Hi Jennifer
The worry is that your neighbours may be using poison or traps to kill the rats which the hogs may be able to access. They should be aware that hedgehogs are protected by law:
Quote from faqs on BHPS site: “The species listed [which includes hedgehogs] are also protected from the following activities: trap, snare or net, electrical device for killing or stunning, poisonous, poisoned or stupefying substances or any other gas or smoke, automatic or semi-automatic weapon ….”,
So that anyone using poison or traps to catch rats is under an obligation to ensure that no hedgehogs are caught or killed as a result. So that traps should only be set and poison laid, in places which hogs cannot access. As we know hogs can squeeze through surprisingly small gaps and can climb better than many people imagine. So that great care needs to be taken as to where any of those things are sited.
In my experience it is normally people feeding the birds that initially attracts the rats (to the food that is spilt from bird tables) then if they find some hog food, that is a bonus to them. So if you feed the birds, that may be something you could do something about. If the rats are not finding any food, there is no reason for them to visit. It may be that more people have begun to feed the birds during the Covid restrictions which may have attracted the rats.
Theoretically, you could have a certain time each night when you feed the hogs, under supervision. Rats tend to be much more sensitive to noise and movement than hogs are, so it is often possible to scare the rat away without the hog noticing too much. That way you could make sure that the rats don’t get any of the hog food and they may give up if they realise they are wasting their time. Rats are thought to be less interested in wet cat/dog food.
Then if you also remove areas where the rats can shelter, that can help – i.e. remove anything movable that they can hide behind, fill in any bolt holes, etc.
I believe that local authorities have some legal authority with regard to rats and are able to serve notice on an owner or occupier requiring them to take steps to deal with rat problems. I have read “ It is not a legal requirement to have a pest control contract BUT it is a legal requirement that you manage pest control” The way I see it that means taking steps to minimise the problem, which you would be doing if you did as above, but you may need to clarify the position your own local Council take.
Good luck. I hope you manage to reach some sort of solution.
