Rat phobia

[RATTER15]

Why are people so terrified of rats? I have worked around rats for 13 years, I've had them run up my leg up my arm had one fall on my head. Ive been called out to all these people who seen rats the size of cat and dogs in their kitchen etc, Ive seen big burly hunter type men covered in tattoos cry at the sight of rats, Ive been shown the holes where these monster rats have disappeared, rarely any bigger than 2" in diameter. I have seen more rats than most people have had hot dinners but neither I or any of my Pest Control Colleagues have ever seen one larger than 9" (without the tail)

They will never bite you unless cornered, they can only jump about 18" so will not jump at you throat.

Yes they do carry some unpleasant diseases that can kill you.


Incidentally, the Fancy Rat that make such great pets are exactly the same species as the rat we find in our sewers, the Brown Rat = Rattus norvegicus.
the only difference is the fancy rat no longer carry the diseases and have been interbred to produce different colours.

[WendyS]

Ratter - I share your fascination with wild rats. We have had a few in our garden from time to time, including one delightful female who we called Rolanda, who reared her babies behind our compost heap and then brought them out into the garden to teach them how to climb up the fences and poles where we hang peanut cages. I was able to get so close to the babies I could almost stroke them and they became incredibly tame. Then the neighbours started to object because they all thought they would going to die of Black Plague, and because they were coming right up to our open patio door, I was forced to do the unthinkable and put down rat poison. I felt like a murderer. We now have a solitary "Roland" appear again. I love watching him and he's getting braver by the day. I fear the whole inevitable cycle is about to repeat itself.

[RATTER15]

Good for you Wendy, just keep them away from your house and don't ever be tempted to touch the babies, all wild rats carry dreadful diseases and have a bite that is savage, I don't think you would anyway, but just in case.

Probably not a great idea to tell the neighbours about them, they will accuse you of causing any rat problem for years to come.

I'm glad you also can see the delightful side of these courageous creatures.

[oceanauk]

I just want to add something here - this is really strange that this posting has come up since I have been dealing with this dilemma on a personal basis for a few days now. I recently moved into my new house, over 100 years old, (the house not me!!!) and I was sat in my living room watching TV when I kept hearing this scuffling. At first I thought it was a bird trapped behind my fireplace, then I looked behind a cupboard and there was a rat! In my living room! I was totally freaked. I really am not a fan of rats, I can handle mice they're smaller but rats ... well I gave chase, opened my kitchen door and prayed it went in that direction - it did and I thought it had gone. Of course I had to get Pest Control in who confirmed the rat droppings around my room were that of a rat and laid poison out. Now my dilemma was killing something that has just as much right to live as I do, but it was now in my territory and having a child I could not have rats in my house. Over the next few days the poison was taken, the rat wee smelt really bad in my living room, I could smell it every morning and I would wash all the floorboards. Well a few days later I was having one of the holes in my wall fixed where we thought the rats were coming through and pulled out my washing machine to find a dead rat in the kitchen. Ever since then I've felt huge guilt. I never wanted to kill an animal, especially with poison (although I'm relieved by your explanation on how it works and that they go peacefully) - but I feel torn. Protecting my child/ my home .. killing an animal. I can't even kill spiders or flies. I do love animals generally and I can rationalise that rats are doing what is instinctual to them... feeding. I can't explain my fear of rats, the way they move/look I don't know but I can tell you I've not stopped feeling bad about killing an animal unnesscessarily. What is the solution? I'm not sure.

[RATTER15]

Oceanauk, you done every thing correctly, the only thing I would say is never fill in the holes the rat has made until you are 100% sure that the problem has gone, this could just move them to a different area where maybe they cant get to the poison and the problem could start all over again.

It sounds like you got the problem sorted now, well done.

The main thing to remember with rats is no matter how terrified you are of rats, the rat is always more terrified of you and will always run away from you and never toward you unless cornered.

[harriman]

Hi Ratter
As an EHO I've come across a few rats in my time too - full respect to your attitude and knowledge.
I was inspecting the outside yard of a chip shop today, I checked the bins (large commercial ones) and 3 rats ran out at great speed. (The bin was missing its drainage plug so was acting as a sort of 'takeaway' for the rats)
Not sure who moved quickest - me or them!
I do have 2 rats as pets and love them to bits but the wild ones make me jump when they appear suddenly.
Like spiders - I'm ok with them until they start running at 100mph!

[RATTER15]

Yes Harriman they do make you jump, Ive jumped many a time when they suddenly appear. The best one is when you are squeezing yourself on your belly through a tiny loft space and you come face to face with a large rat only inches from you, fortunately they have always been dead but it does take a few seconds to establish and process this information.

[kipchik]

A good rat is a dead rat,u take a shovel and hit it 'bang' on the head,,When was the last time you saw 'roland' on tv then mmmm??

[RATTER15]

Kipchick!! you are so harsh, shame on you!!

[Ed Strong]

I know I've come to this question a bit late in the day, but something you said about rats surviving in adverse conditions made me remember something. When I was small my dad worked on the refrigeration units in one of the wharves on the Thames. These units were huge with walls covered feet thick in ice, but the rats just grew very thick fur and managed to live in and around these frozen environs. And humans think they are the only animal on earth with adaptability? I think not! All the time we humans over-populate and produce vast amounts of waste the rat will prosper. Here endeth the sermon. :-)

[RATTER15]

Well said Ed !!

[kipchik]

You're biased ratter!

[RATTER15]

Not biased! just informed!!

[kipchik]

Hahaha,same thing different word!

[RATTER15]

Oh Dear! biased and informed mean the same? get hold of a dictionary my dear.

Biased:
1. A preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment.
2: An unfair act or policy stemming from prejudice.
3: A statistical sampling or testing error caused by systematically favoring some outcomes over others.



Informed: 1: It means I know what I am talking about!!

[kipchik]

Your mind is already made up ratter,you like the rat,so being 'informed' is just as well as you are biased,,,!

[RATTER15]

Kipchick, were you last in the queue when they handing out intellect ?

[kipchik]

On the contrary, i was about middle,
In the 'kiss my ar$e' line,i was faaaarrrr behind you oh lord ratter!

[RATTER15]

Kipchick, Its such a shame that you get nasty, just because I feel the rat being part of our wildlife should be able live unhindered in its own environment, not ours I hasten to add!! but you want to destroy them, just because you don't like them, do you feel that strongly about other animals you don't like?

We don't need people like you destroying creatures just because you don't like them, that's very sad indeed!!

[kipchik]

Eh,you threw the insult ratter,and where the hell did i say i wanted the rat destroyed?ROLAND is a PUPPET ratter,or have you got something against people who stop playing with their toys!Dont start firing missiles,you are over-reacting,calm down,i may not like rats but wouldnt do harm to anything even them,People maybe,and no, ratter thats not a threat before you rev up again,
Get your facts straight,!

[mikartmilo]

Rats can only infest a place with a steady supply of food, if humans where less wasteful and More care was taken, with containing food and disposing of waste food in a better manner, this would reduce the problem.