RELEASE PEN RATTING

THE QUARRY

BROWN RAT

Rattus norvegicus

PEST STATUS: This rodent spreads disease by toileting around stored crops, animal feed and drinking troughs. Rats also chew wires and burrow into banks or through walls.

HABITAT: Rats are found in a wide range of habitats. Farms suit them well because they offer plenty of food and shelter.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Rats breed rapidly, so populations can quickly spiral.

My peak ratting season usually starts to tail off as spring unfolds, but that hasn’t been the case at all this year. Seemingly endless wet weather right through the winter pushed a huge influx of rats away from the open countryside and onto places where they could find food and shelter. The unseasonably mild weather also enabled the rodents to breed successfully right through the year, so I’ve been busier than ever trying to keep their numbers in check.

Most of my winter outings were based on farms, especially on higher ground where rats migrated to avoid the floods. More recently though, I have been focusing on the release pens on a local pheasant shoot.

Anyone who shares their woodland permission with a game shoot will