19 January 2008
Rattus zeitgeistus
The other day I popped out to the garden to do a little tidying up and to check out how things are coming along. The garlic and onions are looking stonkingly good and I can hardly wait for spring to arrive so I can start to fill the beds with other wonderful things. Not everything in the garden was quite so delightful, however.
Over by the compost bins it appeared as though a pot full of compost had been upended and tipped all over the ground. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that this compost had actually been dug out from inside the compost bin via a rather dinky looking hole by culprit or culprits as yet unidentified. I am mightily suspicious that it was a rat.
This is not a welcome thought, but I am trying to remain sensible and calm. I am very careful about what goes into the compost so I think this is about shelter rather than food. Still, if the conditions are right in there for a mammal to keep warm and dry then they’re probably not right for composting so that’s one element that needs sorting out. Plus, although I am not squeamish about rodents and even find mice quite cute, I am a whole lot less enamoured of rats so I am keen to evict them.
Still, I am not alone in experiencing this critter encroachment. Jane and Frankie have both recently written about the, erm, joys of suspecting that a rat has set up home in their heaps, so I’m hoping it’s not quite as socially unacceptable as being the kid at school who gets sent to the nit nurse!
As for how to tackle it? Well, I’m not keen to encourage rats into the garden and nearer the house, but I’m also not going to get my knickers in a twist about it either. The compost bin needs emptying and the contents stirring up in the next few weeks anyway which I am sure will send the occupants elsewhere. I’ll fix some chicken wire onto the bottom of the compost bins to try to prevent further prospective residents and I’ll be careful about hygiene in the garden. No more soil eating for me, no siree.
Filed under: Wildlife — Clare @ 6:08 pm
That compost hole looks just like mine… after turning the pile we have had no problems but the chicken wire insurance does make me feel better!
(19.01.08 @ 9:00 pm)
Glad the onions and garlic are doing well. If its not rats, there always seems to be something lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce. Hope you get it sorted!
(19.01.08 @ 11:02 pm)
That is a very suspicious looking hole!! When turning your compost bear in mind this cautionary tale….
I was transfering compost from an old rotting wooden bin into a spanking new bespoke compost bin - little did I know I was about to play ‘Whack the Rat’!! I stuck my fork in, up popped the rat and ‘whack’ went my fork (totally involuntary primeval reaction on my part!!). I called the rat man in who completely freaked me out by stopping and tucking his trousers into his socks!! He found a nest of 9 baby rats all cosy in the compost heap - Mummy rat was never seen again but I did a lot of stamping of feet and making of loud noises when taking stuff out there I can tell you!
I also clad my new bins in study wire netting and drove big nails into the ground around to deter digging - Whack the Rat is not a game I intend to play again!
Good luck … and tuck those trousers in!
(20.01.08 @ 12:23 am)
Frankie - Glad to hear you’ve had no more problems. I will certainly feel better when my heaps are better protected.
TopVeg - Yes, if it’s not rats it’s spiders. And while I do understand that spiders are not as bad for teh health as rats can be they still cause me more problems as they terrify me to death.
JaneGinge - Hello! Welcome to P’Soup. Thank you (I think…) for your cautionary tale. Trousers will be well and truly tucked from now on. And I had planned that there would be a lot of noise and careful removal of compost contents when I do it. Sounds like you’re a dab hand with that fork. I hope no-one gets on the wrong side of you while you’re gardening! ; )
(20.01.08 @ 1:39 pm)
I have that exact same hole by my compost bin. I just discovered it this weekend and I do worry that it is a rat. It’s quite unexpected, because I do have two cats and one loves to sit on top of the compost bin. I would have thought the scent would put them off. I watered the compost bin and turned it over. Still no sign of a rat, but I hope that does the trick. If not, I too will resort to chicken wire.
(21.01.08 @ 2:36 pm)
Hi Sinta - Welcome to P’Soup. Our cat also sits on top of the compost bins, but I doubt that anything other than spiders would find her scary as she’s so incompetent at catching stuff. Fingers corssed you are rat free!
(21.01.08 @ 3:50 pm)