OK firstly, rats and rodents in general can certainly be a health hazard. I would not want to have them contaminating my living environment, and I would (and have) acted swiftly to remove them, if needed. Urine, faeces, all bad. As you say, these can spread diseases such as Weils disease. I fully agree with you on all of that.
But, *behaviourally* rats are clean - they groom and clean themselves frequently. They often become dirty because they are drawn to the dirty environments that we humans create such as sewers and rubbish dumps. The diseases they spread also affect dogs and other rodents. They are not explicitly evil, just animals doing their best to survive.
They're 100% young rats. They're incredibly cute imo, but if you're currently putting out bird seed or any food for wildlife, stop that for now. Rats go where the food is, but if they have access to other foods (very likely because they are opportunistic omnivores), they may still hang around.
You can use humane traps and relocate a few miles away, preferably under hedges/in woodland or an area that has some coverage, or there's the option of pest control, which I hate to mention because I like rats and don't like killing animals, but I doubt it's news to you that pest control exists!
Unfortunately rats are considered vermin so it's illegal to release them. It's awful because pet rats are such cuties but the best thing for them is to get a trap that kills instantly. Poison is very cruel, so are traps that attempt to keep the trapped animal alive.
Ah I've just checked because I totally didn't think of this. Blinded by love haha.
As far as I can tell, there isn't anything specific making it actually illegal to release a brown rat, but it is illegal to release them on land you don't own without the land owner's permission. I will edit my original comment.
I had a pet rat when I was younger and they are one of the smartest and affectionate animals there is but that's a pet rat that have been bred in a clean environment the rat's from outside carry alot of health risks and with a small child in the house that touches everything it's dangerous don't get me wrong I was gutted having to put them down but I know how smart they are there was no chance I was catching them alive it would have taken to long and bye then then the numbers would be out of control and the one's that avoid the traps teach the rest to avoid them in future.my childs safety will always come first before a rat that shouldn't be in the house
Is poisoning cruel? Dont they just pass out eventually from internal blood loss. Sort of get drunk then pass out. We had a load poisoned at work. Problem was they died in the walls and made the building smell really bad.
A violent death in a trap normally involves crush injury to the neck/ chest /abdomen which is gonna be extremely painful for a few seconds at least.
However poisoning can kill pets and carrion birds. So not suitable in most situations.
Best way is to remove the food source and they will go elsewhere. But that doesn't work if the food source is next doors bird feeders/chickens.
My dad used to shoot them with an air rifle but that only killed about half instantly as well. As he got older he stopped shooting them and just enjoyed watching them prat about and play. Baby rats are insanely cute.
They are also really smart social creatures, such a shame they're also destructive little buggers that leave piles of poo in the worst places.
Poisoning is really cruel actually. It's cruelty with no accountability. People put them down and forget about them. It's a horrible way for the rats to go (second to glue traps/drowning) and then anything that eats the rat will also die/potentially suffer a slower more painful death because of the doseage.
Sad to hear about your Dad's success rate in shooting them. I shoot for pest control and only started once I was a competent shot and only fired when I am confident my shot will land correctly.
I always tell people they shouldn't be shooting for pest control unless they are confident they aren't going to cause undue suffering.
Unfortunately there are a significant number of people who over estimate their abilities, cause suffering and harm the reputation of the airgunning community.
That said, I very much admire rats. They're clever little buggers and very cute too.
I just googled how the poison kills them. Yeah does sound painful. That was my query around how cruel it was vs horrendous body trauma in a trap At least as you say the latter is faster and poison risks killing non target animals.
To be fair to my dad most would die from the pellet despite jumping and scampering away down a burrow..
I remember him also using traps in the shed (like a crocodile's head) he had to tie them to something otherwise he would lose them. The rat would try escape whilst half crushed in the trap 😬.
I dont think there is a humane way to kill them unless we go for Nitrogen. We did have pet rats as kids so I totally get how sweet they are.
Yeah that’s true. What ticks me off is that a local shop sells glue traps for rats though. I get angry every time I see them, I wonder if there’s anything I can do about them.
I thought they were banned?! They’re by far one of the cruelest, most pain-inducing ways to catch rats and should be illegal. A instant-killing humane trap is fine though.
We humanely caught them and took them to a field far away too, but it's actually a death sentence in itself. You're putting the rat in another rat colony's territory, and stripping it away of its mental map so it's lost and confused and therefore easy prey, and the whole process of catching and releasing them is extremely traumatic on their tiny hearts.
Clean up any bird food from the floors, make the feeders rat proof, see if their nest is in your garden somewhere hidden and safe. Ours was under our stone gazebo. Make sure there's no easily accessible water for them from pipes etc. And if you have a dog or a cat, their scent, especially if it new, should deter them.
I love rats. They can be a pest to peoples homes, but they're also wonderful little creatures!
I wish all the people who advocate for the “humane“ trapping of rats and mice could be made to write out your first paragraph plus the sentence “Further, relocated rats will have no idea of where water and food are situated in the new area so will suffer with hunger and thirst” 100 times.
You need access to cat piss. I dunno why they havent isolated the proteins in that yet - if rats smell cat urine they will avoid an area completely, even if there's food. It's a hardwired reaction.
That's why we got a cat and let her run around the loft because she is to light the come through the ceiling and for good measure put some cat litter with her piss on in a cloth bag and dragged that round and left it in the corner of the loft just incase and now she's pissing in the garden we've had no more issues but a few houses down the street say they see rat's the size of cat's. If you know anyone who has ferrets let them run around and you won't even get mice never mind rat's so you're wright mate but that would be to cheap when there makeing a fortune selling traps now you need a license for the poison but the exterminator is still buying loads of it so nothing has really changed by that other than he charges more for it because you need a license making more money in the process it's madness
A young rat got in the back door that was left open during the summer heat I was in the back garden at the time and just heard screaming from the house ran in as the rat tried to run out after scaring the life out of my lass then seen me it got behind the washing machine I pulled the machine out In one go don't know how and the rat was just running side to side then jumped up and grabbed the water pipe and pulled itself through a hole smaller than a 2 pence coin then heard it run from the kitchen to the loft on the pipe work. Got the exterminator out and after looking round the house for entry points and he couldn't find anything he said they were not getting in through the walls what do you mean they he said there's more than one that rat was pregnant when it got in it took 3 weeks for him to get out to the house and in the next 12 weeks found 8 dead that we could get to don't know how many died in the walls are under floor's and only one got in never had a problem before that so got a cat and haven't had a problem since she's been catching any young rats that have come sniffing around
I'd carefully reconsider poison if it is an option. Briefly had rats checking out a shed attic in my vicinity recently and building management hired an exterminator, who said it was the only way when I protested. Turns out though that rats are incredibly smart. If something new turns up around them and they don't know what it is, they will be freaked out and leave. This is what happened in that attic as well, the rats left without being harmed.
I agree! But they can, unfortunately, do a lot of damage to wood, wires and pipes. They really are incredibly resourceful and are extremely good at chewing through things!
My dog goes nutty if rats have been in the garden Traps would be first imo they didn’t work for me so used my air rifle to dispatch they don’t come around any more
My experience with rats vs hamsters is the exact opposite, my rat was a sweetheart and loved cuddling, hamster was a little demon who ate shoes and fingers xD
Rats. Get a trap that will kill them instantly, bait them with peanut butter or malt paste and sweets, and dispose of the bodies. Do not attempt to trap them, they are considered vermin so it's illegal to release them and attempting to make them pet rats will end incredibly badly from everyone involved. The kindest thing is to kill them quickly and safely. Make sure you aren't leaving food out and that your compost is secured, and let your neighbours know to do the same.
If they aren’t harming anyone / anything they don’t deserve to be killed imo. I completely understand deterring them by any means necessary as they can be a nuisance, but it’s cruel to just kill them for little reason.
That’s rough to be fair, and if I were in that situation I would 100% get rid of them in any way possible. I just don’t like the thought of killing animals that are harmlessly existing, like in OP’s photos.
Each litter has up to a dozen pups. Rats can mate at the age of two or three months and then produce a new litter every two months.[23][25] The rats live for approximately one year,[25] mostly due to predation rather than natural lifespan. They rarely travel more than 600 feet (180 m) from where they were born.[19]
The greatest danger posed to humans from rats is the diseases that the latter can transmit.[25] City-dwelling rats carry pathogens that can cause diarrhea and vomiting in humans.[26] Disease-causing bacteria commonly carried by rats include E. coli, Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), and Salmonella.[26] The bacteria can be spread by contact with rat saliva, urine or feces.[26] Viral diseases spread by rats include rat-bite fever and hemorrhagic fevers caused by Seoul hantavirus.[26]
Unfortunately, they do carry germs and they like to chew so if they get into your house they will chew on wires and that can and will set fires.
Rats also breed incredibly fast. Females are in heat for 12-24 hours every 4-5 days, are incredibly fertile, give birth in about three weeks, and hit sexual maturity at 6-10 weeks old for boys and 8-12 weeks old for girls. They can have up to 20 babies per litter and have no problems with interbreeding. The girls can get pregnant again as soon as the babies are weaned. That means you can go from one breeding pair to over 100 rats in a matter of months. If you do not immediately remove wild rats as soon as you notice they're there, you will inevitably end up with an infestation.
I suppose that is a really good point, I hadn’t considered that, and it seems easy to end up overwhelmed with a mass of them. Just such a shame we have to resort to killing them, as they are very cute and intelligent creatures.
It's very sad, I will agree. I used to own pet rats (not anymore, their short lifespans are heartbreaking) and when we got a rat infestation in the loft a few months ago it was awful. It's not something to feel good about really. It helps to consider, though, that pet rats are very highly domesticated. They're bred and desensitised so that they instinctively want cuddles and treats from humans. Wild rats don't care about humans and will absolutely hurt you given the chance. It's essentially the same difference between dogs and wolves, just far less physically dramatic. It's fair to be sad about it but keeping ourselves safe and well comes first.
Their numbers do need to be culled due to having fewer natural predators and an abundance of food in certain areas thanks to us. But traps specific to rats need to be used, as general bait traps can kill wildlife we need to preserve. Hedgehogs, voles, and shrews, to name a few, are often the victims.
Living near the canal & woodlands we get mice, and rat roaming around. It is not possible to eliminate them all, setting traps will just be expensive.
They did roam around in my garden for a week, but they will generally just find some other place.
As long there is no food, or shelter for them to make their home.
I would recommend checking for any holes in the house and patch them before they figure out your house is a nice place.
Believe it not, decking is a nice place for rodents to hide, so make sure that you have metal mesh underneath.
If you start to see more or even see one indoors then you need to set traps.
This post here would be phropetic to me if it hadn't already happened! I suspected i had rats living under our decking, and I had set poison traps in a safe place , and they were taking it.
Unfortunately it seems they had found a way into our downstairs toilet and died under the floor. I had to rip up the floor, take out the purifying bodies, and cement the considerable ingress back. Yaaay.
That's very unfortunate, I've only knew about decking being a good hide out an month ago. As I spoke to my neighbours, about my new deck idea. One mentioned that someone on the estate had a brand new decking, and then decided to rip it all out in less than a year because of rats.
Wish me luck on my decking project, I'm planning to put metal grate all around to avoid the rodent issue.
Poison provide such a double-edged situation, it only works best if you were 100% certain that they are not in the house or your neighbours. Though other Animals would certainly eat the poison rodent, such as crows and foxes.
Traps helps avoid them getting stuck in unknown location for you to smell their carcass, which sounds absolutely horrible to experience. Good thing you've manage to find them, eventually the smell eventually goes away. I know in the US they put trap that would drown them, but it's illegal to do so here.
Hopefully you got all the rodents, not sure how they managed to get into your sewage. But there must be a hole or open manhole down on the street.
Rats!!! they are smart traps usually don’t work. Put bait down properly and they’ll carry it back to the nest, which is what actually wipes them out. Ignore the nonsense about every other animal dropping dead from it. Rats gorge themselves and usually consume the bait first. The stories about birds of prey and cats being wiped out from eating poisoned rats are mostly old wives’ tales and complete bollocks.
Young rats, and there wont just be one. There are usually hundreds. The only way to keep them away is a cat or dog that hunts rats. Cats are far more effective than dogs as they hunt at night and the very smell deters rats.
Eliminate all food sources in your garden, such as bird feeders or if you have fruit trees (when it’s the season) make sure to pick up fruit that falls on the floor.
If you have a compost bin, only put food in it that will actually break down quickly like raw veg, fruit peels, coffee granules, tea bags etc. Rats don’t really eat that stuff. They like meat, cooked food etc.
Minimise water sources for them such as half full watering cans, buckets, upside lids, bird water feeders, leaking taps.
If you can, also reduce the amount of places rats can live in your garden. They like cool dark areas like underneath decking, tarpaulin, wood stacks etc.
Lastly, look around your house and fill any gaps or holes where rats could get into your house, such as old waste pipe (such as from kitchen taps or dishwashers) exit points in brick work, holes under roof eaves, burrows that have been dug going under your building or open drains covers where gutter water is expelled. If you think you have rats in your house already, note the entry points in your house, don’t block them up. Call the rat man and tell them and they’ll sort it out.
You’re no more than 6ft away from a rat at any given time (apparently) so you’ll never get rid of them completely but minimising the above will help massively.
When I moved into my house we had rats all in our house and garden, after 2/3 months of doing the above we haven’t had any issues since (1 and a half years ago).
I live next to a railway line which is full of wildlife, foxes hedgehogs and rats regularly come into my garden. If you have rats coming into your house it's because you have given them an access point. Go round the house looking for any gaps usually round gas pipes and fill them in.
Rats in your garden is not an issue, if they're coming in the house, that's on you. If they start to be a problem, chewing things they shouldn't, then remove all food and water sources like bird seed etc for two weeks and they will move on.
There is never any excuse for using traps especially poison as you can end up killing cats, foxes and birds of prey. Traps should be a last resort if they've entered your home.
This isn’t true at all. We have rats occasionally in the garden because the garden behind us has a nest, but no rats in the house (and yes I’ve had pest control out to check)
If they’re in the garden they’re in the walls. Listen for scratching at night and don’t leave any crumbs about. Get them every year living next to a golf course
I also live next to a golf course and had them under the floor. we're in a terrace and the neighbour had a bunch of entry points around his house. After I sealed all of their holes guess who's house they chewed into next to get back in.
My house sits near an underground stream, I see them on the fence. They got in my garage and then my car once and I have had traps around the house ever since. The traps were used a lot at first but now they seem to keep their distance. I don't use poison because of the other animals in the garden.
We had a kitten who was a ruthless killer. Every day for the last few months there'd be a rat or mouse of chick in the middle of the kitchen or hallway in the morning, waiting for us. And the alive ones too...
He got hit by a car 2 days ago though... So sad but man, so many dead animals, it was getting very tiring dealing with them.
Was going to comment exactly this but cheers for taking the downvotes instead! You know it's illegal to kill anything ever and the Internet will shit on you no matter the circumstances lol.
The last time someone posted a "is this a rat?" question on Reddit I replied that it was a hairless squirrel and was banned from the sub Reddit for 2 days. This is obviously a Squirrel.
I live in England in the countryside, in a row of homes that have long adjoining back gardens (yards). We had a pest control guy who lived in one of our row of homes & he mentioned to me that rats were using our gardens for crossing from one side to the other.
I never saw any rats, but I did see the holes they chewed in the fences so they could move freely. The pest control guy said that for every one rat that you can see there are at least a dozen somewhere nearby.
That last sentence has stuck with me, probably permanently.
As a domestic rat owner, I'd say rats. Unfortunately wild rats do cause issues and will only grow in numbers. If you're not comfortable with traps I'd personally make your garden as unappealing as possible.
Try and avoid hanging washing (even on a line you think they'd never get to, they're very good climbers) because they'll take off with anything they can get for nesting, and as everyone else has stated, avoid any bird food etc in the garden. I'd guess with the rough age there's probably already a nest close by, whether it's in your or your neighbours garden.
Traps can be tricky (and birds seem to gravitate towards them), so prevention is the better option imo
Making the area smell like a predator may help, this could be as simple as making the area more attractive to the neighbours cats, let the cats mark their scent on the surfaces around the garden, rats will generally try to avoid predators, also secure any edible stuff where they can’t get it, put your rubbish in steel bins (rats can’t chew through steel)
Remove all accessible sources of food and water that you can, seal up any potential entry points both outside and inside your house and get the snap traps out.
If youre concerned about them getting inside, try putting Talcum powder down near where you usually might have food they can get to or any possible entry points and look for footprints the next day. This will give you good info on where to place traps too.
Dont ignore this due to being squeamish about killing them. My neighbour in my old house did that and before i knew there were any rats we had a major infestation affecting 6 houses in our block. I found out the neighbour had known about the rats for months when I went to tell them about seeing one in my house, the prick. Could have saved a bunch of us a lot of stress if theyd taken any action when they first spotted the infestation.
Is it the same animal in each shot? They certainly aren't adult rats, I can assure you, but if it's multiple animals then it could be mice. If it's multiple shots of one animal then it could be a juvenile rat, which is probably my best guess.
As for deterrence, get a cat. There's no such thing as humane trapping because they'll die if removed from their colony and dumped elsewhere, and poison is obviously a huge risk to other wildlife, whether they consume it themselves or prey on something that has. The best thing is to make sure there's no obvious food source for them like bird food on the ground or food left out for hedgehogs etc. if you've got any airbricks, get them covered with a grill or unchewable mesh to prevent mice getting through them as they genuinely can fit through those tiny spaces.
Rats. Humane traps and take them far far away. BUT if there’s one, there’s hundreds of them nearby and an exterminator is your only answer. They will get into your house, under your house, and if you’ve got decking, that’s where you’ll find the rest.
Any rat caught in a humane trap will suffer mentally and physically while it's inside, and whether it gets a reprieve from that suffering depends 100% on you remembering to check it.
If you do remember to check it, and then decide to take it several miles away to release it, you'll be doing so in an area it is unfamiliar with. That means it won't know where the food sources, water, shelter etc will be, and nor will it know where the predators are.
The point is, both the humane trap and the snap trap will kill it, but the snap trap will drastically reduce its suffering.
Rats are intelligent, opportunistic and resourceful. Taking them a few miles out of a familiar area will absolutely not kill them. I say this as someone who recognises they can be a pest but I love them anyway and don't want harm to come to them.
They'd probably manage to order an Uber to get back if they had access to a smartphone...
I love them (had pet rats before I had to stop keeping them) but I also work in food safety. Wild rats are a pest and unfortunately the damage they can do is too high - humane methods of killing I'm "fine" with, but I once found a sticky trap behind a pallet and I went absolutely off on one with the guy who put it there. Not even my department but I was not having that torture device around
Mice. Carry out the pencil test, keep doors and windows closed and place some traps just in case. Many people don't realise but mice spread the same diseases as rats and as such are just as dangerous. My mum has mice in her shed, the dog eats any that get near the huse, and any she can catch when they venture outsiode of the shed.
There is a mildly amusing story attached to this fact though, my Mum couldn't work out where the mice were living and she'd had them around for a year or two. She needed to do some deep cleaning on her mower and found the nest, she'd inadvertently been giving the mice a ride around the lawn every few days. i bet they felt like they were at Alton Towers. They disappeared for a while after this but have since returned, they are no longer living in the mower though.
If it's got a white belly, it's a wood mouse. They're kinda cute and mostly not interested in being in your house (I had one living on my patio for year).
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uttertosser@reddit
Yeah ratfans
Zebra_br@reddit
When it’s outside the house it’s a Rat Fool, inside it’s a mouse
Lynxincan@reddit
If its outside its a rat if its inside its a mouse
Aggravating_Prior352@reddit
what a cute rat
TSC-99@reddit
Rats. Mice are tiny.
she_tame_my_impal@reddit
Rice or mats
yaaaaasitshayden@reddit
Airgun
normalbot9999@reddit
yeah these are rats. but remember that they are highly intelligent, very clean, and mean you no harm!
Binty_B@reddit
Very clean? They spread harmful diseases. They’re disgusting and best thing op can do is put out traps.
normalbot9999@reddit
I mean, so do we. And worse. You wanna eradicate us too?
Binty_B@reddit
No but why are you lying and saying they’re very clean? Have you heard of weils disease?
normalbot9999@reddit
OK firstly, rats and rodents in general can certainly be a health hazard. I would not want to have them contaminating my living environment, and I would (and have) acted swiftly to remove them, if needed. Urine, faeces, all bad. As you say, these can spread diseases such as Weils disease. I fully agree with you on all of that.
But, *behaviourally* rats are clean - they groom and clean themselves frequently. They often become dirty because they are drawn to the dirty environments that we humans create such as sewers and rubbish dumps. The diseases they spread also affect dogs and other rodents. They are not explicitly evil, just animals doing their best to survive.
Quiet_surprise79@reddit
They're 100% young rats. They're incredibly cute imo, but if you're currently putting out bird seed or any food for wildlife, stop that for now. Rats go where the food is, but if they have access to other foods (very likely because they are opportunistic omnivores), they may still hang around.
You can use humane traps and relocate a few miles away, preferably under hedges/in woodland or an area that has some coverage, or there's the option of pest control, which I hate to mention because I like rats and don't like killing animals, but I doubt it's news to you that pest control exists!
KelpFox05@reddit
Unfortunately rats are considered vermin so it's illegal to release them. It's awful because pet rats are such cuties but the best thing for them is to get a trap that kills instantly. Poison is very cruel, so are traps that attempt to keep the trapped animal alive.
Quiet_surprise79@reddit
Ah I've just checked because I totally didn't think of this. Blinded by love haha.
As far as I can tell, there isn't anything specific making it actually illegal to release a brown rat, but it is illegal to release them on land you don't own without the land owner's permission. I will edit my original comment.
munkiss1990@reddit
I had a pet rat when I was younger and they are one of the smartest and affectionate animals there is but that's a pet rat that have been bred in a clean environment the rat's from outside carry alot of health risks and with a small child in the house that touches everything it's dangerous don't get me wrong I was gutted having to put them down but I know how smart they are there was no chance I was catching them alive it would have taken to long and bye then then the numbers would be out of control and the one's that avoid the traps teach the rest to avoid them in future.my childs safety will always come first before a rat that shouldn't be in the house
FoxesFan91@reddit
i imagined you saying that all in one big breath
Purp1eMagpie@reddit
I nearly died trying to read it
Purplepeal@reddit
Is poisoning cruel? Dont they just pass out eventually from internal blood loss. Sort of get drunk then pass out. We had a load poisoned at work. Problem was they died in the walls and made the building smell really bad.
A violent death in a trap normally involves crush injury to the neck/ chest /abdomen which is gonna be extremely painful for a few seconds at least.
However poisoning can kill pets and carrion birds. So not suitable in most situations.
Best way is to remove the food source and they will go elsewhere. But that doesn't work if the food source is next doors bird feeders/chickens.
My dad used to shoot them with an air rifle but that only killed about half instantly as well. As he got older he stopped shooting them and just enjoyed watching them prat about and play. Baby rats are insanely cute.
They are also really smart social creatures, such a shame they're also destructive little buggers that leave piles of poo in the worst places.
radiomuffinuk@reddit
Poisoning is really cruel actually. It's cruelty with no accountability. People put them down and forget about them. It's a horrible way for the rats to go (second to glue traps/drowning) and then anything that eats the rat will also die/potentially suffer a slower more painful death because of the doseage.
Sad to hear about your Dad's success rate in shooting them. I shoot for pest control and only started once I was a competent shot and only fired when I am confident my shot will land correctly.
I always tell people they shouldn't be shooting for pest control unless they are confident they aren't going to cause undue suffering.
Unfortunately there are a significant number of people who over estimate their abilities, cause suffering and harm the reputation of the airgunning community.
That said, I very much admire rats. They're clever little buggers and very cute too.
Purplepeal@reddit
I just googled how the poison kills them. Yeah does sound painful. That was my query around how cruel it was vs horrendous body trauma in a trap At least as you say the latter is faster and poison risks killing non target animals.
To be fair to my dad most would die from the pellet despite jumping and scampering away down a burrow..
I remember him also using traps in the shed (like a crocodile's head) he had to tie them to something otherwise he would lose them. The rat would try escape whilst half crushed in the trap 😬.
I dont think there is a humane way to kill them unless we go for Nitrogen. We did have pet rats as kids so I totally get how sweet they are.
Taran966@reddit
Yeah that’s true. What ticks me off is that a local shop sells glue traps for rats though. I get angry every time I see them, I wonder if there’s anything I can do about them.
I thought they were banned?! They’re by far one of the cruelest, most pain-inducing ways to catch rats and should be illegal. A instant-killing humane trap is fine though.
Cptcongcong@reddit
TIL. My parents used to use glue traps but I always felt it was inhumane. I would shoot their heads in once they got trapped to kill them ASAP.
MingePies@reddit
It is illegal to use them but for some dumb reason it is still legal to sell them.
pixeltash@reddit
FFS sometimes I despair.
colourofsweetlove@reddit
We humanely caught them and took them to a field far away too, but it's actually a death sentence in itself. You're putting the rat in another rat colony's territory, and stripping it away of its mental map so it's lost and confused and therefore easy prey, and the whole process of catching and releasing them is extremely traumatic on their tiny hearts.
Clean up any bird food from the floors, make the feeders rat proof, see if their nest is in your garden somewhere hidden and safe. Ours was under our stone gazebo. Make sure there's no easily accessible water for them from pipes etc. And if you have a dog or a cat, their scent, especially if it new, should deter them.
I love rats. They can be a pest to peoples homes, but they're also wonderful little creatures!
GrandAsOwt@reddit
I wish all the people who advocate for the “humane“ trapping of rats and mice could be made to write out your first paragraph plus the sentence “Further, relocated rats will have no idea of where water and food are situated in the new area so will suffer with hunger and thirst” 100 times.
Due_Peak_6428@reddit
Or you could just blow them away with a shotgun
Kaiisim@reddit
You need access to cat piss. I dunno why they havent isolated the proteins in that yet - if rats smell cat urine they will avoid an area completely, even if there's food. It's a hardwired reaction.
jim_cap@reddit
You can buy cats piss in Tesco btw
munkiss1990@reddit
That's why we got a cat and let her run around the loft because she is to light the come through the ceiling and for good measure put some cat litter with her piss on in a cloth bag and dragged that round and left it in the corner of the loft just incase and now she's pissing in the garden we've had no more issues but a few houses down the street say they see rat's the size of cat's. If you know anyone who has ferrets let them run around and you won't even get mice never mind rat's so you're wright mate but that would be to cheap when there makeing a fortune selling traps now you need a license for the poison but the exterminator is still buying loads of it so nothing has really changed by that other than he charges more for it because you need a license making more money in the process it's madness
munkiss1990@reddit
A young rat got in the back door that was left open during the summer heat I was in the back garden at the time and just heard screaming from the house ran in as the rat tried to run out after scaring the life out of my lass then seen me it got behind the washing machine I pulled the machine out In one go don't know how and the rat was just running side to side then jumped up and grabbed the water pipe and pulled itself through a hole smaller than a 2 pence coin then heard it run from the kitchen to the loft on the pipe work. Got the exterminator out and after looking round the house for entry points and he couldn't find anything he said they were not getting in through the walls what do you mean they he said there's more than one that rat was pregnant when it got in it took 3 weeks for him to get out to the house and in the next 12 weeks found 8 dead that we could get to don't know how many died in the walls are under floor's and only one got in never had a problem before that so got a cat and haven't had a problem since she's been catching any young rats that have come sniffing around
60022151@reddit
Yep, my cat lost the use of her back legs for a while due to eating a poisoned rat.
resident_queerdo@reddit
I'd carefully reconsider poison if it is an option. Briefly had rats checking out a shed attic in my vicinity recently and building management hired an exterminator, who said it was the only way when I protested. Turns out though that rats are incredibly smart. If something new turns up around them and they don't know what it is, they will be freaked out and leave. This is what happened in that attic as well, the rats left without being harmed.
sc00ba-87@reddit
~~is this how I strikethrough~~
sc00ba-87@reddit
Sorry, had to check what I was thinking was correct 😂😂
If you put ~~ before and after the words you want to strike through then that should do it. Put 2 at the start and 2 at the end
Electrical-Rush-3538@reddit
~~did it work?~~
Quiet_surprise79@reddit
THANK YOU! I read something that just showed one ~ on each side which clearly didn't work 😂. I have always wondered how people did it!
onichow_39@reddit
son......
careful_hot_stove@reddit
so cute :( I wish we could just all get along
Milam1996@reddit
We could if the buggers didn’t chew through concrete, pipes etc. more than happy for them to live literally anywhere but the place I live.
Quiet_surprise79@reddit
I agree! But they can, unfortunately, do a lot of damage to wood, wires and pipes. They really are incredibly resourceful and are extremely good at chewing through things!
Majestic_Owl2618@reddit
Rice
chunky949494@reddit
It’s a flamingo
CameFromTheForest@reddit
That is a perfectly acceptable and legal reason to own an Air Rifle
SickyTrick@reddit
That's a Rat! If that's not a very small baby rat. Then I would definitely say it's a mouse 😅👍
-WADE99-@reddit
ezyhunter@reddit
My dog goes nutty if rats have been in the garden Traps would be first imo they didn’t work for me so used my air rifle to dispatch they don’t come around any more
diynot2026@reddit
Rat. It has a longer tail
sbaldrick33@reddit
That's a rat.
evileyevivian@reddit
No it's not
BarryTownCouncil@reddit
IS HAMSTER!
Grotbagsthewonderful@reddit
Kevin is the hamster, that's Roland.
Far_Bread_9843@reddit
Kevin was a gerbil. Errol was the hamster. He was Welsh.
Grotbagsthewonderful@reddit
Errol was the pigeon.
BriefStrange6452@reddit
"Rat fans" 🤣
JustAnotherFEDev@reddit
I biologist. Is kangaroo
PunctualZombie@reddit
Hamsters are small and cuddly! Cuddle that and you'll never play the guitar again
meowcatpanda@reddit
My experience with rats vs hamsters is the exact opposite, my rat was a sweetheart and loved cuddling, hamster was a little demon who ate shoes and fingers xD
Wooshsplash@reddit
Is Filigree Siberian Hamster
BloodAndSand44@reddit
I name him Basil
Quiet_surprise79@reddit
You wouldn't want to cuddle a wild hamster either!
And in a domestic setting, you're more likely to be bitten by a socialised hamster than a socialised rat. Hamsters can do some serious damage.
resident_queerdo@reddit
I agree, hamsters are not very cuddly. Always had them as a child for reasons entirely unfathomable. You might squish them if you try to cuddle them.
karatecorgi@reddit
The wild (European) hamster may be more aggressive but god why they gotta be so CUTE ;_;
Guinea pig sized hamster with cute markings 😭
rlaw1234qq@reddit
I know a horse when I see one
cricketbug94@reddit
Of course its a rat, you have rats in Spain dont you?
sbaldrick33@reddit
No, Franco had them all shot.
timeonmyfeet@reddit
Good job rats never got aboard boats.
ADL-AU@reddit
Basil!
normalbot9999@reddit
BASIL!
winthewarpie@reddit
You put Basil in the ratatouille?!!
amigoing77@reddit
Thats true, rats are outside and mice are inside.
wine_n_mrbean@reddit
According to my childhood cat, rats can be eaten inside or outside - depending on the weather.
Pepsimax88@reddit
Rats are outside
Mice and inside
merkus87@reddit
What it a mouse goes outside does it become a rat ? And if a rat goes inside is it a mouse ?
Pepsimax88@reddit
I ain't ever seen no mouse outside
sunheadeddeity@reddit
Siberian Hamster
G-reeper66@reddit
Baby rats
Chilledinho@reddit
A cute lil guy nothing more
Mother_Lemon8399@reddit
People who say it might be mice must have never seen a mouse before. Mice are tiny. These are rats
KelpFox05@reddit
Rats. Get a trap that will kill them instantly, bait them with peanut butter or malt paste and sweets, and dispose of the bodies. Do not attempt to trap them, they are considered vermin so it's illegal to release them and attempting to make them pet rats will end incredibly badly from everyone involved. The kindest thing is to kill them quickly and safely. Make sure you aren't leaving food out and that your compost is secured, and let your neighbours know to do the same.
TheAnxiousPangolin@reddit
If they aren’t harming anyone / anything they don’t deserve to be killed imo. I completely understand deterring them by any means necessary as they can be a nuisance, but it’s cruel to just kill them for little reason.
MyDogIsCalledMilo@reddit
Rats broke through the sewers and chewed up through the concrete into my neighbours downstairs bathroom, completely fucked the entire house.
TheAnxiousPangolin@reddit
That’s rough to be fair, and if I were in that situation I would 100% get rid of them in any way possible. I just don’t like the thought of killing animals that are harmlessly existing, like in OP’s photos.
60022151@reddit
Hantavirus…
Dark-Faery@reddit
Say that after you've had them in your house...
morefetus@reddit
Each litter has up to a dozen pups. Rats can mate at the age of two or three months and then produce a new litter every two months.[23][25] The rats live for approximately one year,[25] mostly due to predation rather than natural lifespan. They rarely travel more than 600 feet (180 m) from where they were born.[19]
The greatest danger posed to humans from rats is the diseases that the latter can transmit.[25] City-dwelling rats carry pathogens that can cause diarrhea and vomiting in humans.[26] Disease-causing bacteria commonly carried by rats include E. coli, Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), and Salmonella.[26] The bacteria can be spread by contact with rat saliva, urine or feces.[26] Viral diseases spread by rats include rat-bite fever and hemorrhagic fevers caused by Seoul hantavirus.[26]
DDS86@reddit
They spread disease…
KelpFox05@reddit
Unfortunately, they do carry germs and they like to chew so if they get into your house they will chew on wires and that can and will set fires.
Rats also breed incredibly fast. Females are in heat for 12-24 hours every 4-5 days, are incredibly fertile, give birth in about three weeks, and hit sexual maturity at 6-10 weeks old for boys and 8-12 weeks old for girls. They can have up to 20 babies per litter and have no problems with interbreeding. The girls can get pregnant again as soon as the babies are weaned. That means you can go from one breeding pair to over 100 rats in a matter of months. If you do not immediately remove wild rats as soon as you notice they're there, you will inevitably end up with an infestation.
TheAnxiousPangolin@reddit
I suppose that is a really good point, I hadn’t considered that, and it seems easy to end up overwhelmed with a mass of them. Just such a shame we have to resort to killing them, as they are very cute and intelligent creatures.
KelpFox05@reddit
It's very sad, I will agree. I used to own pet rats (not anymore, their short lifespans are heartbreaking) and when we got a rat infestation in the loft a few months ago it was awful. It's not something to feel good about really. It helps to consider, though, that pet rats are very highly domesticated. They're bred and desensitised so that they instinctively want cuddles and treats from humans. Wild rats don't care about humans and will absolutely hurt you given the chance. It's essentially the same difference between dogs and wolves, just far less physically dramatic. It's fair to be sad about it but keeping ourselves safe and well comes first.
Edan1990@reddit
They are harming people. They spread disease and cause damage to property. Rats are vermin and you do not want them living in or near your house.
r3xomega@reddit
Their numbers do need to be culled due to having fewer natural predators and an abundance of food in certain areas thanks to us. But traps specific to rats need to be used, as general bait traps can kill wildlife we need to preserve. Hedgehogs, voles, and shrews, to name a few, are often the victims.
Basketball312@reddit
If they've only been spotted outside how can you set traps without potentially trapping a bird or cat or something?
shamone_mofo@reddit
Id bait the traps for a few days first before setting them to get them used to it and then bang on the 3rd night they get nailed.
Yippym@reddit
Living near the canal & woodlands we get mice, and rat roaming around. It is not possible to eliminate them all, setting traps will just be expensive.
They did roam around in my garden for a week, but they will generally just find some other place. As long there is no food, or shelter for them to make their home.
I would recommend checking for any holes in the house and patch them before they figure out your house is a nice place.
Believe it not, decking is a nice place for rodents to hide, so make sure that you have metal mesh underneath.
If you start to see more or even see one indoors then you need to set traps.
Clean_Protection_142@reddit
This post here would be phropetic to me if it hadn't already happened! I suspected i had rats living under our decking, and I had set poison traps in a safe place , and they were taking it.
Unfortunately it seems they had found a way into our downstairs toilet and died under the floor. I had to rip up the floor, take out the purifying bodies, and cement the considerable ingress back. Yaaay.
Yippym@reddit
That's very unfortunate, I've only knew about decking being a good hide out an month ago. As I spoke to my neighbours, about my new deck idea. One mentioned that someone on the estate had a brand new decking, and then decided to rip it all out in less than a year because of rats.
Wish me luck on my decking project, I'm planning to put metal grate all around to avoid the rodent issue.
Poison provide such a double-edged situation, it only works best if you were 100% certain that they are not in the house or your neighbours. Though other Animals would certainly eat the poison rodent, such as crows and foxes.
Traps helps avoid them getting stuck in unknown location for you to smell their carcass, which sounds absolutely horrible to experience. Good thing you've manage to find them, eventually the smell eventually goes away. I know in the US they put trap that would drown them, but it's illegal to do so here.
Hopefully you got all the rodents, not sure how they managed to get into your sewage. But there must be a hole or open manhole down on the street.
FangoFan@reddit
I had a rat crawl through the pipe into my toilet once. Was scared to sit on it for a while after that
Old_Man_Benny@reddit
Rats!!! they are smart traps usually don’t work. Put bait down properly and they’ll carry it back to the nest, which is what actually wipes them out. Ignore the nonsense about every other animal dropping dead from it. Rats gorge themselves and usually consume the bait first. The stories about birds of prey and cats being wiped out from eating poisoned rats are mostly old wives’ tales and complete bollocks.
Pest-Stop Rodent Wax Blocks 10g 15 Pack - Screwfix
FeatheredFox92@reddit
Rats. I shot 3 in head in my back garden at the weekend after we had a BBQ 🐀🔫💀
MixBig3614@reddit
It’s a goat.
darktydez1@reddit
Get a Cat 🐱
MoarQuiet@reddit
Easier to get an air rifle
LordDiamorphine@reddit
Wingless bats
December126@reddit
It's a vole
woodstar11@reddit
Vile, horrible, rat!!!
hydrora31@reddit
Young rats, and there wont just be one. There are usually hundreds. The only way to keep them away is a cat or dog that hunts rats. Cats are far more effective than dogs as they hunt at night and the very smell deters rats.
CharcoalCulture@reddit
Baby rat. Aww its cooote
FornyHucker22@reddit
I thought mouse but based I see the comments here I think rat now 😅
it’s a cute one at least 😊
Matchaparrot@reddit
Get rid of all your bird feeders, now. Check for holes in your garden, there getting in somehow
Maumau93@reddit
Holes in your garden!? Whaaat!?
Matchaparrot@reddit
Rat holes, where rats nest. Generally were under my building between the paving slabs or next to the bird feeder in my last flats communal area.
swallowyoursadness@reddit
That first picture is quite a cinematic photo!
DaveN202@reddit
Did it shout “Fievel?” If so it’s a Russian mouse I If not it’s a rat.
MyTeaIsMighty@reddit
Rats are outside, mice are inside
Key_Statistician5273@reddit
Cat
HexaDecio@reddit
It’s clearly a dog…
AdWitty1512@reddit
Young rat
Normal-Ear-5757@reddit
Makes no odds. Get a cat.
Clynxus@reddit
they look like socks to me
Normal-Ear-5757@reddit
Mice. Rats are larger and have even longer tails
Naykon1@reddit
Young rat
Additional-Ad-1495@reddit
Don’t go straight into using traps.
Eliminate all food sources in your garden, such as bird feeders or if you have fruit trees (when it’s the season) make sure to pick up fruit that falls on the floor.
If you have a compost bin, only put food in it that will actually break down quickly like raw veg, fruit peels, coffee granules, tea bags etc. Rats don’t really eat that stuff. They like meat, cooked food etc.
Minimise water sources for them such as half full watering cans, buckets, upside lids, bird water feeders, leaking taps.
If you can, also reduce the amount of places rats can live in your garden. They like cool dark areas like underneath decking, tarpaulin, wood stacks etc.
Lastly, look around your house and fill any gaps or holes where rats could get into your house, such as old waste pipe (such as from kitchen taps or dishwashers) exit points in brick work, holes under roof eaves, burrows that have been dug going under your building or open drains covers where gutter water is expelled. If you think you have rats in your house already, note the entry points in your house, don’t block them up. Call the rat man and tell them and they’ll sort it out.
You’re no more than 6ft away from a rat at any given time (apparently) so you’ll never get rid of them completely but minimising the above will help massively.
When I moved into my house we had rats all in our house and garden, after 2/3 months of doing the above we haven’t had any issues since (1 and a half years ago).
BhaktaZee@reddit
I live next to a railway line which is full of wildlife, foxes hedgehogs and rats regularly come into my garden. If you have rats coming into your house it's because you have given them an access point. Go round the house looking for any gaps usually round gas pipes and fill them in. Rats in your garden is not an issue, if they're coming in the house, that's on you. If they start to be a problem, chewing things they shouldn't, then remove all food and water sources like bird seed etc for two weeks and they will move on. There is never any excuse for using traps especially poison as you can end up killing cats, foxes and birds of prey. Traps should be a last resort if they've entered your home.
belladonnapopsocks@reddit
Whether rats or mice, don't let them get close to the house. Not the most popular opinion but get the traps out.
ScaryButt@reddit
Lol of they're in the garden they're already at the house
BhaktaZee@reddit
Don't be daft,
Etheria_system@reddit
This isn’t true at all. We have rats occasionally in the garden because the garden behind us has a nest, but no rats in the house (and yes I’ve had pest control out to check)
Ki1664@reddit
If they’re in the garden they’re in the walls. Listen for scratching at night and don’t leave any crumbs about. Get them every year living next to a golf course
devegano@reddit
They can be in the garden and not the walls.
I also live next to a golf course and had them under the floor. we're in a terrace and the neighbour had a bunch of entry points around his house. After I sealed all of their holes guess who's house they chewed into next to get back in.
Only option for me was poison unfortunately.
belladonnapopsocks@reddit
My house sits near an underground stream, I see them on the fence. They got in my garage and then my car once and I have had traps around the house ever since. The traps were used a lot at first but now they seem to keep their distance. I don't use poison because of the other animals in the garden.
ambergriswoldo@reddit
Get cats
ScaryButt@reddit
Cats are an invasive species and destroy so much native wildlife .
Slow worms especially are basically becoming extinct because of cats.
ambergriswoldo@reddit
Humans are also an invasive species but they’re far worse at catching rats and mice
pixpix89@reddit
Can confirm. I got a small human almost 4 years ago and he’s never caught a rat or mouse.
Dark-Faery@reddit
Take him back for a refund
Glittering_Vast938@reddit
There were native wild lynx in the UK as well as wolves and bears who would also prey on small mammals and birds.
That’s why prey have a natural fear of cats as they’ve evolved together.
Biggest threat to birds and other wildlife are humans I’m sorry to say.
Faithful_jewel@reddit
Cats have been in Britain since about 800BC. After almost 3000 years I'm not sure you can call them an invasive species any more
BarryTownCouncil@reddit
We had a kitten who was a ruthless killer. Every day for the last few months there'd be a rat or mouse of chick in the middle of the kitchen or hallway in the morning, waiting for us. And the alive ones too...
He got hit by a car 2 days ago though... So sad but man, so many dead animals, it was getting very tiring dealing with them.
ambergriswoldo@reddit
I’m so sorry about your cat ❤️ Yes it’s never nice when they bring mice etc indoors but good that they’re keeping them from chewing through the house!
Faithful_jewel@reddit
And if you can't get a cat (who might not kill the rats, but is enough of a deterrent the rats will go elsewhere)
Borrow a dog. Bonus points if it's a terrier breed. Let it run round your garden for a day and you'll be rat clear for a few months
Glittering_Vast938@reddit
Yes I used to have mice in the house until I got a cat. They’ve now moved to the shed!
309han47@reddit
Air rifle and traps
dannydrama@reddit
Was going to comment exactly this but cheers for taking the downvotes instead! You know it's illegal to kill anything ever and the Internet will shit on you no matter the circumstances lol.
Psychology_Guy@reddit
The last time someone posted a "is this a rat?" question on Reddit I replied that it was a hairless squirrel and was banned from the sub Reddit for 2 days. This is obviously a Squirrel.
Sharky-the-sparky@reddit
Squirrels
Naive-Age2749@reddit
Michael Mouse...
N3bulaPaige42xT@reddit
That is ray that also make mess in our house they eat anything
jetpilots1@reddit
I live in England in the countryside, in a row of homes that have long adjoining back gardens (yards). We had a pest control guy who lived in one of our row of homes & he mentioned to me that rats were using our gardens for crossing from one side to the other.
I never saw any rats, but I did see the holes they chewed in the fences so they could move freely. The pest control guy said that for every one rat that you can see there are at least a dozen somewhere nearby.
That last sentence has stuck with me, probably permanently.
perksofbeingcrafty@reddit
Look at that tail
If that’s not a rat I will eat it whole
noctenaut@reddit
If I remember correctly I think it’s a rabbit, so cute though - you should put some Fanta out for it on a saucer.
Peskycat42@reddit
Dont hold me to it, but with many small and furries they dont like lemon/ lemon peel or sometimes pepper.
Kent_Doggy_Geezer@reddit
Rats. Mice and much smaller.
Martinad91@reddit
It's a dog
turgatory@reddit
As a domestic rat owner, I'd say rats. Unfortunately wild rats do cause issues and will only grow in numbers. If you're not comfortable with traps I'd personally make your garden as unappealing as possible.
Try and avoid hanging washing (even on a line you think they'd never get to, they're very good climbers) because they'll take off with anything they can get for nesting, and as everyone else has stated, avoid any bird food etc in the garden. I'd guess with the rough age there's probably already a nest close by, whether it's in your or your neighbours garden.
Traps can be tricky (and birds seem to gravitate towards them), so prevention is the better option imo
catetheway@reddit
Super cute little rats, my cats would never allow them to become so well fed.
Jacktheforkie@reddit
Making the area smell like a predator may help, this could be as simple as making the area more attractive to the neighbours cats, let the cats mark their scent on the surfaces around the garden, rats will generally try to avoid predators, also secure any edible stuff where they can’t get it, put your rubbish in steel bins (rats can’t chew through steel)
ScottyAlex1909@reddit
Long tailed mice
Acrobatic-Ad1579@reddit
Rats. Get the flamethrower. Incinerate the bastards
lost-crusade@reddit
neither, they're just lil guys
Curious_Strike_5379@reddit
Defo a long tail! get some Jeyes fluid on them patio slabs.
Leeroywildman@reddit
That a mouserat.
whackamole123456@reddit
BIG DIRTY STINKING RAT!
Lindtscranner@reddit
I ain't never seen a mouse outside that shit would be redundant
Odd-Grapefruit7569@reddit
rats have longer thicker tails than mice hence the old nick name long tail. i’d say this is a rat
SmallPinkHo1e@reddit
Thats a baby rat
thetechguyv@reddit
Definitely young rats
TheVoicesGetLoud@reddit
race
gregt76@reddit
It's a joey
shamone_mofo@reddit
If it was me id be setting my air rifle up and aiming for the eye .
These-Lie-5854@reddit
Remove all accessible sources of food and water that you can, seal up any potential entry points both outside and inside your house and get the snap traps out.
If youre concerned about them getting inside, try putting Talcum powder down near where you usually might have food they can get to or any possible entry points and look for footprints the next day. This will give you good info on where to place traps too.
Dont ignore this due to being squeamish about killing them. My neighbour in my old house did that and before i knew there were any rats we had a major infestation affecting 6 houses in our block. I found out the neighbour had known about the rats for months when I went to tell them about seeing one in my house, the prick. Could have saved a bunch of us a lot of stress if theyd taken any action when they first spotted the infestation.
ZealousidealSurvey36@reddit
Rats
IndividualCurious322@reddit
I'm afraid they're probably already within your walls.
Pedantichrist@reddit
Siberian filigree hamster.
Or ‘rat’.
Venom-Sneed@reddit
Fren :)
TheAnxiousPangolin@reddit
They do look very friend shaped.
Aaron57363@reddit
Thats Stuart Little
Matchaparrot@reddit
Baby rattus rattus
Dimac99@reddit
Rattus norvegicus actually, the brown rat. Rattus rattus is the black rat, which is virtually extinct in the UK.
Dimac99@reddit
Is it the same animal in each shot? They certainly aren't adult rats, I can assure you, but if it's multiple animals then it could be mice. If it's multiple shots of one animal then it could be a juvenile rat, which is probably my best guess.
As for deterrence, get a cat. There's no such thing as humane trapping because they'll die if removed from their colony and dumped elsewhere, and poison is obviously a huge risk to other wildlife, whether they consume it themselves or prey on something that has. The best thing is to make sure there's no obvious food source for them like bird food on the ground or food left out for hedgehogs etc. if you've got any airbricks, get them covered with a grill or unchewable mesh to prevent mice getting through them as they genuinely can fit through those tiny spaces.
Wrong-Target6104@reddit
Remove any unnecessary water receptacles
Dry-Letterhead-2902@reddit
Cutiepie
dan_gleebals@reddit
Young rats. Poison or trap.
TravelOwn4386@reddit
Poison apparently makes them crave water and they then chew through any plastic pipes or even electric cables trying to find it.
devegano@reddit
Most poison is an anticoagulant so makes them bleed to death basically.
Milam1996@reddit
Absolutely not poison. Enough wildlife is decimated by rat poisoning.
Suspicious_Put_5063@reddit
Rats. Humane traps and take them far far away. BUT if there’s one, there’s hundreds of them nearby and an exterminator is your only answer. They will get into your house, under your house, and if you’ve got decking, that’s where you’ll find the rest.
h00dman@reddit
If you're going to use traps, use snap traps.
Any rat caught in a humane trap will suffer mentally and physically while it's inside, and whether it gets a reprieve from that suffering depends 100% on you remembering to check it.
If you do remember to check it, and then decide to take it several miles away to release it, you'll be doing so in an area it is unfamiliar with. That means it won't know where the food sources, water, shelter etc will be, and nor will it know where the predators are.
The point is, both the humane trap and the snap trap will kill it, but the snap trap will drastically reduce its suffering.
Quiet_surprise79@reddit
Rats are intelligent, opportunistic and resourceful. Taking them a few miles out of a familiar area will absolutely not kill them. I say this as someone who recognises they can be a pest but I love them anyway and don't want harm to come to them.
Faithful_jewel@reddit
They'd probably manage to order an Uber to get back if they had access to a smartphone...
I love them (had pet rats before I had to stop keeping them) but I also work in food safety. Wild rats are a pest and unfortunately the damage they can do is too high - humane methods of killing I'm "fine" with, but I once found a sticky trap behind a pallet and I went absolutely off on one with the guy who put it there. Not even my department but I was not having that torture device around
KelpFox05@reddit
It is also illegal to release a trapped rat as they are legally considered vermin.
FootballFast4784@reddit
Rat
Puzzleheaded_Wish330@reddit
Rat poison asap
Chris_Oblivion@reddit
That's 100% a House Mouse. You can see the light grey underbelly, and it's characteristically pointed nose.
Martipar@reddit
Mice. Carry out the pencil test, keep doors and windows closed and place some traps just in case. Many people don't realise but mice spread the same diseases as rats and as such are just as dangerous. My mum has mice in her shed, the dog eats any that get near the huse, and any she can catch when they venture outsiode of the shed.
There is a mildly amusing story attached to this fact though, my Mum couldn't work out where the mice were living and she'd had them around for a year or two. She needed to do some deep cleaning on her mower and found the nest, she'd inadvertently been giving the mice a ride around the lawn every few days. i bet they felt like they were at Alton Towers. They disappeared for a while after this but have since returned, they are no longer living in the mower though.
https://www.bromley.gov.uk/leaflet/260989/11/730/d
MadJen1979@reddit
Roland!
tmr89@reddit
100% rat
Smaxter84@reddit
Socks
_FreddieLovesDelilah@reddit
Young rats
AdDependent5136@reddit
big ol rat
montyrattus@reddit
Correction, a very small juvenile.
hidingbehindyoursofa@reddit
Move house now
GreenSpaniel@reddit
If it's got a white belly, it's a wood mouse. They're kinda cute and mostly not interested in being in your house (I had one living on my patio for year).
chris-1994@reddit
Looks like a house mouse to me
CumGuzlinGutterSluts@reddit
The one under the chair is adorable
NotGooseFromTopGun@reddit
Looks like a mouse.
wallofmouths@reddit
Looks more like a gerbil to me (they can be grey). I'm no expert, though.
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