In message of Mon, 14 Mar 2005, nambucca writes
Actually with one exception the same bait is available to amateurs as the
council .........its the form of bait you use and the way you use it thats
crucial

Antec who make Tomcat 2 also do a block bait which you can secure and is
much easier to see how much the pests are eating also their farm
applications expert if you phone him is excellent in giving advice

Once i did what he said the rat problem disapeared

its vital to site all compost bins on solid concrete bases not straight onto
soil

Well our compost heaps are on soil and I spent a lot of time over the
weekend emptying them and tidying up the whole area. The rats had
tunnelled their way into the bottom of one heap and were using that for
access to both heaps but I don't think they were actually living in it.
Not sure where they are living, though there is at least one in next
door's heap.

I have re-filled one heap with compost that is not quite done but none
of the contents are edible. The rats are still about, there were two
here this morning searching the garden for food, and coming much nearer
the house than they used to. I am buying a new compost bin that will rot
the contents down fairly quickly, then I will transfer the contents once
inedible to the main heaps.

A pest control man from the council is coming tomorrow, I'll let you
know how it all pans out.
--
Rgds
Colette