Rats

[Hey Ho]

When I was a small boy in the early 70's, I remember spending a large part of my life on the local towpaths. One of the things that sticks in the mind is the biscuit tin lids that were often half way up mooring ropes to prevent rats getting aboard.

 

So, as I'm not seeing the tin lids anymore, what happened to the rats? Did they go the way of the white dog poo?

[Phil Ambrose]

I'm afraid rats go with water though rats being smart will only be found where there is a food source. For this reason they are more readily found on fixed moorings rather than at random mooring places. We find them on our marina where people are less than tidy ie leaving rubbish bags out overnight rather than taking them to the dumpsters straight away, I have even known people get them on their boats. It is true that no matter where you are you are never more than 10 feet from a rat.

I had a milk round in Boston at one time and at night/early hours rats were running around all over the place but never to be seen during the day.

Phil

[Jerra]

It is true that no matter where you are you are never more than 10 feet from a rat.

Sorry Phil but recent research has shown this not to be true and contrary to the expectations of many the highest populations are in the countryside not cities.

[Phil Ambrose]

Sorry Phil but recent research has shown this not to be true and contrary to the expectations of many the highest populations are in the countryside not cities.

As with all truisms they should not be taken as gospel, I can only state what I have seen which is the town of Boston with rats running about during the wee hours. I lived in the wilds of Lincolnshire for about 15 years and yes I did see rats in the countryside but not as many as in town. That is of course only my experience.

Phil

[Hey Ho]

I've had a few jobs that have involved very early starts, and one of the pleasures has been seeing the early morning wildlife. Watching the sunrise on misty summer mornings too is something everyone should do, & all the better if you're being paid for it

 

I've seen hares, badgers, foxes & others, often up close, but never a rat. A friend who's had many as pets tells me they're very intelligent and afffectionate animals.

[John Williamson 1955]

(Tongue in cheek) Get a Jack Russell, they like chasing rats.

 

If your cat catches one, expect it to be delivered just about alive for your delectation and education.

[nbfiresprite]

Plenty of the two legged kind walking around helping themselves what ever they can grab.

[Phil Ambrose]

I've had a few jobs that have involved very early starts, and one of the pleasures has been seeing the early morning wildlife. Watching the sunrise on misty summer mornings too is something everyone should do, & all the better if you're being paid for it

 

I've seen hares, badgers, foxes & others, often up close, but never a rat. A friend who's had many as pets tells me they're very intelligent and afffectionate animals.

Yes as I said they are smart and will only be found where there is a food source, in towns plenty of Kebabs and KFC lying around the streets, in the country what have they got? A field of wheat? A field of onions? And what about hidey holes, completely lacking, that's how it was where I lived,but of course may well have been different elsewhere.

Phil

[Hey Ho]

Yes, cats are expert at keeping the prey just alive enough to entertain them. Despite that, I am a cat person. Hope that doesn't say bad things about me...

[dmr]

I reckon during my time on the canal I have seen more water voles than rats.

However we have had a couple of rat visits to raid bin bags on the well deck and one of these was just West of Hungerford (K&A) so the "more rats in the countryside" may well be true. I heard him and opened the front door and he made a very agile escape down the mooring line rather than using the gang plank right next to him.

 

.......Dave.

[Stilllearning]

The last rat I saw my cat had brought in dead as a present for me.

[Skye]

Where ever there are people you will find rats, they need us to feed them, and because of our inability to dispose of our waste in a hygienic manner we need them. Country side or town the amount of vermin is prorater to the amount of rats!

[richardf]

I was found a rat on in the well deck of my boat, going through the rubbish. To this day, the bent poker on board bears testament to the battle that ensued!

[comfortably numb]

Having been involved in the pest control industry for the last 10 years, and on the board of the National Pest Technician's Association (NPTA) I can tell you that

 

1. The various figures banded about saying that you are never more than such and such distance from a rat are a load of tosh - nobody knows really.

2. Nobody knows how big the rat population of the country is, although rough estimates are that there are around 60 million.

3. Rat numbers are greater in urban areas than rural ones.They thrive much more when in close proximity to humans, and especially in densely populated areas.

4. Local Authority rodent control has declined over the last few years due to the council spending cut backs. Some now charge for the service whereas it once was free, and many councils now no longer offer the service at all.

5. Since the privatisation of the water companies the baiting of sewers has virtually ceased, thus contributing to the problem.

6. Rats are becoming increasingly resistant to most of the poisons so sometimes populations are actually increasing because they are effectively being fed instead of poisoned. Due to constraints from the EEC and the 'green lobbiests' there are no new effective rodenticides being developed to replace them.

 

Rats and mice are opportunists, intelligent, and great climbers, but the chances of them getting on to your boat are very slim, particularly if you don't leave foodstuffs lying around the deck. The placing of a biscuit tin lid on the mooring ropes might stop them climbing your ropes, but rats would often easily be able to leap from the towpath onto your boat without the help of ropes or a gangplank.

 

There are mostly very decent pest control companies throughout the country but like with other sectors there are cowboys too. So if you ever need to turn to a professional always use a member of the NPTA or BPCA, and don't always assume that the very big companies are better. Also bear in mind that the larger advertising and 0800 numbers are often just call centres and not necessarily pest control companies.

 

 

[johnmck]

When I were a lad, I had a saturday job in central Liverpool, this being the early 70's. I worked in M&S and around that time the store was extended. During the rebuild, I oft worked as night security, finishing at 2, 3 or 4 am.

 

The night life was a revelation..... And that was not just the inebriated! Rats abounded. We had " Sticky boards" throughout the store and the size of some of the captives was amazing. Every morning, vermin control attended to dispatch and sex the nights haul. The old food hall was in the basement, and had tunnels drilled into the sandstone, originally the wine cellers of the hotel that originally occupied the site. When building work was ongoing, Rats obviously had acess. Boy did we trap some big un's.

 

When finishing work in the early hours, I used to walk to the Pier head to get the bus home. At that time, it was the main bus depot for both the corpy buses and Crosville at Mann island. The size of the rat's amazed me. I would never again visit a certain steak house, well known at the time, after seeing rats running around the bar as i walked past.

 

Rats are the one thing I just cannot abide.....

 

And that includes the two legged variety!

Edited January 22, 2014 by johnmck

[MtB]

 

 

If your cat catches one, expect it to be delivered just about alive for your delectation and education.

 

Not in my experience. Mine used to prefer to eat them whole, then barf them up half digested on the kitchen floor an hour later for us.

 

 

MtB

It is true that no matter where you are you are never more than 10 feet from a rat.

 

 

Certainly seems to be the case for the unfortunate moorers at Pillings!

 

MtB

[Pilly]

My friend's neighbour had a cat. Three weeks ago it delivered a large dead rat to the kitchen door, Next morning the cat was found dead in the kitchen.

 

The cat had caught the dying rat that the neighbour had poisoned

 

What goes round ... ...!

Edited January 22, 2014 by Pilly

[Water Rat.]

I did have a mouse on the boat, happily, or sadly for the mouse, it managed to drown itself in the washing

up bowl! Problem solved!

 

My boys had pet rats - I have to say they are the most adorable, affectionate little creatures. Loved them to bits - not so sure about wild ones though........

[Dharl]

 

 

Rats are the one thing I just cannot abide.....

 

And that includes the two legged variety!

 

feathered and winged variety or light fingered versions........ ?

[Bunny]

We have had rats on our roof twice over two years at our winter moorings . No not food they were after, but hyacinth bulbs , little sods!! dug them up and left them on the roof. Every time we planted them back in the pots they dug them up again, not nice hearing them run around on the roof, and running up and down the cratch cover . Got a big rat trap in the end , solved the problem. Yes we could have got rid of the bulbs , but were concerned that they might keep looking for other food sources, sliding up and down the cratch and over the roof, not the patter of tiny feet I like listening too of an evening !and wondering if I am going to come face to face with one in the cratch when I get the rabbits hay in . No problems last year or this. Bunny

[trackman]

We've seen rats around most urban areas where we've moored. In the country they are less often seen, I imagine they gather where there is food, around grain storage, poultry food etc.

When you see the stuff people in town throw in the canal "to feed the ducks" it's unsurprising there are rats. A favourite place in Nottingham is the river side by Trent Bridge and the rowing clubs. They can be seen there in the day if you are quiet and food has recently been put down for the birds.

[Liam]

I came back to the boat a couple of weeks ago after aneevening in the pub to find a rather large rat sat on the cabin top. I made the attempt to whack it but it was too quick for me by jumping in and swimming off.

 

I know it goes against CN's post above but I was thinking later that it was the first rat I have seen in a long while. I used to see them nearly all the time scurrying around on the towpath but they must be more able to keep themselves concealed, either that or I just haven't noticed them.

 

How would the rat population live alongside the Mink? Ive seen a definite rise in the number of these recently.

[madcat]

Sad about the cat. Rats are vermin and a serious health hazard. I no longer feed the birds because it brought rats into the garden . There's too much food lying around for rats to get.

[billh]

 

How would the rat population live alongside the Mink? Ive seen a definite rise in the number of these recently.

They don't. the rats do a runner as soon as a mink stakes out its territory which can extend some considerable length along the canal, though only a short distance away from the water. The mink has no fear of other animals or even humans, maybe because it's stupid. They are a lot less trouble to us humans than rats in terms of damage and spread of disease. The other wildlife might not agree with this sentiment.

[blackrose]

It is true that no matter where you are you are never more than 10 feet from a rat.

 

 

No, that's an (urban or rural ) myth created from statistical data on human and estimated rat populations which are then averaged out on a per capita basis according to the area of the country. So one is also likely to be many hundreds of feet or even hundreds of yards from a rat.

Edited January 22, 2014 by blackrose