Derek White wrote:
I can't quite get my head around this, because we live in a clean
area and our garden is small but well looked after. We bought some
large wooden oblong plant containers about a year ago, and we have
some very pretty flowers in them that help to decorate the garden.
And today, disaster! I have seen a rat in the garden, which, on
closer inspection, appears to have burrowed down beneath one of these
containers. I now feel as though I am an extra in the film "Night of
the Living Dead"! It is quite horrendous to think it is lurking in my
garden. What is the best way to get rid of it. I would prefer not to
use a trap, but I believe there might be poisons or rat repellents on
the market. Any ideas would be gratefully received!
P.S. I have a tortoise and a dog as pets.

The easiest solution is to call out the council rat man. It may even be a
free service to you. Raise the wooden planters on brocks or similar so that
it doesn't have anywhere to hide.
Be warned that your pets are at risk from the rat both from disease
(leptospirosis ) and the toprtoise from rat bites as the rat may well attack
it causing horrendous wounds and even death.
As a poultry keeper I have to keep on top of the rat problem and I do this
by having a score of bait boxes filled with bait blocks situated all over my
land all year round.
p.s. I have just aqquired a tortoise too :0)
Took him to a specialist vet last week to get checked out and found him to
be underweight, full of worms and having abnormal shell growth cos previous
owners had fed him cat food and never had him wormed :0(

--�
purebred poultry
www.geocities.com/fenlandfowl