I would have a word with the environmental health advisors and pest control.

fine wire mesh if you know where they are getting in. We left a plate of special blue food [rat poison but we didnt want our girls to know what we were doing] just inside the compost bin. we kept topping it up for 3 days and then the food didnt disappear anymore.

our local pest controle man puts poisen down in a plastic bag , he explains that the rat will take it back to it's famaly, which seems a good idear.

Call me soft, but if you must be rid of rats (remember, you're never more than 6 foot away from one), get a couple of Jack Russels. I was once told that rats hate foxes, but that may just be a load of tosh. Also consider the farmers way, most farmers used to have 'feral' cats.
Call me soft, but I hate poison. It results in the most painful & slow death.

my shooting partner and I used to get a days shooting on farmers land by clearing the rats out from under their hen sheds, we used a couple of poalcats to chase them out and had two jackrussels wating for them, at one time they had contest with rats in a pit and terriers killing them ,I think a yorkshire terrer holds the record for the most rats killed in one minuate, if jackrussels had been around then, they would have blown that record to h--l, you can only marvel at the speed they kill at.

I agree with you Meanie I would not use poison I think its cruel and dangerous to other wild life. I would ask for professional advice and how to get rid humanely.

rats can chew through chicken wire with there very strong rodent teeth .the way rat piosen works is it stops them being able to hold there temerature .the trouble is you cant tell wear the rat is going to die and as said its a slow death .most profesional advice tends to be poisen .you could get a humane trap and either let them go a long way from home or put them in a bag and humainly kill them with a smack with a hammer handle on the head.rats carry wells desease so rats are as everyone sais a health problem.if you come across some small yellow puddles keep well away as i believe theres no cure .

My daughter got Weil,s disease after falling in to a small river in the Yorkshire sculpture park while at Uni, she was ill with what everyone thought at first was flu except the doctor knew the the area thankfully and treated her promptly. Which is why I would always ask for expert help and not try to deal with it myself. Only had to have help once that was when a rat was sitting in with our 2 rabbits, it must have got in when I left the cage open after scrubbing it out.

i think your right drc but make sure you say you dont want poisan

hi,
i use a bated rat trap then i put the dead rats on the bonfire,i dont believe in poison

its quicker and safer stroll but i believe a bit brutal for some of the gardeners i believe.