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Don't feed the birds, if you don't want rats!
THE PROBLEM
I was dibbing for moles in a field, when the phone went. It was a man who said he needed help with a rat problem and it turned out to be someone who lived near me in the far east of East Devon. It was towards the end of March 2022.
As I walked down the pathway he didn't need to show me the problem. The video above doesn't really capture what I immediately saw - so many rats that you couldn't count them. It was early afternoon. I was sure they were nocturnal.
I asked him how long he'd had the problem. Since last August... Since last August! Didn't he know that one female rat can reproduce 6-8 offspring every 6 weeks. Well...I know that because I've studied rodents, but thinking about it, probably most people wouldn't know.
My videoing skills aren't great, but towards the end of the clip I capture a rat in the tree. You can just see a bird feeder. It's trying to get to the bird feeder. There were many feeders hanging from that tree. Bird feed was spilled all over the ground. Large quantities of it were stored in the shed just behind where I was standing and there were rat droppings and feed everywhere in it. They had stolen in to devastate the containers and packaging containing the bulk feed.
THE TREATMENT
There were two aspects to how we dealt with the infestation:
We removed the bird feeders, cleaned up as much spilled feed as possible from under the tree and in the shed and moved the feed into the garage. I explained that the feed was a major factor in the infestation and tried to persuade the customer that a change in his feed processes might be in order.
We burrow baited using the latest non-anticoagulant rodenticide. The reason for this was, that the Environmental Risk Assessment clearly showed the nearby presence of owls, ducks, rooks, all sorts of small garden birds and pet cats. This rodenticide presents relatively lower secondary poisoning risks to non-target species, hence the choice.
THE OUTCOME
Within 24 hours the treatment had produced a noticeable knock down, with the client saying he hadn't seen any rats. This particular rodenticide has a stop feeding effect and within a few days we agreed that the colony had been eradicated. The numerous burrows under and around the tree were filled in.
THE MORAL
If you don't like the idea of even one rat traversing your garden, don't give them one single reason to stay.
Don't give them food
Don't give them water
Don't give them harbourage
THE EXPLAINER
Don't give them food
Obviously we love feeding the birds. It's a pastime that gives us great pleasure. Increasingly people are getting chickens and enjoying freshly laid eggs every day. In the area where I live there are many stables and horse riding is a popular activity. All of these activities on a domestic level involve feed.
Rats instinctively know where there's a meal. They don't bother to commute hundreds of metres for a meal when they can set up home next door to a free cafe.
If you see a rat in your garden, the denial of food is an obvious and cheap form of pest control. Denial of food may involve finding non-spill bird feeders and a fastidious approach to storing feed. There is a reason why wheelie bins with lids became the norm in recent times. Or it might simply mean not feeding the birds anymore - they won't die of starvation.
Don't give them water
Unlike mice, a rat's need for water is as vital as food. Rivers, streams and brooks often have rat populations nearby. They are strong swimmers.
My customer had a brook running through his garden and a large pond. So water and food.
If rats are being seen in your garden, can you make sure any rain catching receptacles are moved or turned upside down? Do you really need the pond in the plastic liner? Is any water collecting somewhere else that could simply be removed?
Don't give them harbourage
Rats are neophobic, ultra cautious creatures with a huge survival instinct. Gardens that are overgrown, cluttered with areas of debris provide perfect harbourage. Rats frequent places where they feel safe from predation. Can you cut down the overgrowth and remove any clutter and debris? It will help your cause.
THE CAVEAT
After just over a week of treatment (the label on the rodenticide dictates initial daily and frequent visits) we decided that we could conclude the treatment. There were no more rats. We had gone from innumerable rodents falling over each other to none.
However, I asked my customer to keep me posted. I knew that there was a general rat problem in the area.
About six weeks later I received a text to say that there was a "cute rat" in the shed. I decided to take a few tamper proof bait stations down and see what was happening.
Some ducks were now resident under the tree, where the rat burrows had been and they were throwing large amounts of feed down for them. Bird feed was back in the shed and was everywhere along with rat droppings. With the customer's consent we removed the feed on the ground and completely removed all the feed in the shed.
Just a few minutes after this they put more duck feed down. ?????
The photo below shows a rat just 10 feet in front of where we were standing. It would poke its head out to the right of the brown plant pot, scuttle past the ornamental fox, feed for a few seconds and dart back. A few seconds later, the exact same routine. A repeated, habitual route to the spot where the feed was being thrown down.
I had to say to this lovely neighbour of mine: "Now you know why you have a rat problem."
Anyway, I will continue to do my best for him and his wife, but the caveat surely is that the home owner has to continually be diligent when it comes to rats.
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