"Druss" wrote in message
...
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

I would love to know exactly how common Weill's disease is,

Very rare, only a real danger to people like cavers and sewer workers.

We have rats in our compost heap and we have Red
Kites constantly hovering overhead, since the red kites are opportunistic
carrion feeders more than hunters I suspect they'd like nothing more than
to
pick up a nicely poisoned rat, which is the main reason I have stopped
using
them.

Good for you.

Also since rats are so prevalent having poisoned off the occupants in the
past they are never more than a couple of weeks away from a new set moving
in. They are there primarily because of the huge number of worms in the
compost, which is an excellent source of food for them.

Rats hate a vacuum. If you kill of rats more will move in.

Generally speaking they'll not be much bother to you, if you can put up
with
the idea of them being around.

Quite.

I think regularly turning the heap, like once a week should be enough to
convince them to take up house elsewhere, then they'll move in under your
shed, and live off any old garbage you leave in there, what's the old
stats
"You're never more than 10 feet from a rat in the UK".

Absolutely right. There's far too much hysteria about them. Everywhere there
are rats, mice, moth, fleas, flies, birds, fox and all sorts of other things
which are perceived dangers to Man. Man is probably the worst offender
against the Earth.

Mary

Duncan