"John L" wrote in message
...
I've just seen a rat come over our garden shed roof, down the gutter, up
the stick that holds the bird feeder, and then start feeding itself. It
did it 3 times in 20 minutes. It looked huge (but then: they always do
I believe). It was definitely a brown rat - pink paws and all that.

So: tomorrow I buy a couple of rat traps, and tell the neighbours; on
Tuesday I'll tell the council (FWIW).

We live in a rural village right next to fields/woods (hm - sounds
great don't it?). However our houses are standard 60s semis (i.e. not
converted barns on the site of an old farmhouse). We've been here 25
years, and I don't ever remember seeing a rat before in such flagrant
proximity.

So: any comments from people here who have suffered from rats? I feel
we need to eradicate them ASAP.



As I keep poultry, rats will always be a part of my life. I used to poison
them until I realised how very cruel this was.
Now I get the terrier men in every six weeks which means the rats either get
away completely or they are snuffed out in one second, which I feel much
happier with.
Seeing a poisoned rat not yet dead and in distress stopped me from using
poison forever. I had to kill it.
There will be terrier men in your area longing to exercise their dogs on
your rats.
Tina