25 March 2007

born worrier

Anything at all and I will worry about it, to the point of illness if need be. First thing is I will think of all the worse case scenarios, then think of even worse ones. Ok Im worried about the rat, not so much the rat, but other rats. Not even so much the other rats, but the fact that I might be stopped from feeding the birds and the hogs, which will devastate me.

So been looking for a cure that will not involve poisoning or trapping. I did look at some traps, but to be honest I would be forever releasing the hogs from them rather than the rat. Now I could be blowing this all out of proportion, it could well be a one off visit, the fact that it didn’t stat could be a factor of this. Ive never seen one during the day and today Ive been out in the garden all day looking for signs of burrowing and nesting. Not a thing could I find, even looked under the shed and nothing. It would surprise me if it was living in the ivy as the amount of birds and squigs that go in there im sure that I would have seen one by now.

Anyway back to cure, Ive read that they don’t like the smell of catnip, how true this is I don’t know, but it’s worth a try. So Ive bought some catnip and some catnip spray and have put it round the hog feeding area. Ive also had some advice from hog forum not to worry and that feeding hogs isn’t likely to increase the presance of rats. But they also thought that the catnip wouldn’t work, but its got to be worth a try….worse come to worse it will attract the local cats, which in turn should do the trick.

Of course the biggest thing I am dreading is telling Phill. He hates them, he doesn’t even like mice, doesn’t like squirrels, if he had his way he would kill them too. I can’t keep it from him though as he knows me too well and would know something is up. In preparation Ive bought him two bottles of his favourite wine, cooking him a roast dinner with pudding and bought him a newspaper, oh and taped the moto grand prix. Was wondering whether a softener would help, maybe hi Phill im pregnant….then the rat news wouldn’t seem so bad would it? Now yes you could say what is it to do with him, he doesn’t live here anymore, he isn’t your b/f anymore and you would be right. Another trait of my personality im afraid…I hate disappointing people, I get very nervous of inducing anger and I don’t like people to think bad of me. Not that it is my fault, but indirectly it is.

Oh well best stop going on and go check the garden again….obsessive too…moi.. Oh yes!!!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You could just leave food for the hogs out while you are up Nic, then take it away when you go to bed, animals soon learn what time the food will be there, so hogs will get their supper, and you would need to make sure nothing is dropping from the bird feeder too, or take all food away at night, and don t worry it might not come back, a cat could have killed it. Pauline.

ST said...

put the hogs in. get some rat poison, be careful to make it only accessible to rats. remove the poison.let hogs out, do this one in three nights. there's always more than one rat.
the poison is usually warfrin based it's action is not immeadiate.you prob' know this.
WASH YOUR HANDS. i'll miss the photo's if you don't

nicola said...

thanks p..

st, ive thought of that idea, but wouldnt stop hogs I dont know about eating the stuff either, thats the only concern I would have..

Its going to take a plan this one thats for sure..

oldcrow61 said...

I have a book on gardening without poisons and it says mint will deter rats. I put mint around the inside of the hen house. Maybe you could grow some around the area where the hogs eat. Just a thought.