"Me too." wrote in message
link.net...
Hi, just the other day, I noticed there is a rat around our deck out back.
It seems to be eating the bird food that falls to the ground, (2 bird
feeders mounted on deck.) This is a somewhat rural area and has a
population of squirrels, chipmunks, bear, groundhogs, deer, rabbits etc.
So, seeing this unfamiliar site has thrown me. We have 3 large house cats
with full sets of claws, so I'm not too worried about the rat coming in
and
surviving, or should I be? Anyway, this is 1st time I've seen a rat
around
here and I'm not sure if I need to be concerned?


Ants go marching 2 by 2, Rats, travel in caravans. Rats are generally
nocturnal creatures, so if you saw one in the day time, odds are he was
searching for food because there are a whole lot of rats running about
during the night.

Wouldn't surprise me if you've got a large colony living under the deck. Rat
traps and rat bait placed outside will get a by-catch as well, of other
rodents. The best bet is to remove the feeders for a while, so the rats will
go elsewhere for food. If you do put a feeder out, place it in a location
where a rat has to run across open land to get to it. Gives predatory birds
a chance to spot them.

Rats also carry disease that are bad for humans and pets, so it's best they
be kept as far away from the house as possible.

Sameer