Gatecrashers
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The good news: our hedgehog population increased by 500% this year (ie from 1 to 5!) and they’ve seemed very healthy & active all summer.
The bad news: only one smaller hog is feeding now but a large family of brown rats has moved in and taken over, devouring the special hedgehog biscuits we usually put down.
Yes they are very cute and I wouldn’t want to harm them but, well, there are quite a lot and I don’t want any neighbours complaining. Or worse still, bringing in a ratcatcher who might harm the hogs too.
Any advice on what to do, especially as it’s late September and the hogs will surely hibernate soon?
It’s a difficult one Calunna. You could try humane traps, but if there’s really a lot of rats this would hardly dent the population. I think I remember Nic saying that rats like multiple exits, so if you know where they are nesting you could block the rat holes and that might persuade them to decamp?
Hi,
How did you get on? I’ve seen a rat on my trail camera and, after speaking to a local rat controller, it appears poison is the most efficient and that makes me really alarmed! Did you have any other ideas?Thx Kass
Hi Callunna
That’s so frustrating! If you do try humane traps, be aware that hogs can get caught in them, too. So they really need to be positioned where the hogs can’t reach them.
This is a link which contains other links of various rate related topics in the past. You might find something useful in there.
https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/forums/topic/rat-probelm/Good luck.
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