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Post by lottielady on Jan 9, 2007 10:07:59 GMT
Eek!eek!eek! The lid was off one of my compost bins in the garden - the type with the lift off hatch at the bottom - there was a hole the size of tennis ball and the compost was spilling out of the hatch - even though the flap was still in place.... do you think it might be a....can't bear to type it..... one of those things 4P hates? I don't know how long the lid has been off either.
Can't use poison because of the dogs.... if it's a mousey I'm not too bothered, and am hoping that possibly it is a mousey and the hole has got bigger because the rain has been able to get in as the lid was off. I haven't seen any sort of critters other than the squirrels in the garden.
eek! eeww! eek! eeww! What shall I do!
LLx
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Post by sleepysunday on Jan 9, 2007 10:11:57 GMT
Calm down and relax. Could be a hedgehog, or a fat mouse, or snakes. Just keep putting the compost in and ignore it. It will be gone in a few weeks I'm sure... what ever it is.
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Post by sweetleaf on Jan 9, 2007 10:21:09 GMT
If its a rat it will hate change.. they have a horror of it, stir the compost, bang the bin every time you pass, do anything that alters the normal way of things and it will bu**er off!
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Post by lottielady on Jan 9, 2007 10:27:27 GMT
Calm down and relax. Could be a hedgehog, or a fat mouse, or snakes. Just keep putting the compost in and ignore it. It will be gone in a few weeks I'm sure... what ever it is. Thanks for the snake suggestion Sleepy  Thats made me feel so much calmer  LLx |
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Post by lottielady on Jan 9, 2007 10:30:18 GMT
If its a rat it will hate change.. they have a horror of it, stir the compost, bang the bin every time you pass, do anything that alters the normal way of things and it will bu**er off! Thanks Sweetie - I will try that  LLx |
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Post by Plocket on Jan 9, 2007 10:34:58 GMT
 Poor you LL - I hope it isn't a rat. I like the hedgehog suggestion but isn't it a little late for a hedgehog to hybernate? And unfortunately the hole is a bit big for a mouse.
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Post by sleepysunday on Jan 9, 2007 10:36:41 GMT
If it is a snake (and that is very unlikely) it would almost certainly only be a grass snake.
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Post by lottielady on Jan 9, 2007 10:45:41 GMT
If it is a snake (and that is very unlikely) it would almost certainly only be a grass snake. Oh and I just ordered some Python repeller... better cancel it!  LLx
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Post by 4pygmies on Jan 9, 2007 12:53:35 GMT
That's not good LL! I think Sweetleaf's advice is excellent. You need to make it/them uncomfortable or they'll cosy in and nest. I think it prolly is the dreaded rodent fiend made the entrance hole and it's looking for nice quarters to breed it. You need to get in there and get rid of it!
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Post by sleepysunday on Jan 9, 2007 12:57:44 GMT
There are moments when I suspect that ratus ratus is not the top of your favourite species list 4P!!!
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Post by 4pygmies on Jan 9, 2007 13:08:23 GMT
You know, if they'd stop slinking about my garden, creeping about my lovely goats and chooks and left my sweetcorn, strawberries, tomatoes and EVERYTHING else alone - they're welcome. (No, that's actually a lie....) Rats are satanic and loathsome offspring of the devil. So there.
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Post by MamIDdau on Jan 9, 2007 20:06:03 GMT
Calm down and relax. Could be a hedgehog, or a fat mouse, or snakes. And you were trying to calm her down?! lol |
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Post by 4pygmies on Jan 12, 2007 7:12:18 GMT
What's happened LL? Have you dealt with it? We could sent a RATBUMS stealth squad in if necessary (we're very cheap - coffee and a biscuit tin is our fee...).
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Post by Plocket on Jan 12, 2007 8:18:32 GMT
Jeez I've never known anyone actually eat the biscuit TIN!!!! ;D
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Post by Jonah on Jan 12, 2007 13:43:54 GMT
I think they have been in my composter  I can't shut the front properly as all the soggy compost has fallen forward [although I think they have tunnelled up from below anyway]. We've had some sightings in the front garden, and I had tunnels in my composter. I don't suppose leaving the lid up, not putting waste in for a while, and making it very wet will move them on will it? I blame the neighbours who insist on chucking stale bread on the green for the birds. They were seen there first some time ago, and now we have 20 flats being built up the road I think a lot have been moved out of their homes!  |
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Post by 4pygmies on Jan 12, 2007 13:57:50 GMT
Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear about both of you having rat problems. I know I make a silly joke about it but I really detest them They have ruined my garden schemes over and over - it particularly broke my heart when my 3 wooden composts bins had to be dismantled and destroyed. It's very hard to keep cheerful when rats ruin your veggies, nest everywhere and you know that they're all over the place. I was a nervous wreck most of the time I was gardening for several years! Jonah, I think the only solution is to empty the composter, resite with a very heavy duty metal grid under it (chicken wire gets chewed through) try a builders merchant, and then refill it and keep the lid secure. Then if you still find droppings etc you must get some poison and put it with a secure top (we use a heavy slab on bricks with one small entrance) somewhere where you know they have a rat run. Btw get the poison from somewhere which supplies animal/ livestock feed or an extremely good ironmongers as we've found the stuff sold in GC's just isn't strong enough. Don't delay as in this mild weather they are breeding very fast!
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Post by Jonah on Jan 12, 2007 14:06:22 GMT
Well I don't want to do it on my own with the children, and OH is working this w/e. I don't like the thought of killing them [remember I'm a HuDuPuLuH], so I'll have to get him to do it. Time to put the no feeding the birds sign on the green I think. I've been avoiding the problem and hoping they will go away, but there are probably tons of places they could be hiding in out there so I should act. I've even been letting the neighbours cats prowl around instead of shooing them out! |
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Post by sweetleaf on Jan 12, 2007 14:12:08 GMT
oh, I hope they havent eaten through the chicken wire on my composters, theyll get a short sharp shock soon if they have!
My cats always investigate the compost heap when I get the door off, and start turning it. Ill take them with me, they are very biddable and like to follow me around in the garden. I sometimes think they are trying to herd me back inside, where they think Im supposed to be! I bang the bins whenever I pass and frequently move them altogether to a new spot, the ground underneath gets a good forking over, and theres a new flower bed! Its another way of reclaiming ground back from OH, sneaky eh.....just dont tell him!
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Post by 4pygmies on Jan 12, 2007 14:13:35 GMT
I'm a semi HuDuPuLuh as the only way I can kill them is with an air gun (and it took me a while to stop feeling bad whenever I managed to hit one).......my OH whacks with a heavy implement but I CAN'T! Having small children around when there are rats about is horrible - my lot were banned from certain areas of the garden until we'd got the numbers down - rats widdle all the time and kids are constantly putting their hands in their mouths without thinking...yucky yuck!
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Post by Jonah on Jan 12, 2007 14:16:41 GMT
That's my main worry 4P. My little one has picked up the bread on the green, I have to grab it and grind it into the ground. If my neighbours all knew we had rats in the vicinity they might understand my fears.
I don't think the OH will fancy carrying on with the back garden if he knows there are rats likely to be everywhere!
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Post by 4pygmies on Jan 12, 2007 14:22:34 GMT
Have you tried your local pest control officer at the council? I think they come out free - tell them you have small children and that you're very worried about Weill's disease.......and tell them you have lots of rats on the green.
All my bins were chicken wired underneath and sides - they chew through it very easily - that's how they invaded my chicken run ( wire buried down to 12"), they even chewed through the very solid wooden floor to get into the house even though I don't feed my hens in there.......
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Post by Jonah on Jan 12, 2007 14:31:20 GMT
Well the back garden is such a building site, I'm worried they'll condemn it, or remove the children to a safehouse. ;D
I'll talk to the OH tonight, see if he will go out to see whether we have a big problem, get the torch under the sheds etc. May have to speak to the council after that!
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Post by lottielady on Jan 12, 2007 16:00:21 GMT
I've had a good prod about in mine - although the lid was off again today - not sure if it was the wind as usually I have trouble getting it off  The dogs aren't interested in the bin at all and when I had the little mousey in the garden they would sit by the holes waiting for it to pop out, not that it ever did while they were there. I am using Sweetie's theory by giving it a swift kick a few times a day and so far...no more holes in it. LLx |
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Post by Plocket on Jan 12, 2007 16:40:13 GMT
Well what ever it was, hopefully you've scared it off now Lottie Lady! ;D
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2007 22:03:33 GMT
I was quite worried and perplexed
I seem to have misread this text.
But now I see [my lights quite dim]
A RATUS in a compost bin.
I read it RASTUS for a minute
and thought my chum would not be in it!
He's not a rat, he's a country mouse,
And lives with his family in their own house!
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Post by Juliet on Jan 12, 2007 22:45:33 GMT
I've had a good prod about in mine - although the lid was off again today - not sure if it was the wind as usually I have trouble getting it off The dogs aren't interested in the bin at all and when I had the little mousey in the garden they would sit by the holes waiting for it to pop out, not that it ever did while they were there. I am using Sweetie's theory by giving it a swift kick a few times a day and so far...no more holes in it. LLx Hope it's not a hedgehog in there - if it is & it's trying to hibernate & you wake it up it will probably die |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2007 0:54:33 GMT
[quote author=lottielady board=chat thread=1168337279 po LLx Hope it's not a hedgehog in there - if it is & it's trying to hibernate & you wake it up it will probably die [/quote] No it's rat....we did take OUR hedgehog on honeymoon though.....you'll need to scroll down a bit...... www.seascape-sail.com/photo_gallery/singles.htmlUnfortunately, we neither I or Mrs C don't appear in the photos  |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2007 9:04:24 GMT
Hope your problem has changed to someone elses heap. The council officer came quickly to us plus Jack Russell which dealt with the problem instantly & without poison.
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Post by lottielady on Jan 13, 2007 9:19:25 GMT
I've had a good prod about in mine - although the lid was off again today - not sure if it was the wind as usually I have trouble getting it off The dogs aren't interested in the bin at all and when I had the little mousey in the garden they would sit by the holes waiting for it to pop out, not that it ever did while they were there. I am using Sweetie's theory by giving it a swift kick a few times a day and so far...no more holes in it. LLx Hope it's not a hedgehog in there - if it is & it's trying to hibernate & you wake it up it will probably die I would be very surprised if it was a hedgehog Juliet - unless it has Spiderman powers - it's a dalek type bin and it would have to shimmy up to get in and I don't think they can jump that high! LLx |
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Post by Juliet on Jan 13, 2007 15:46:45 GMT
Hedgehogs can climb ... but not sure they could climb up a dalek without claw grips ... they could dig their way underneath it though, or get into the hatch at the bottom if that was open.
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The dogs aren't interested in the bin at all and when I had the little mousey in the garden they would sit by the holes waiting for it to pop out, not that it ever did while they were there. I am using Sweetie's theory by giving it a swift kick a few times a day and so far...no more holes in it.
