Rats and rock (not wood) pigeons

As a general rule, I’m happy to promote wildlife and diversity however when the wildlife is either digging up and eating everything you plant or pooping on every surface in the shed, I have to draw the line.

The rats have moved in from the field now that has been harvested and seem to be proliferating.

The pumpkin plant in my polytunnel suddenly wilted. “I’ve watered” I thought. The rats had dug it up and eaten the roots. The plant was not attached to the ground. All the beds now have holes in them and tomatoes are being nibbled. Not good.

The rats have also been eating seedlings, they particularly like lettuce and peas. They are clever little buggers and soon know how to eat the bait without setting off the trap and I’ve tried different shapes and sizes. Out of sheer necessity I’m using poison as I can’t plant any seeds without them raking through the seed trays for freshly germinated seeds.

The rock pigeons, ala Trafalgar Square, are breeding like mad, the netting I’ve put up to keep them out of the eaves is now bulging with poop. the inside of my shed, particularly below trusses is coated with a layer. Thinning them out is more of a challenge however I’m going to spend time taking down the gutters and putting up wire mesh.