In article , Sacha
writes
On 10/1/05 17:45, in article , "JennyC"
wrote:

Hi

We have a regular tiny mouse come to visit and to nibble on several fat balls,
in nets which hang on a small (rhus) tree outside on the patio.

He is not problem and it's fun to watch him/her feeding at night.

However we seem to have his/her big brother coming round as well :~(

Caught a quick glimpse of a small rat (young?) the other day in the flower
bed.
And the fat balls seem to disappear whole. yesterday was proof when I went out
to find the nylon net still on its branch but it had been bitten open and the
ball was gone !

Any ideas on what to do. I don't want ratty getting ideas about coming
indoors!

Can you fashion the sort of 'collar' they put on boats' warps to deter rats
from coming aboard? Looks a bit like one of those things dogs wear to stop
them nibbling at post-surgery stitches or scratching their ears! It's like a
bottomless bucket with the wide end of the cone towards the rats' approach
and the narrow end tied firmly to the tree/post/warp not leaving a gap.
They can't climb over it or get past it if it's done properly. A yacht
chandler might be able to help if you can't fashion something yourself.

Would some of the squirrel-proofing devices also defeat a rat?
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"