Hedgehogs & Rats

[RichJones]

Hi all,

I recently rescued a hog who I saw out in the daytime looking lethargic. Long story short, she went to a local hospital, was treated for various things and then came back to me where she now resides in a “cat hotel” in my garage which I’ve filled with hay. I’ve had other hogs over the years and the rescue didnt take long to find a boyfriend because there are now 5 baby hoglets in the hotel along with parents. I put food and water out late pm and again before bed and I wedge open the cat flap entrance to the hotel for easy access. The adults come and go frequently in the night (out to the garden and back – garage door is always open) but the hoglets are still too young to leave.

Now to my question! Because I’ve had other hogs I’ve always put food and water out in the garage (not in the cat hotel). I recently bought a night time camera to see whats going on and to my surprise (perhaps naivety), I’ve discovered that there are about 12-15 rats also in my garage who feast on the hedgehog food. They’ve yet to go into the cat hotel.

Any advice on what I should do would be very much appreciated. Have nothing against rats but can’t be in a situation where the garage is overrun with them. Very hesitant to call pest control due to hoglets.

I’m at a loss of what to do and quite stressed about it.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
Rich

[scoobysue]

Hi Richjones,
I really feel for you , wow a lot of rats. I did have 1 i did see mine out in the day which people said was strange as they are nocturnal. We got a humane rat trap but only put it out in the day ,but one day seeing the rat he really wasn’t doing very good, we think he had been poisoned we hadn’t poisoned it but if i got as many’ i think i would but put the poison in rat boxes higher up away from the hogs .

[Scouser]

I think I saw a young rat (it was grey and too big to be a mouse although small for a rat) in my garden this morning so I’ve decided not to put out any more hedgehog food until I can somehow resolve the situation. Firstly, I’m going to contact my local pest control service and alert my neighbours.

[Nic]

Hi Scouser

If the pest control people are using bait boxes, make sure that they are aware that there are hogs around and that hoglets will be able to get into bait boxes. So they will need to position them out of reach of the hogs. Hogs can climb, but not quite as efficiently as rats can.

[Malleye]

Hi Rich, I’m in a similar position, although I’ve only seen two rats at the most, and the bigger one chased the smaller one.
It seems hogs and rats are active around the same time, about an hour after dusk and an hour before dawn.
I put my hog food out about 9.45pm. She tends to come out between 9.50 and 10.15. Once she’s been to the tray, she stays for 10 minutes or so, then toddled off. Once I’m sure she’s gone I bring the tray in. That way, you are only feeding her and not the rats.
The one time I left the food out, due to having an early night, I was awake at 4am the next morning, and she visited again at about 4.10. She was eating, so even if a rat had visited, it didn’t eat much.
Once you take a rats food source away, it will move elsewhere

[Author]

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