On 2014-05-17 11:42:38 +0000, Martin said:

On Sat, 17 May 2014 12:09:16 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2014-05-17 08:35:40 +0000, Martin said:

On Sat, 17 May 2014 09:22:30 +0100 (BST), (Nick
Maclaren) wrote:

In article ,
Sacha wrote:
On 2014-05-16 22:51:39 +0000, Judith in England said:

Our rodent man came round today and says there's a bit increase in the
rat population - around 40% in places. Such a cheery thought!

Perhaps he was just self-promoting and hoping that you will have him round more
frequently.

He's on a 6-weekly visit contract in the season and has been for more
years than I can remember.

The reason is simple and has been known for decades - mild winters.

The floods can't have done them much good in places where there were floods.

The danger is them swimming into houses and outbuildings, aiui. In
some of the worst flooded areas, farmers are going to have to buy worms
to re-stock their land with them. All the ones that were there drowned.
A friend of my daughter, whose house had never flooded before, had to
be evacuated along with several horses, dogs, cats and chickens. She
moved back in a few weeks ago but is still coping with sludge and the
vile smell of wet plaster and flooring. Hers was one of the villages
totally cut off and accessible only by boat.

Has she applied for the £5,000 that was promised by DC to all flood victims?

I don't know but I'd imagine so. One very greedy pair of people charged
a huge sum of money to transport and 'rescue' the horses just a few
hours before the Parrett broke its banks and flooded her property, so a
big chunk of that £5k will have been spent already. She'd been living
with water in the house but then the animals were endangered. She's
applied to have her house compulsorily purchased because of the neglect
of the waterways which contributed so largely to the problem. She
doubts she'll be able to sell it otherwise! She only moved in two years
ago and her surveyor assured her the house had never flooded.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon