
weils disease is pleasant to what fleas rats carry can give you.
Click to expand...
Make no mistake people die ever year from it!

bopins said:
chap at work caught a rat while moving steel. got bit by a flea from it.
his immune system has totally crashed, loads of tablets each day including steroids. Can't cut himself cos he'd get blood poisoning. :eek:
Click to expand...

That all sounds a little far fetched to me ;)
Unless it was a black rat (flea) carrying bubonic plague of course
That'll do most of those things ;)


I get bitten regularly by fleas in my line of work It itches sure, but hey ho ;)
 
Last edited:
Bucketp said:
I had this last year really not pleasant, Im now totally over the top at washing my hands and everything esle that goes near my mouth, we think it came from an apple bought from a local fruit shop in Edinburgh. I didnt wash it just wiped it clean with tissues thinking that would be enough, result over a week in hospital in agony.

Apparantly this is a common way of catching it along with drinking out of bottles and cans.
Click to expand...

I knew Macs were bad for you! :D
 
As well as 3 dogs - I've got a couple of big brute rat killer cats that sort out the rodents but don't bother the birds.

My daughters kitten on the other hand has found a new favourite place. Whilst the rats aren't a problem I've since put a mesh platform to stop him trying to get the birds and he's lost interest.
5516350626_9e0b63c79d_z.jpg


Although he's waiting for one - note the bars on the bird table too.

5515745483_d2dfbe6a77.jpg
 
Last edited:
dinners said:
As well as 3 dogs - I've got a couple of big brute rat killer cats that sort out the rodents but don't bother the birds.

My daughters kitten on the other hand has found a new favourite place. Whilst the rats aren't a problem I've since put a mesh platform to stop him trying to get the birds and he's lost interest.
5516350626_9e0b63c79d_z.jpg


Although he's waiting for one - note the bars on the bird table too.

5515745483_d2dfbe6a77.jpg
Click to expand...

LOL, she needs a new collar with a mini bird feeder on it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top