Hey Bruce, are we going to get a general overview video of the garden soon? Like RED and what it’s about, how the goals have changed, your background and methodology. I went back and watched your first few videos recently, and I feel like they might benefit from an update. You’ve also got way better writing and production quality now.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment, and confirmation that I am getting better at all of this. Good to know. Your suggestion of a general overview of the project and the gardens is a good one. I'll add it to the list!

You have introduced the rats to farming. Perhaps they will soon try to grow their own crops and compete with your business.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

haha, that would be cool to see!

@twestgard2

3 жыл бұрын

Mrs. Frisby and the Farmers of NIMH

@johnbeckman8916

3 жыл бұрын

I'm guessing that they are more than satisfied with the fresh and delicious plants already provided. Free labor too! 😎

@suburbanfarms

2 жыл бұрын

they are good at starting tomato plants

That cat is too well fed!

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Yep, or too old and doesn't care any more!

@JamesCampbell-vf2hf

3 жыл бұрын

The cat does not belong outdoors! It kills way to much wildlife! Its a massive problem in the Netherlands

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

@@JamesCampbell-vf2hf They are a problem here too - not my cat. There were 4 of them wandering around the gardens last year, and didn't seem to make much of a difference to the wildlife I wanted them to deal with.

@regiodeurse6513

3 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens they raid bird nest because its easy prey, hence the problem.. Also often just for sports, even well fed cats find this an entertaining hobby. Most cats will shun rats.. Large rats WILL put up a fight against a cat when cornered. And also they are fast and hard to catch when fleeing. Always near something they can crawl into or under. So most cats wont even bother..

@JamesCampbell-vf2hf

3 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens maybe get a pest controle team in without using any posion ore other harmfull chemicals!! Love youre experiments and content! I'm looking for land my self in the Netherlands but it's hard to find something for the long term aswell as finding land for bio growing!

Maybe a "lookout" for birds of prey (wooden T structure, 2-4m heigh) could further help with the rats.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Good idea.

@peter2327

3 жыл бұрын

Such a resting post helps indeed very much, but more against mice and voles (not sure if I picked the right word here, Wühlmaus is the german word). If you have bird houses or feeders, you might think twice, because birds of prey not only feed on mice. Higher is better! Rats are more active in the darkness, so this wont help much against them. But Bruce, you could put up web cams on this posts also, so that we all can watch you working from our home office confinements ;) Against rats, only shutting up all possible sources of food helped (compost here and at my neighbors, putting rabbit and chicken food into tin hobocks, feeding pets only inhouse), and destroying their nests (including in the insulation behind the stucco of our house) helped, together with those poisoned baits (which you have to put up in closed boxes to save pets and children) . For care free composting either do the lactic acid bokashi type of composting (they never go there) or build a huge drum composter (like biocycle . net / design-plans-low-cost-rotary-drum/), which does the hot rotting part - rats won't go there, because it rotates 2 times a day, so nesting is impossible. Rats nesting below the rainwater cistern tank and in the house insulation became quite expensive. the perforated tin sheets for lining the compost piles have not been cheap either. In the UK there seem to be professional rodent killers with air rifles (also found here on YT).

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

@@peter2327 Web cam on the post sounds a bit uncomfortable, not sure I want people watching me!!!

@nickn.332

3 жыл бұрын

A fair warning; While its probably too early to tell for sure, I have a mated pair of Redtail hawks on and around my property, foxes, and the neighbour's barn cats. One of the favorite roosts of the hawks is right above my garden on an old oak And even with all of that, Rabbits still nibble the tops off of my softneck garlics that have popped up over the last few days, and the winter wheat, and my onions. While I'm sure animal predation keeps them from getting bold, I'm not sure how much animal predators can help past a certain point. Edit: Getting a dog would honestly be the best pest preditor you could get if you can mitigate the damage of a hunt (maybe a ferret would be preferable?) We used to have rats around the property, when we had a family dog here he'd gone through the effortful task of removing them entirely, nest by nest. So far rats have never moved back in but the rabbits have.

@markog1999

3 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens Even attracting a few big ravens would be a big help, their noise and viciousness will drive rats away, however you might just end up trading all your veg for all your fruiting plants

I've had rats decimate my tomato crops and I've had to step up my eradication techniques. Last year most of my cherry tomatoes disappeared and they would take one or two bites of of the other tomatoes, leaving them unmarketable.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

That is so discouraging!

In the oil plantations here in Malaysia we build tall birdhouses for owls as one of many ways for rodent control.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Sounds interesting!

7:08 A relative of many apex-predators enjoying lunch with the pests it is meant to hunt

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, i couldn't believe it when I saw that clip!

@AtheistEve

3 жыл бұрын

Some cats go for little mammals, some prefer birds, some stick to insects and others go for everything. My last cat destroyed and ate all mouse, vole and squirrel life around my house. But he never went for birds. He would have made mincemeat of your rats.

@mrJMD

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtheistEve - We had two cats, "Zed" killed everything including bats, snakes, and weasels. Our other cat "Allen" caught a mouse every now and then but was otherwise just fine with all the other creatures. Always interesting to see how "lower" mammals have individual personalities just like us.

@AtheistEve

3 жыл бұрын

@@mrJMD We can never tell which cat in a litter will be a mouser. I don’t want a cat that “plays” with anything its caught.

I had mice. I switched burying my compost. For each kitchen bucket I dig a new hole in a free spot in the garden or somewhere I want to build soil. This got rid of them and they haven't been back since (about three years).

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

That kind of trench or pit composting is a really good option. I tried it a few years ago and should really give it another serious try.

The ease of finding yummy foods had led the rat population to increase creating more pressure on your gardens. The flamer idea is something I'd never heard of and appreciate that you shared it with us.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

The flamer works really well, so much better than anything else I have tried - so long as you can find the nest.

Congratulations on your milestone video. I always look forward to watching them as they are well spoken, clear and insightful. Thank you, and here's to many more years.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much!

This might sound like a bit of a strange idea but have you ever thought about ferrets?

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

It has been suggested to me, though I don't know anyone who has them in the area.

congrats on a hundred, and thank you for sharing. this is one of my favorite channels. Love your production, and the content wonderful.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Wow, thank you!

Congratulations on the 100 video milestone! You're one of my favorite gardening youtube channels for videos just like this one. I can't recall many of my other channels discussing rats in the compost or some of the less "flashy" parts of gardening. I also really appreciate your commitment to trials and data, which are shared with amazing amounts of context in your 10-11 minute videos. If only we had similar climates haha. Thank you for all the knowledge you've shared!

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for that really encouraging comment. Lets me know I am on a good path.

Congratulations on the success of your channel, it's an absolute treasure for me, and I refer to these videos on a regular basis. I'm going to patrion right now. Thanks for the reminder.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the really supportive comment, and for considering to become a patron!!!

What you are doing is important and sincerely appreciated by people far beyond your local community, Bruce. Congratulations on your 100+ videos. It's been almost five years now, and the positive impact you have had on thousands of people like me is doubtlessly substantial. Thank you!

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the really supportive comment!

Congrats on 100 videos and soon enough 75,000 subscribers. You're doing great work Bruce. I've just been going back through your videos from the beginning. Sometimes we binge watch Netflix, but KZread gardening shows are also great. Calming, peaceful, and we learn something. Thanks Bruce, looking forward to all your future videos in this upcoming season.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your kind words!

Congrats on 100th video. Your channel is amazing in how you present information and data. Please continue, wish more KZreadrs would adapt your style of straight forward approach. Cheers from Canada

Congratulations on 100 videos, looking forward to more!

My experience with gophers closely parallels yours with rats. Early on, I thought they were cute and harmless, and tolerated them, until they killed a couple of my favorite fruit trees. Now I'm merciless. The gas and smoke method doesn't work in our porous desert soils, so I just set lots of traps and pray. Three things that we have moved to recently with great success is raised beds, totes, and tule. Congratulations on 100 videos! We try to never miss one!

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! It is really cool to know that there are people out there who watch all my videos! I can imagine gophers can be a really pest.

Congratulations on your 100th video! I enjoy watching your videos because I get a lot of information and practical tips on farming. Wishing you more success in the coming years!

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much!

Congratulations on making 100 videos I have watched and enjoyed all of them! Keep up the Great work!

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Wow, thanks! I wonder how many people watch them all.

I have really enjoyed you logical unbiased view over the years. Congratulation for making it this long. The modification to each garden and different approach you have taken is inspiring. While I understand this project is not about most profitable gardening method, but rather a learning opportunity to compare different methods. However if needed I think succession of lettuce crop through out the year and their high value sale will bring additional funding to this project. Approach similar to Charles Dowding due to similarity of weather patterns and mild summer temperatures. Best of luck!

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you. i am working on developing the unused space in th e Black Plot this spring to provide more room for high value crops like that.

Congrats on your milestone! And yes, man, rats can really be a problem. Nice strategies, despite you not wanting to do them. Sometimes composting the rats themselves is good too. I feel it's a nice way to use them again and actually benefit your gardens. Especially when it's something you don't want to do. Makes me feel a little better.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Thank you for your hard work, and making great content. Here’s to the next 100 videos!

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

I have been a Patreon for, I dont even remember, longer than three year by now? I thoroughly enjoy these videos and there is so, so, so much to learn. Thanks Bruce.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Wow, thank you! And thanks for being a Patron for all that time!

@stubbi

3 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens One thiong I have taken away from everything so far, is that I really have to get a garden going, once I can afford the growing space. I'm currently living in a flat and already use the balcony as much as I can, growing salads, tomatoes, peas and squash, but I cant wait to have more room available.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

@@stubbi Hope you get a space soon!

I completely gave up on tomatoes because of rats. last year I didnt get a sinlge tomato from my 6 plants, they were eating them entirely before they ever fully ripened.

Congratulations 100 videos of information which is going to be alive as long as KZread is awesome. May be generations down will also find it useful.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, and I do hope they remain useful for many years.

This cat had one job to do...

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

... exactly! One job!

My Grandfather, when I was a boy and I'm 51 years old, used to grow lots and lots of mint herbs around the house, barn. In the Fall, he used to harvest the mint herbs and sprinkle the mint in the root cellar, and his basement. He said that rodents hate the smell of mint. He also had a Jack Russell Terrier and they are bred to kill to kill rodents. P.S. I never had a farm so I never did this technique, I just watched my Grandfather. Great videos, big fan and keep the good work. Just an idea to see if it helps.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks. The mint idea sounds interesting.

Congratulations on the 100th video. You've got rats, I've got voles that eat the roots of my cabbages and some other plant families. I couldn't get myself to eliminate them they way you do with the flameweeder, although I totally understand your dilemma. Instead I fill the burrows with water, lots of it, and hope that it will make my garden as unhospitable as possible. But admittedly I have never seen voles eat my peas or tomatoes, one somehow has to admire rats, they do seem very clever.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I do admire the rats, which has caused me to hesitate killing them in the past, which has led to too many rats! From what I have heard, I think I would prefer rats to voles!

I love watching your videos as I always learn something. Many thanks :)

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

:)

Wow that was disappointing, a cat in the compost pile with the rat! 😂 We had trouble with voles last year, they are probably half of our fall beets! They hollowed them out from underneath so from the surface they looked perfect but when I went to pick them I only had the skin left! We’ve been trapping them through the winter, I don’t know if we’re making a dent yet.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I know, right! It can be tough to get rid of a population of pests that are already there.

I have a gamo phox .22 calibre rifle which has a ten round magazine, also comes with a scope and silencer. Only £500. If I were in Ireland I would be happy to help! 👍

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

That would be ... interesting!

Thank you for your honest and informative videos.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

:)

Well done Bruce. I think that I have seen all of your videos and enjoyed every one of them and learned so much from them. I had a problem with mice on my allotment but managed to grow the things they liked higher up or in places it’s more difficult to get into. You are quite right to be aggressive with rats , otherwise you would lose too much vegetables.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks. So good to know there are people out there who have watched all my videos! That is a lot of time!

@michaelmcclafferty3346

3 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens I’m retired now so have a lot more time to selectively watch videos. That said, that’s when I’m not at my allotment or sailing. I very much like your open and reflective style which encourages people to try things out for themselves and take risks. You are a great teacher.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

@@michaelmcclafferty3346 Thank you for that encouraging comment!

@michaelmcclafferty3346

3 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens You are very welcome Bruce. I always look forward to your videos .

please continue. I love your style

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks

Great channel lots of great info had the same problem but also had to deal with woodchucks . Tried traps got a raccoon and possum in large trap and chipmunk in small trap. Poured hot wood coals you can do charcoal into holes for both woodchuck and rat,mice and voles. Kills pest but also shows if you missed other holes as smoke will come out .

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

That charcoal in the holes makes sense. I will give it a try. Thanks.

My biggest problem here in Indiana are Meadow voles they love to eat my carrots and sweet potatoes. Really enjoy your videos and have learned quite a bit from them over the years

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Glad you like them! I am glad I don't have moles to deal with as well.

I use a similar method for rat control. I find as many nest holes as possible, and shove a signal flare down each of the holes and let it run. It fills the holes with smoke, and kills the rats. I only do it after rain when the ground is good and damp.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Flares are an interesting option.

🙋‍♀️hi im broken I was looking for information on the rodent problem and glad to find your video telling The Truth! I dont think there is any solution to them they are out in their droves All Night eating veg and fruit then get to work on our homes lofts garages sheds greenhouses cars and more less crops are being grown out in the fields its pointless we cannot control them guess i will just grow flowers from now on.not a defeatest normally Love all your excellent Videos Bruce well done!😊 Ireland

Have you considered investigating the feasibility of Black Soldier Flies as compost processors...? The success of these small grubs has been so great for my composting that I am now forever seeking newer sources organic scraps for the 44 gallon drum that I have converted to be my BSF feeder. I use the grubs as feed additives for my fish in the Aquaponics system and for the chickens.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

I had looked at it, but I don't think they are not native to Ireland. Interesting to hear about your success with them!

@geraldinemryan

Жыл бұрын

Hi im in ireland and i made up a large yractor tyre for compost a while ago and got the soldier fly and larve after invrstigatiom i brelieved they were harmless have not seen them since probably too hot or no further food source didnt like to see them nut anyway learning curve😊

You should try one of those 'Walk the Plank" rat traps with a bucket. They are really effective and can catch a huge amount in a single night.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

I did try one of those, only caught one rat after several nights. i think if there is other food supplies available then they are less interested in taking the chance. I can imagine they can be much more successful in a barn or somewhere that there is a shortage of food, but not next to a garden full of vegetables, and a compost nearby.

Another interesting video. Has there been less damage in the extensive garden? Less cover than say intensive. I have to say I’ve watched many of your videos many times. Very happy to be a Patreon. Would be interested what’s happening outside Black Plot poly. All the best. From north east Scotland.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks. There was less damage in the Extensive garden, possible due to less cover, which would be interesting. It is also likely that the carrot patch isn't on the path travelled by the rats, and is farther away froth compost.

Hello, Red Gardens here is a list of stuff you can use to try to eradicate the rats. Some of them might be ones you already tried. 1. Slingshot-can get this for cheap 2. Air rifle-can get one around $130 3. Plant an area just four the rats and make the garden less accessible 4. Snares 5. Use a mink and net system. The mink system is wildly used on some farms and can kill all of the rats in a week or 2. 6.Help the natural predators. Plant cat nip, feed prey birds, rescue wild mink, etc Hope this helps and anyone who sees this like it so Red Gardens can see if easier!

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Interesting list. Haven’t tried any of them, but suspect that they could be more hassle or less effective than my current method, at least in my context.

I was wondering if you had considered growing mushrooms. I think you could stretch more food out of what you have grown by processing some of the non edible parts of plants into edible mushrooms. Also I have heard really good things about incorporating the leftovers of the process into your compost or into the garden itself. It can also give you something to do when the gardens dont produce as much and it should help fill the hunger gap.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

It is something I am interested in doing, Perhaps in the next few years.

Great video, I love your integrated approach to pests. Shame that there aren't any snakes in Ireland. A well trained dog could be a solution possibly, though it might discourage other natural enemies from hunting there.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, snakes would be good. A 'well trained' dog would be better. My neighbour visited with their terrier and the dog did a lot of damage running through the crops chasing the scent, and wouldn't respond to any calls or control. I won't be letting that dog near my gardens again!

I would be inviting the local Irish terrier boys down for the day

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

I have had some success with hunting with dogs a few years ago. More recently my neighbour cam with her dog and the thing ran all over my allotments jumping on the beds and smashing plants, and the owner couldn't control it. So wont be doing that again, not with that dog! Much less damage if I just find the nests myself.

@wales123100

3 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens fair point a good pack like this is very organised though and the men could turn your beds over at the same time! kzread.info/dash/bejne/pG1sw6WvipCdnJs.html

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

@@wales123100 impressive!

Voles really decimated my beets last year. They helped themselves to a few carrots also, intolerable to loose my work to those vermin.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

That is tough. I imagine voles are harder to deal with than rats.

Haha wow, that white cat was just oblivious to that rat.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

It saw it there, just didn't care.

@jhfridhem

3 жыл бұрын

Aah yeah I suppose that makes much more sense actually

@m.saint.1071

3 жыл бұрын

​@@REDGardens Hi Red . Love the vids. I had a rat and mice problem last year , I felt it was very cruel to kill the little buggers but realised I had to, so I set some traps and had so-so results. I also set up a camera to see what I was dealing with , it became like a nature documentry and this made it harder for me to kill them . Anyway long story short a wheasel or stoat( not 100% sure which) showed up one night on the footage and from then it was bye bye for my rodent friends, that was last october if I recall .

@pansepot1490

3 жыл бұрын

First world well fed cat. That’s the problem.

Thanks for sharing this video

@MeandYouHello

3 жыл бұрын

Imo rats prefer organic food rather than shop bought not organic

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

That is interesting observation. Do they know something we don't?

I suspect the smells of the compost initially attracted them and since they had such nice living conditions they over populated and found food sources nearby (your gardens). I think you are going to have to turn those piles more often and keep the freshest stuff enclosed in something rat proof like hardware cloth for the first week or so.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

That could be a good option.

sow patches of sacrificial crops to distract the rats far away form your patch as well as dumping a lot of birdseed to distract the rats from your microgreen patch. Hopefully the birdseed will sprout which will attract the rats.

I have had problems with rats before. Actively destroying their tunnels and setting traps every single day helped me dealing with it. But it took months and a lot of frustration, because they are amazingly clever. I felt a bit bad though,. Sadly, it is unsustainable not to deal with them around populated areas. Good luck keeping their numbers down!

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

They are tough to deal with. I have this strange thought that the more aggressively I keep their numbers down the fewer of them there will be and the less of them I need to kill. So in a kind of perverse way, if I am ruthless, and work hard to kill as many as possible then in need to kill less in the long run, which I think I’d prefer.

@oiavh

3 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens I think you are right. The more you stress them, the less they will reproduce and become a problem.

I have tomato "weeds" everywhere on my urban lot.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

They like to grow!

Damn. You are a genius.

You could use traps , but if you do cover them with paper or something like that, as they will figure out what the traps are after a while.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

I’ve used a bunch of different types of traps, and still use them occasionally, but generally don’t have a lot of success with them. As you mention, they are smart enough to figure out to keep away, so I only get one or two them have to wait quite a while before trying again. And I catch more birds in them than rats, which I can get around but creates more hassle. But mainly because there is so much other food around, it is really hard to attract them to the bait in the traps.

so how do you know you find "all the other entrances to the rat's burrow" ? Do you see smoke escaping when you try your weedkiller trick and then close up that hole?

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

I usually have a really good look around, they are often quite close by, and I block up any I can find. Then when I use the torch if I see any smoke from a hole I missed I try to block it up. This is easier if I work with a friend. By the time I notice the smoke, rats have often already escaped.

I have been having a lot of issues with groundhogs in my home garden.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

I hear they are tough to deal with!

I put sunflower heads in my barn to dry them out...big mistake rats definitely love sunflower seeds.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

I lost all my sunflower heads last year as well.

Same problems with rats here in Eastern TN. Started in year 3.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Hope you can get rid of them.

@sethl3702

3 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens I cull them like you do. I use lots of bucket traps, dogs and we are adding two farm cats this year.

@KJ-fx1se

2 жыл бұрын

Year 3 for me too. Rats showed up and my traps didn’t work. I have a terrier but this far he hasn’t caught any, although I did find one dead one so maybe he did.

It would be interesting how this affected the tomato variety experiment, as you would think they would eat the most delicious ones. Oh, if you can dig up enough dirt under the tomatoes to grow the seeds in another spot, and have a new experiment to breed together all the varieties to make a more resilient tomato by virtue of having 50ish varieties as seed stock.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Thankfully the rat damage to the tomatoes was in a different polytunnel than the variety trial of all those different tomatoes. With breeding tomatoes, it seems that most of what you would get with a cross breed are mediocre varieties producing less desirable than the parent plants, and only occasionally do you get something better. While it may produce more resilient stock (though I am not sure this would be the case) from what I understand it may not be nearly as productive or as tasty.

@ancientgardening6920

3 жыл бұрын

It would be worth it to make food with more random qualities, as I get tired of any one taste. We always eat way too many strawberries from the strawberry patch, so if getting tired of a food can happen to strawberries, it can happen to anything!

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

@@ancientgardening6920 Sure, if you want to experiment that go for it. I knew a woman who grew a large number of apple trees from seeds from different apples varieties, (each one would have been different from the original trees that would have been grafted). After years of growing she cut down and discarded most of the trees as worthless, but kept the best one for the sake of it even though she like the apples from the original trees much better. I always think of this cautionary tale, and a few others, whenever people talk about cross breeding plant varieties for the sake of resilience or novelty.

@ancientgardening6920

3 жыл бұрын

The squirrels love those kind of experiments! Definitely graft something that makes food onto those established trees, that's a quick and dirty way to establish an orchard and still have it make food as we like it. We've saved radish seed from the plants for many years and they make wonderful radishes in the cool season, but even the seeds from the packets get all bolty if planted too close to summer. Radishes are an excellent one to start with, as even a failed experiment will still make more radishes than one can possibly eat, and they work the ground so well. Potato-scraps break down into perfect soil, is it the same with all root vegetables?

Very interesting - luckily I've not got anywhere near as many rats on my allotment - maybe my veg doesn't taste as good as yours! I noticed you handle stuff which has obviously had contact with rats - are you not worried about Weil's disease?

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

that is something I should have mentioned in the video. The investigations that I have made about Weil's disease is that it is water born, and the infection is when a open cut or graze gets wet with contaminated water. I am quite careful of water that has been sitting around, and I typically wear gloves in the gardens, and wash my hands regularly. So it is still a risk, but I think quite a small one if I take sensible precautions.

@AJWGBFX

3 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens that's useful to know. We have rats on our allotments, of course, and I've been a bit neurotic about them, but I usually wear gloves, especially if I think I'm touching something where they've been. Rats, pigeons, slugs and flea beetles, I could do without! Best wishes

This is a problem I do not have in my Alberta garden thankfully.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

You are lucky.

@mrJMD

3 жыл бұрын

Isn't it weird though?!? I'm from Alberta too and if you look for maps of areas that don't have rats, all of North America has them and yet somehow Alberta doesn't. It's like someone made a deal with the devil at some point and now rats are magically incapable of settling here.

Hi i watched a video from NZ and a lady gardener converted an old washing machine drum stainless u know into like a rotating composting drum she put corn imto the drum anf when rat went im they found lower eas oit which they had to pass thru big trap killef instantly next day she droped it into composting tyre bin i m not sure i would like to be that hands on but she is providing an attractant ???

Unusual i know, bit this video gave me great ideas of things to grow for my pet rats this year.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Haha, didn’t anticipate it being useful in that way!!

A pond for grass snakes might keep the population down, although I believe they prefer amphibians as prey, they might take newborn & juvenile mice & rats, thus tempering the increase in population of local rodents. Terriers were used to keep rats in check as well & more of a man made approach if you have one available. I also keep chickens by my allotment & this offers the local wildlife another source of sustenance with the compost located nearby as well. The list of animals willing to test my patience & help themselves to our produce is seemingly endless. I humanely trap (& release) rabbits & I've seen birds of prey nearby & with nest boxes I hope to attract smaller birds to keep the bugs under control. There's always something looking for a free meal.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately we don't have any snakes here in Ireland. I have tried dogs with mixed success. It is true what you say about all the other animals that want to help themselves to our vegetables!

The rats really enjoyed the cabbages and tomatoes in our community garden.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Ah, they can be such a pest.

Congratulations!

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

:)

Rats cleaned out all my lettuce, broccoli, chard, Chinese cabbage, and eat my chicken feed here in north Texas. I have a critter cam and can see them doing it but haven’t found a solution yet to drop the population. They can clean out a crop overnight.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Man, that is tough, hope you find a solution soon.

I live in too dry a climate to do that. Wondering what else to do

@REDGardens

2 жыл бұрын

The only other option I know of that is reliable is to get some cats with strong hunting instinct. Otherwise, it is a diversity of methods to try to keep their numbers low.

I like the propane torch idea. Thanks for the tip

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

No problem 👍

I catch rats. They compost down really well, adding nutrients to my growing media.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, they make good fertility.

Can we get a wheat update?

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Sorry, I didn’t grow wheat last year and won’t again this year, unfortunately. Hopefully next year if I can get other things under control.

I love vegetables

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

I found mice a problem last year in my polytunnel, I caught a good few,

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

I used to have more mice, and I wonder if the rats pushed them out of the area.

@petrunak4579

3 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens Rats will eat mice.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

@@petrunak4579 Interesting to know.

I had a similar problem with rats. It started in our chicken coop. The rats started nesting nearby, eating the chickens food . Then as they continued reproducing, more nests popped up in my gardens. They would burrow and nest in the potato rows, and eat every potato that grew. Increasingly, they would move on to the next vegetable they found appetizing. We tried several methods, but ultimately, rat poison blocks strategically placed in the winter wiped them out. Although, our small community of close neighbors, also treated their coops and barns at the same time. Our cooperation that winter ultimately removed the rat problem. Unfortunately, the nature of rodents is to be ravenous, and without predation, they are overwhelming 🐀

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

It was a chicken coop in the area beside the gardens that I think started a lot of the rat issues. I had rats in the compost for ages, but then when the chickens came in, there was just too much food for them, and the population became really established, and has been at a fluctuating higher level since. I think this last year I have finally got rid of a lot of the nests, and really reduced the population.

I can't use the flame method when they are living under my shed.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Definitely not!

Unfortunately, rats welcome your compost toleration and colonise from there. You could speak to a local air rifle club and invite a member or 2 every few weeks to do a cull. Am sure they would be more than happy to help out.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Interesting option, though I don’t believe those kind of clubs exist in Ireland.

@BalticHomesteaders

3 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens It is slightly more complex in Ireland than in the UK due to licensing but if you're not aware of local clubs then ask at a gun shop or outdoor pursuits shops about local enthusiasts/clubs that might be able to help. It's worth noting it's what local councils often do for their compost /refuge sites.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

@@BalticHomesteaders ok, thanks for the info.

Looks like you have a live fertilizer problem, I just setup 10 or more rat traps in the garden and for a night or 2 I keep my window open and as soon as I hear a trap go off I’ll go out there and put the rat in a bucket reset the traps and I’ll get 10 or so rats a night , then just dig a hole and bury them and plant a pumpkin or corn on top of the rats and THEY LOVE IT and you don’t have to fertilize that plant all season, I grew some big healthy pumpkin plants with huge nice pumpkins and never used any fertilizer but the rats that were buried underneath, or bury them next to fruit trees , that takes care of the rats for a while til more move in but yea try it !

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

They do make good fertility!

If you have any spare seed or sprouts after planting, it might be a good experiment to give the rats their own mini garden close to the compost. Gives them less of a reason to forage farther than that.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

I don't know if they would respect those designations or boundaries

@twestgard2

3 жыл бұрын

They’ll just make more rats, unfortunately.

@PaleGhost69

3 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens Maybe, maybe not. But I'll link a short video to help persuade to just try :P

@PaleGhost69

3 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens kzread.info/dash/bejne/hYKY1tVrgJDKmso.html

LMAO! Perfect solution, between me and my neighbors, we have 10 cats. No rat problem.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

That would do it.

What's your take on protection against intruders? I think I have seen a video where a cat was inside your tunnel so do just leave it open?

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

By intruders, I expect you mean people. I have a cautious but open attitude to people coming into my gardens. Because they are located on public ground which is open and assessable, it kind of comes with the territory. Things do go missing occasionally, and there has been some damage, but not enough to outweigh the benefits of the public access. I also try to engage with potentially problematic people, to be open and fair with them, in hopes that they don't develop a grudge against me.

@christopherstein2024

3 жыл бұрын

@@REDGardens Thanks for the reply but I was trying to get more into how the rats are getting into the tunnel and wether you think it would be possible to stop them from doing so. Concerning the things going missing maybe that could be another use for your "wild life" camera.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

@@christopherstein2024 Ah, sorry. I don't think it is possible to keep them out. Or trying to keep them out will end up prompting them to eat a hole through the plastic, or damaging something else. Or at least that has been my experience. We tried to bury the edges of the carrot fly netting to prevent the rats getting into the carrots, and they just ate two holes in it, ruining an expensive cover. You can certainly reduce their access points, but if not killing in some way it will not help too much. And I often leave the polytunnel doors open in the summer for ventilation.

I used to think I would be as furious as Mr. McGregor if something were munching the plants in my little garden. One year a native Idaho cottontail wandered onto the property, and I was actually thrilled, since my property is a self-declared wildlife sanctuary. The little bunny did no damage to my crops as far as I could tell, and I saw it eating weeds instead. It hung out for months, and then we didn't see it anymore. The annoying thing about rats, in the case of Red Gardens, and squirrels, in my case, is that they are not content to finish their meal, but instead they go from plant to plant just nibbling what they think is the best part and then they move on to the next one. I think my squirrels are true epicureans, they have such a finely developed sense of taste and smell that they find only a small portion of the apple to be just right, and then they discard the fruit and move on to the next one. But in the case of the rats, maybe they just nibble the part most easily reached, since there are plenty of handy targets all in a row. Here at my place I am just cleaning up the result of winter's depredation, and trimming the sprouts off the top of the branches of the old apple tree. The trimming is slow going... the ladder rungs hurt my feet despite my work boots, and I have to move the ladder a lot since my reach is limited. I can't use a two-handed tool like loppers or a pole pruner while on the ladder, that just isn't safe, so I am limited to pruning shears and saws. The tree is at least one hundred years old, and you can't wrap your arms around the trunk, and it produces the best apples I have ever tasted! I am a bit biased, I am sure. The tree has suffered from a power line being strung overhead back in the day, and when I moved here there were jagged limbs sticking out here and there, possibly the result of breaking from a snow load. There are hollow places in the trunk, and a fungus grows on it, but it seems to have responded to my ministrations.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, it is the going from plant to plant that really bothers me. I don't mind losing a certain amount of any crop, but when there is so much damage it is. Sounds like a lovely old apple tree. you remind me that one of the tasks I have to do this week is try to prune a lot of the apple trees beside the gardens.

A couple of feral cats should take care of your problem. They can be incentivized to stay in the garden with the occasional feed but once they adopt your yard they'll stay there and survive without much input from you. They will impact the local bird population though.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, i thought cats were a good option, but the four different cats that I have discovered in the gardens didn't seem up to the task. And I like the robins and other birds around the place.

you need some terriers or stoats or something.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

The last terrier I got in to help ended up destroying part of my gardens, so not keen to go down that road again.

You can blame St. Patrick for this. If you had a good population of rat snakes you would not have such a problem. I've long heard the warnings about cooked food or meat in the compost pile, ignored it and never had a rat in a compost pile. I've never seen anything attract rats so much as a store of chicken feed. I have had rats destroy a crop of 200 Seminole pumpkins in a very short time.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, for want of a few snakes!

@geraldinemryan

Жыл бұрын

❤😂 in Ireland😊 with RATS GALORE! I live in the countryside they look for shelter as well as food lovely warm sheds greenhouses decking and more as u know then we have the field mice oh! Come back St. PATRICK😊

Cheers to 100 more! (Videos, not rats) 😂

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

:)

They eat the wiring harness of my car.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Strange!

@geraldinemryan

Жыл бұрын

Yes i heard they shelter in the the car engine in winter chew on pipes 😂

Thanks for sharing your experience. I will try your method with the torch 👍

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Hope it works for you. Careful you don't use it when things are dry.

You should get a couple of rat terriers

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

I've had mixed success with terriers in the past. The latest attempt saw the dog do more damage running around my vegetable patch than actually any success in killing rats, so wont be bringing it back in unless it is properly trained.

Where I work, we have a large warehouse with a lot of fruit. One time a couple of years ago, a rat got inside (we think hiding in a shipment of watermelon). We had all manner of fruit and vegetables available in the warehouse that it could have gotten to, but out of everything the product it really wanted was Hawaiian papaya. I believe the volatiles of ripe fruit are incredibly attractive to them so it doesn't surprise me that they'd like tomatoes. This is hard, I would love to be a totally veganic gardener and not harm any living things, but at a certain point if you don't deal with the issue you're just going to be growing a rat's dinner. Large amounts of vegetables in one place really kind of creates this inherent imbalance. Hopefully death by carbon monoxide is humane and they just fall asleep. My mom had this experience with poison bait -- she knew there was a rat in the backyard and garage, so she had put out bait. But then she found a rat seizing and not totally killed after eating the bait, and she felt so bad for it that she actually nursed it back to health in her basement before taking it to a park and letting it out there. This is a difficult issue :(

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

That is really interesting about the papaya. you are right about the 'inherent imbalance' of a vegetable garden, and that is a good way of describing it. That story of you mother's experience is quite common I think That clip I included in the video of a handful of baby rats presented me with a similar dilemma. I had just discovered the nest when digging out a compost pile, and collected up a handful of adorable baby rats, and was torn between finding them a safe place to hide and hoped their parent would find them, and killing them. A tough call.

lol, there is no safe level of rats to keep around your food crops. eliminate and keep eliminated. spring traps are cheap and easy to use. would you tolerate a certain number of rats in the kitchen?

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Interesting point.

That's gardening and Trash Metal together. Love it!

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

:)

Have you tried hiring a Pied Piper? :D

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Apparently that is my nickname among some of the kids who found out I kill rats.

My bane in the garden are the birds.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

They can be tough - i cover loads of things to avoid bird damage early in the season. What kind of damage do you get?

Would you not let a few working cats roam garden ✌️😎

@REDGardens

Жыл бұрын

There are a few cats around, but the main issue is the gardens are in a shared space and not my on land, and well away from the houses.

E-rat-icate! ;)

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

;)

The balance between one species and another is very interesting. The rats are killing the mice and probably other small animals. Here it is foxes and rabbits. One year it is one and then the next, the other. Nature has a way, but I would completely agree- the rats MUST go.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, that balance is a tough one.

Rodent populations have a tendency to suddenly explode, so my money is on that. I will not compost food waste, not even vegetable peels in the garden compost. I have a separate closed and insulated bin for that. A freezer would work, but mice can enter drainage holes unless they're meshed

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

I have seen that explosion when I stopped working to keep the population down.

Dead rats make a great addition to compost piles. We have to clean citrus off the ground to keep the rat population under control and off of our roof. Thank you for sharing.

@REDGardens

3 жыл бұрын

They are a great addition to the compost pile, and their burrows do help to aerate the piles a bit.