decking/rats

lolokeogh

ok folks just a question,and maybe ye might share your experiance,was thinking about getting decking out the back,nothing major maybe 10 foot square for arguments sake,is the oul "decking attracts rats" a myth or is it a danger?i know some parts of my estate have small rat problems as theres building going on,but thank god none my end,or that i know off

endacl

We had a serious infestation a few years ago. The little fcukers burrowed up into the kitchen through a concrete floor. I caught rats nightly. The record was 5!

Every time we thought we were done, we'd find another. We refilled their access hole, mixing steel wool and broken glass into the concrete. They came through again. This went on for weeks over a summer. I finally flipped and tore up the decking. No more rats.

Make of that what you will.

I'd never get it again. Decking provides a perfect safe and inaccessible environment for the little bastards. If it's right up against the house it provides a work shelter. I had visions of them working away in little hi viz vests while we were completely oblivious upstairs.

Rackstar

Well if that doesn't put you off decking, nothing will

secman

Pick on somebody your own size.....

Or

All rats should be decked

Your pick

lolokeogh

endacl wrote: »

We had a serious infestation a few years ago. The little fcukers burrowed up into the kitchen through a concrete floor. I caught rats nightly. The record was 5!

Every time we thought we were done, we'd find another. We refilled their access hole, mixing steel wool and broken glass into the concrete. They came through again. This went on for weeks over a summer. I finally flipped and tore up the decking. No more rats.

Make of that what you will.

I'd never get it again. Decking provides a perfect safe and inaccessible environment for the little bastards. If it's right up against the house it provides a work shelter. I had visions of them working away in little hi viz vests while we were completely oblivious upstairs.

well you just ruined my plans...thanks a million...pmsl...joking aside yeah thats my worse fear,ive had a few tell me the same storys,rats under decking,then they got in to the house.and that be it i would move out...lol

Graces7

A good cat or a terrier will sort them. Had a cat catch a huge rat in a house once and never had any after that.

They all ran off up the drive waving a white flag

RebelButtMunch

I've never had a problem with rats when I had decking. They had no food source locally.
Once though the neighbors teenage son, disposed of a load of food around the back of his shed. We got rats under our shed then, but a few traps sorted that out.
The never went under the decking though.

lottpaul

Have a friend - professional gardener/landscaper who installed decking with the "I'm an expert and they'll never get past me" attitude. A year later, having caught over a dozen outside and also having met some in the kitchen and on the stairs- they burrowed through concrete that he said would have held back missiles - his wife issued an ultimatum and the decking was torn up. He took photos of what was underneath -- it looked like a maze of rat holes and hideaways! Horrific. My advice -- forget it. (Or buy a ferret)

[this was in a suburban area, built in the 1950s with large gardens but also lots of drains and other attractions for rats - might be different in the countryside where the density of rats is probably lower]

In non rat related matters decking needs a lot of care and maintenance and if not properly cleaned etc its a death trap for slips and slides in wet or icy weather.

Macy0161

lottpaul wrote: »

In non rat related matters decking needs a lot of care and maintenance and if not properly cleaned etc its a death trap for slips and slides in wet or icy weather.

This would be my experience rather than decking. Hard to get two clear days in a row (which is what you really need) to clean and then treat the decking. And those are the days you want to be using it too - especially attached to the house with children in the household.

It did do the job for us when the children were small - a secure area off the kitchen, but became very slippy at the end of it's days. Recycled a lot of it around the garden, as despite that, it wasn't rotten. Replaced by a stone patio now.

Didn't have any rat or vermin issues, but ours was high enough for the cats and in laws terrier to get under (took the same approach with my shed too!).

lolokeogh

so glad i posted this now,its a defo no for the decking so,its just far too risky for me ..ill look at something else.and as i said other houses in the estate had problems with rats so feckit..

vicwatson

lolokeogh wrote: »

so glad i posted this now,its a defo no for the decking so,its just far too risky for me ..ill look at something else.and as i said other houses in the estate had problems with rats so feckit..

Most important not to leave foodstuff around, and also if you have a compost heap to make sure what you are composting isn't an attraction for rats and mice

Keep your are clear, whether you put decking in or not, you can be sure there are as many people who never got rats that did get rats so....