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#1
10-01-2005, 05:45 PM
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Rat ?
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! Jenny |
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#2
10-01-2005, 05:55 PM
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My suggestion is not to lure them with food.
"JennyC" wrote in message ... 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! Jenny |
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#3
10-01-2005, 06:26 PM
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"Michelle C" wrote in message ... "JennyC" wrote in message ... 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! Jenny My suggestion is not to lure them with food. Yes, but what about the birds? I was hoping someone would have a solution to deter ratty Jenny |
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#5
10-01-2005, 07:16 PM
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"Sacha" wrote 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. Sacha Great idea!! Will try it :~) Jenny |
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#6
10-01-2005, 09:40 PM
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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" |
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#7
10-01-2005, 10:15 PM
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On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 19:26:48 +0100, JennyC wrote:
My suggestion is not to lure them with food. Yes, but what about the birds? You didn't say anything about the birds in the OP just that you liked to watch the mouse. Mind you if there is one mouse there will be two shortly to be ten and not long after that... I was hoping someone would have a solution to deter ratty Rentokil Rodine, but you may find ratty will prefer the fat balls over the blue grain. -- Cheers Dave. pam is missing e-mail |
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#8
10-01-2005, 10:19 PM
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#9
10-01-2005, 11:29 PM
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Dave Liquorice wrote:
:: On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 19:26:48 +0100, JennyC wrote: :: :::: My suggestion is not to lure them with food. ::: ::: Yes, but what about the birds? :: :: You didn't say anything about the birds in the OP just that you :: liked to watch the mouse. Mind you if there is one mouse there :: will be two shortly to be ten and not long after that... mice do not multiply as quickly as rats and have lots of natural predators (including rats) therefore your theory is incorrect, unless of course you meant rats? :-p :: ::: I was hoping someone would have a solution to deter ratty :: :: Rentokil Rodine, but you may find ratty will prefer the fat balls :: over the blue grain. :: The blue grain will kill not only ratty, but mousey, hedgehoggy and birdy too! -- http://www.blueyonder256k.myby.co.uk/ |
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#10
10-01-2005, 11:29 PM
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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 :: :~( Rats predate on mice so don't be surprised if the mouse isn't seen again :-( :: 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! Rats will make the most of any situation and the only way to deter them will deter the mouse too, unless you use a wire feeder which the birds can peck at and maybe the mouse could get a small nibble, but the rat won't be able to gnaw through it as quickly, not to say he won't try and you can expect to replace it once he does....once they have discovered a food source they never forget it. -- http://www.blueyonder256k.myby.co.uk/ |
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#11
11-01-2005, 10:51 AM
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In message , Phil L
writes 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 :: :~( Rats predate on mice so don't be surprised if the mouse isn't seen again :-( :: 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! Rats will make the most of any situation and the only way to deter them will deter the mouse too, unless you use a wire feeder which the birds can peck at and maybe the mouse could get a small nibble, but the rat won't be able to gnaw through it as quickly, not to say he won't try and you can expect to replace it once he does....once they have discovered a food source they never forget it. Rats, given enough time, will chew through anything, wire included. So make sure it's pretty tough. We have a few birds in our garden (blue/great tits, the usual). But stocking the bird table with nuts and bread etc just got us 4 squirrels robbing the nuts and magpies and pigeons robbing the bread. Never saw the tits on the nuts at all, even when the squirrels were nowhere to be seen. Given up in the end, the squirrels were just destroying the feeders anyway. -- Mike Buckley RD350LC2 http://www.toastyhamster.org BONY#38 |
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#12
11-01-2005, 04:42 PM
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On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 23:29:41 GMT, Phil L wrote:
mice do not multiply as quickly as rats and have lots of natural predators (including rats) therefore your theory is incorrect, unless of course you meant rats? :-p They still do it fairly rapidly, two mice (M & F of course...) will still become 2 mice in just over 20 days and the offspring breed in 50 days or less... Looking at: http://www.lvma.org/rat.html http://www.lvma.org/mouse.html On paper mice have a quicker turn around. Gestation is about the same but come into breeding condition slightly faster than rats. The blue grain will kill not only ratty, but mousey, hedgehoggy and birdy too! True but I assumed a smidgin of intellegence and that the instructions would be followed. Ie covered accessable only by ratty, hedgehoggy would be to big and mousey well he may as well be for the chop as well. Small birdy tend not to venture inside dark holes. -- Cheers Dave. pam is missing e-mail |
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#13
11-01-2005, 05:59 PM
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"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message ll.com... On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 19:26:48 +0100, JennyC wrote: My suggestion is not to lure them with food. Yes, but what about the birds? You didn't say anything about the birds in the OP just that you liked to watch the mouse. Mind you if there is one mouse there will be two shortly to be ten and not long after that... I was hoping someone would have a solution to deter ratty Rentokil Rodine, but you may find ratty will prefer the fat balls over the blue grain. Dave Not keen on poison as we have a cat. I also don't want to kill of the mouse or any of the birds, Jenny |
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#14
11-01-2005, 06:00 PM
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"Phil L" wrote in message k... Dave Liquorice wrote: :: On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 19:26:48 +0100, JennyC wrote: :: :::: My suggestion is not to lure them with food. ::: ::: Yes, but what about the birds? :: :: You didn't say anything about the birds in the OP just that you :: liked to watch the mouse. Mind you if there is one mouse there :: will be two shortly to be ten and not long after that... mice do not multiply as quickly as rats and have lots of natural predators (including rats) therefore your theory is incorrect, unless of course you meant rats? :-p OH :~) I though that was obvious. Why else would i hang up fat balls :~) :: ::: I was hoping someone would have a solution to deter ratty :: :: Rentokil Rodine, but you may find ratty will prefer the fat balls :: over the blue grain. :: The blue grain will kill not only ratty, but mousey, hedgehoggy and birdy too! http://www.blueyonder256k.myby.co.uk/ Exactly. Not a good idea Jenny |
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#15
11-01-2005, 06:02 PM
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"JeffC" wrote "JennyC" wrote 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! Jenny Hi Jenny, I don't know if it will help, but a few weeks ago I noticed a rather clever bird feeder in B&Q ( cough! spit! ) priced at under £10. It is basically a peanut feeder with a rather ingenious "sprung" stainless steel shield that came down over the feed basket when any larger animal, chiefly squirrels tried to gain access from above. This may allow your mouse to continue feeding, but the weight of a rat would bring down the shield.. It might be messy trying to fill it with fat balls though! Still at the price, it might be worth ago. Jeff. Great idea Jeff, but we don't have B&Q's here in Holland :~( Jenny |
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