Look What I found today

I found this rat just as I was leaving our lottie this afternoon.We have been putting down poison in both sheds for weeks as we have a rat problem in both sheds.Not sure where this has come from or how it died.... :eek:


Sorry this one is blurred but I was trying to zoom in on those big teeth...

Look at the length of that tail...

:eek:

 

Yuk!...
There is an article in A Gardener,Feb 9. Headed'Rat Alert'
Months of heavy rain and flooding have driven Rats to take cover in our gardens.Compost heaps and sheds raised on timber sleepers should be examined carefully for signs of infestation.The problem is reported to be worst in Worcestershire :eek: and Leicestershire where they have become resistant to baiting. Keep an eye on stored Apples and potatoes,too.
Can't think what had that chappie so cleanly??

 

could it of died by poisoning kandy!

 

Being an expert in this sort of thing, I can honestly say that it died from a lack of breath.

 

They say you are never more than about six foot away from a rat.

My sister lives in the country and keeps horses and chickens with the attendant food supplies. She also has a couple of Jack Russel terriers, and they catch at least one rat a day sometimes two or three. She just puts the dead rats on a wall, and they are always gone by the next day - owls take them she says. She won't use poison because of the owls and the dogs.

 

Peter, in the news yesterday, they said it was estimated that there are 80 million rats in Britain. But they didn`t say if politicians were included. :D

 

There was an article in our newspaper today saying that we have a rat problem too. I wouldn't have known it as I have never seen one here.

It comes from people throwing foodstuffs away on the compost heaps, or on the streets instead of in waste bins, etc. It is also because the past two winters have been quite mild and so the rats have multiplied, especially with all the food laying around where it should not be.

 

My goodness- Look at those teeth!!

 

Dee,I am not usre what it died of.I only spotted it as I was just leaving the plot.We have been putting down poison inside the sheds when we have locked up because we found the droppings weeks ago and the smell from their urine is disgusting. :eek:

I wasn't sure if a stoat had done the damage but thinking about it a stoat would probably have dragged it away.When I go over there next I shall have to remove it and put it on my bonfire heap.I was too tired to do it last night :rolleyes:

Ethansmum,I thought the same about the teeth :eek:

 

A couple of years ago I came out of the house with Ed who suddenly jumped forward and within 2 seconds there was a young dead rat on the path. I picked it up on a shovel and put it in a bag and put it in the bin (not the recycling one).

Unbeknown to me the whole thing had been witnessed by a neighbour's 8 year old son who went and told all his pals and his parents that the people opposite have rats.

It took a lot of explaining to people that we back onto a farm.........well you guessed the rest. Since then I've found a few more neighbours who have found a rat. But it can be very embarrassing.

It looks like your poison could be Warfarin based Kandy, I think it's bled from the mouth. Warfarin thins the blood (it is often given to people after a heart attack) and in sufficient dosage can cause internal bleeding especially after any trauma Of course you may have had a flying visit from Ed.

 

The teeth on him are stretched back abnormally. This poor guy was poisoned. His lungs and heart were callapsing and he would have been suffering for many hours.

A plea to all folks hoping to kill rats, please look up what poisons you use, and go for instant kill ones, otherwise you leave an animal who is only there because humanity encouraged it with bad habits to go through the most horrible amounts of pain you would wish on any other animals.
Avoid glue traps as the animal will die over dehydration and starvation over up to a week not being able to move.

This poor chap had his lungs disintergrate and burn away from the inside i expect. Its one of the more common poison issues. I should know, i've had idiot *bleeping* neighbours throw it into my garden before thinking i was out to spread the plague and i have to be careful not to step it into the rat room.

 

While we're on the subject, i know it sounds selfish, but i'd appreciate it if forum members might keep me in mind with rat related subjects, and feel that if contents may upset me at all, please state an appropiate title in the thread name so i know not to click on it.

I know and understand the whole rat over populating and destruction/diseases thing. But for instance, i found my 4 month old baby girl dead this morning for no apparent reason, and i'm hurting from it and currently researching a nice plant to bury her in, so seeing this image wasn't exactly 'healthy' for me right now.

I dont want this to be cause for debate at all, but if mods in the future spot a thread that might need a 'not certificate Whiley' alert on it, i'd really appreciate the gesture.

 

Quite understandable Whiley not selfish at all and a good idea.

 

Whiley,not wanting to get into a debate,but if the people on our allotments didn't keep hoards of chickens in bad conditions then we wouldn't have a rat problem on our allotments.It is no joke opening the sheds up and be confronted with the smell of Rat urine :eek: not to mention the health hazzard they cause.

I don't like rats as pets or pests,but as this is a gardening forum and not a pet rat forum I see no wrong in putting up a few pictures.Possibly the only thing I did wrong was to put the photos up in the wrong section.It should have been put up in the Pests thread because that is what they are :eek:

I don't particlary like looking at the wakey wakey thread and seeing photos of your pet rats when I am trying to eat my breakfast but have kept quiet,even though I might be upset at looking at them :rolleyes:

If you come across a thread that you are not happy with,do as I do avoid it like the plague :D

I am pretty sure there are many members on here that have destroyed rats in one way or another,but might not to admit it.

The question I was asking was about the way he probably died.

I am sure this rat and all his buddies wouldn't worry about me or my family if we contracted Weil's disease

Live and let live

 

Whiley. I know you love your rats but please remember 2 things.

1) I will, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary stick with Warfarin, which is not painful and is quick. The signs of rictus you see probably set in after death through the contracting of muscles and not through hours of pain.

2) This is not a domesticated 'white' rat it is a rather nasty, vicious, disease bringing, baby attacking (occasionally), wild rat. I'm afraid they do have to go when possible.