Rats

[l.i.lewis]

I have two hedgehog houses, both with residents. There are also frequent visiting hedgehogs. I have two feeding stations both situated away from the houses, to discourage the scraps I had seen on camera.
During the last two weeks a Rat has taken up residence in the garden, sometimes nipping inside one of the houses and certainly helping himself to food and water. I have no idea what to do.
For the last few days I have stopped feeding the hedgehogs to discourage the rat, but he/she is still in the garden. I have also stopped feeding the birds.
Because the Hedgehogs are still collecting leaves and nesting, I was hoping I might see some Hoglets, and I really would like to continue feeding them, but I really don’t want to feed a rat, and I don’t know how rats behave with Hoglets.
Any advice would be gratefully received.

[Nic]

Hi I.i.lewis

I know the feeling! I seem to have a perennial on and off problem with rats.

There is a rat related topic here: https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/forums/topic/rats-8/#new-post which has a link to some other rat topics. But, by the way, some rats don’t seem to mind things being moved around, (mentioned at the end of that topic) and some also do eat cat/kitten food. If only it was so easy! But those are probably worth a try in case you have a sensitive rat.

But personally, I would be worried with very young hoglets around. Once they leave the nest and have proper sharp spines it’s not so worrying.

I haven’t had any rats for a while here now, so I sprinkle kitten biscuits on the grass for the hogs to forage for – in the hope that if another rat does turn up, at least the hogs have half a chance of finding the food first.

Good luck. I hope the situation resolves itself.

[PricklyPaul]

I had a rat last year. Kept seeing it on the camera.
Thankfully, eventually it just disappeared and has never been back. However, I do keep picking up mice on the camera and I know they pinch the food because I found mice poo in the bowl. Also, since the hog came out of hibernation, there has been less sign of the nice so maybe it’s chased them off!

[Author]

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