"Ray" wrote in message
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"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...

"Ray" wrote in message
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Not much point in this tail really other than to vent my thoughts &
frustration. Perhaps a rant as I am tearing my hair out.
We all live close to rats. I don't like them but have to live with them,
a fact of life.
I live in an early 20C cottage in Berkshire. Have done for 27 years.
Semi-rural area with a stream flowing along the front. Quite idyllic on
a good day.
Built on a 12inch concrete raft with suspended floors on sleeper walls.
The old place has recently suffered a quite severe infestation of rats.
All feed, both animal & human, is kept secure.
From whence they came I know not but they certainly have made merry
below floors.
There are about 2 dozen airbricks around the perimeter just above ground
level, these are all sound. I can see no signs of burrowing but I don't
think rats burrow anyway.
Wife & I keep 3 cats, 2 dogs and 2 goats. Goaties are cleaned daily and
all is composted. Goats are a couple of hundred yards away.

If you have three cats and two dogs you shouldn't have rats.

We only had one cat and he saw to the rats when we came back from holiday
to find them.

Mary
I agree entirely; neverthless we have suffered a veritable plague of the
wretched creatures.
The cats are probably overfed and can't be bothered. Retriever is sadly a
bit long in tooth and Newfie is so laid back he would just want to mother
them.
Now I need either a VV small person or a robot that can creep in, under
and around dwarf/sleeper walls to lay and tack cables under my house.
Rats!

Get a Squirrel trap.
Bait it
Catch Rat(s)
Release in the local neighbourhood aggravating morons back garden.

or

Shoot the buggers