"Andrew Wells" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the advice, folks. Once these rats are dead & buried, I'll see
what I can do to keep them out in future.

That might not be for a little while, though - it seems from the available
evidence that after the bait was put down on Friday, some sneaky beggar
came
along and removed it, so the council had to come out again today and put
some more down. Hope this lot lasts a bit longer ...

Andrew
--
Andrew Wells
Replace nospam with my first name to reach me

We had the council round once to put out bait, but after it all went and not
one single dead rat turned up I concluded that with Red Kites wheeling
overhead, and with cats and dogs around it's probably best not to poison
anything which might then escape and die in a hedgerow. Enough wildlife is
poisoned deliberately without me helping it along.

Anyway, I turn it regularly, and water it frequently, thus far any rats
which do turn up don't stay for long.

I have disturbed several in the past and they have, every time, scarpered,
they are not out to "get" you, or to attack you or to harm you, so there
isn't really any need to fear them. They no longer carry the plague, and if
they were really dangerous or carried really nasty diseases then people
would not be allowed to work in close proximity to them, e.g. sewers, farm
buildings etc.

Duncan