RATS!

I hate rats! I don't even like mice, but I really, really hate rats.

I had a suspicion something was going round the garden, because Darcy went out with a 'purpose' morning and evening, not his normal dawdle, tiddle, sniff a bit here, a bit there, yawn, dawdle back in!
He charged out, following the fence line and he would disappear for ages, until I had to go and find him.

So I was chatting to my neighbour over the fence when I noticed a pile of soil at the end of the compost bin...

now I am very careful with soil against her fence as she is a bit 'precious' about it! So I knew I had never done this.

Then when I moved the slabs I found 'the' hole!!!

At which point I ran up the garden like a woman, knees pointing inwards, feet out, arms in the air! Phoned hubby for reassurance, which I didn't really get. Then sat down to decide what to do. This is not the first time this has happened in the compost bin, what I didn't know was 'how big was the nest'.
So I got my wellies on, gloves on and went down and made lots of noise, whilst I started to pull stuff out of the bin.

This compost bin has never been very successful so it was currently being used for storage of my larger pots.As you can see it didn't stop them burrowing and yes I think thats a dead one on top of that pot!

So whilst hyperventilating, I banged the sides, lifted pots out and saw a couple run away. Where is Darcy? Sunning himself on the step outside the kitchen!!!

They have had a field day, digging through the earth around the pots, rats paradise!

After I bravely emptied all the pots out of the side closest to the fence, I then dig out all the soil/compost and it has now been spread on the flower beds.

I then found the nest.....

using the fork I totally destroyed it and bagged it up. I do not want Darcy getting into it.

So I have put the boards at the front back up, so he can't get in. Destroyed the roof so it is no longer weather proof.

Next week when my gardener from a couple of years ago comes back, this will be his first job, to take this to pieces. I am no longer having a compost bin.

The other side can wait till another day.

Sadly the sun was not over the yardarm, when I finished this, so I came in made a pot of tea and ate a 'whole' packet of biscuits!!!!!!!