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Outdoor bunnies and rats!!!

Fee

Wise Old Thumper
My worst nightmare has happened. I had put my bunnies nerves and general tetchy demeanour down to the howling gales and wind that has been blowing here for days...

However they are still behaving strangely, always nervy and constantly in and out of the run looking about then shooting back into shed...

My son was going out this afternoon to change the hay when he came screaming in saying rats were in the garden at the back wall...

We live next to a burn which means its likely we'll see a rat every now and again. but to see two in daylight usually means theres more close by.....

Oh hell... I am totally freaked myself.. what should i do? I know rats can chew.. What danger are the bunnies in??? How can I keep them out of the shed... the bunnies need access to the run..

HELP!,!!,!
 
Oh nooooooooo! :shock: ... I've no idea what you should do, but hopefully someone else will be more rat savvy.
 
Thanks Susie... I am freaking out myself and Rats and spiders are my biggest fears...!!

am seriously terrified... Why oh why did I buy a house next to a burn???
 
Sorry I have no idea either, don't know about rats and bunnies. Sad that they are frightened though. Can you relocate them anywhere else or move the shed to a place further away?

Maybe contact your council who may have some ideas to keep rats under control or what they do.

Sorry not much use but good luck. I would be scared too and I hate spiders, that's why I have no shed in my garden!
 
Fee your post has struck a cord with me as I think I have the same problem. I have two bunnies that run around my shed, and one of them has been acting more nervous. Some of the floor is rotten and has been boarded up but I found a hole in a corner the other day and soil so I think they have already had a visitor. I have had to resort to locking them up at night as I am worried what will happen as I know they might attack the rabbits and they do not appreciate Being put to bed. God knows what I am going to do as I had a proper look tonight and I need a new shed, but no funds.
 
Thanks!!!

It explains a lot though because Willow is exceptionally anxious, if i go near the run, she creeps then she will stand stock still like a statue refusing to move, then all of a sudden she'll bolt!!! Unsettling the boys who do loops round the shed... She's always been a wee livewire and so tricky..

I have checked the run and shed for rat poo but havent seen it... Could fear from the rats cause or bring on stasis that I need to be aware of..

I have checked the shed and will need to get hubby to beef up the nails holding it together...
I also checked m big shed where their soiled litter goes.. It seems clear ....

Oohh hugs to you too Liz
 
Just make sure the hutch and run don't have any rat sized gaps that they can squeeze in, and the bunny food is somewhere they can't get to it.
 
I started seeing a rat 2 months ago. Pest control came out for 6 weeks on the trot and we seem to now be rid. Don't like the thought of poisoning them, but rather that than have my babes in danger x
 
Just make sure the hutch and run don't have any rat sized gaps that they can squeeze in, and the bunny food is somewhere they can't get to it.

I think I will need to invest in smaller bore mesh of some kind as my run mesh has slightly wider mesh gaps...........
 
I think I will need to invest in smaller bore mesh of some kind as my run mesh has slightly wider mesh gaps...........

Maybe have a look in the housing section of rabbit care - I think there are some 'stickies' with photos.
 
When my next door neighbours kept horses in the garden, I got rats..in my kitchen :shock: I used to walk around at night in the dark and kicked something large warm and furry :shock: Then, our council came out for free and put bait boxes in garden, coming back to replace bait. Now though they charge a fee. I wasn't comfortable with killing rats, but I also wasn't happy having them running around my kitchen!!

I would look up your local council website and look under pest control and see if they offer a service...only way I'm afraid.
 
I had the same problem recently. The rats will generally try to move in with the rabbits and eat their food, wee and poo in their space and keep out of your sight all the while. Whilst they tolerate each other the bunnies certainly won't like it. Mine didn't. There is a risk a dominant male rat will attack a rabbit, a nasty bite can lead to infection. Rat urine also carries a lot of diseases which can affect us humans and they might be able to pass on VHD. They can certainly pass on other parasites like mites and lice. I'm pretty certain my Emrys who suffered from ear mites this year caught them from a rat.

The general rule of thumb is that if a rat can fit the width of his head through mesh his body can follow. They can collapse their skeletons and get into all sorts of places. They can also chew almost anything, breeze block for one thing and wood is a doddle I'm afraid. Perhaps some metal panels around the edging of your shed will make a difference. You have a problem if rats have settled in your garden. One male will establish a 'deem' and install a few females there. And of course he will breed with them. Rats breed in the same way as rabbits, they ovulate spontaneously and gestation lasts around three weeks. It is estimated one female rat can produce 200 offspring in one year. They are also very wily and clever. They know how to stay hidden and instinctively know to avoid most traps. Your best bet is to kill them I'm afraid as they will only breed and breed until you are over run and then the council will impose and order on you to pay for pest control which can cost a fortune. I would steer clear from poison which causes a cruel death and cannot be controlled meaning other animals could suffer. But traditional rat traps, fenn traps or if you know someone with an air gun go down that route. It’s not nice but humans have died from rat bites, it’s not something you take lightly.

We live near a river close to the Water of Leith spring and as such are very much in the country so rats are a problem here but they have only become worse since the council reduced bin collections, go figure eh?

The rats you have seen in daylight will most likely have been inexperienced juveniles. The true adult rat is a master at travelling unobserved. Juveniles will mean there might be a nest nearby. My advice would be the following:

Don't let your child/children into the garden for the time being.
Bring the rabbits indoors.
Examine any rabbit bedding with a prodder/stick and wear latex gloves (coming into contact with rat urine can lead to leptospirosis).
Most of all you need to nip it in the bud. Humane traps rarely work and you would need several to cope with the breeding rates. A quick clean death is the most efficient way I'm afraid.

I hope you manage to find a solution. As I said I have had a lot of experience with this so if you need any more advice just let me know :wave:
 
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Sorry, I've never had rats, yet so not much help. Just had a little field mouse in the garden a couple of times. One was obviously old or ill as it didn't bother who saw it. Only saw it a couple of times.

Fifibutton's info sounds really helpful. I will be keeping it in mind for when we do get them.

Hope your buns are ok.
 
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