Does Sheffield have a problem with rats?

I've seen two or three but I bet there are loads.

Town Hall, working hours. That's where they congregate.

Where exactly did you see these rats?

Originally posted by markham
Town Hall, working hours. That's where they congregate.

The obvious ones are always the best...

Why, thank you brocco buddy. It took me 2 seconds to think of that one.

Serious rat fact here.

I've read (or heard) that none of us, no matter where we are, are no further than 20 feet away from a rat at any given moment.

I think the problem arises when we cause an environment which invites those rats to congregate in large groups. I've seen them in our garden on very rare occasions. That's probably only because they are disturbed by my constant fiddling out there.

We've all got them though.:mad: :blush:

Rats are amazingly resourceful and intelligent creatures. Kept them for years, but now we have a cat :(

As for them being a problem, in urban areas they live on waste. Less waste, less rats. Pigeons, IMO are far more of a problem, but you still see the odd bird person leaving loaves out for them to congregate in their scabrous, syphilitic, flapping flocks.

You are probably no further than 5 meters from a rat right now (YMMV).

not a pigeon fancier then, Phan? careful - remember what happened to the Flanders pigeon murderer.

Not in the least, racing and show pigeons are superb animals, and very lovely. I once ran into a very friendly racing pigeon on the 'prom' at southport. It spent 10 minutes sat on my hand being stroked and talked to.

But the feral amputee pigeons, mangy, probably syphilitc and ridden with every loathesome bacterial infection known to science are another matter.

The people who feed them do so, I believe, out of a misplaced desire to be kind to animals, and merely help increase their numbers.

Less food waste on the streets means less of these disgusting little flying bioweapons. So as usual it's up to us.

exactly the same as seagulls down here, but they keep on feeding the horrible things.

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
Not in the least, racing and show pigeons are superb animals, and very lovely. I once ran into a very friendly racing pigeon on the 'prom' at southport. It spent 10 minutes sat on my hand being stroked and talked to.

But the feral amputee pigeons, mangy, probably syphilitc and ridden with every loathesome bacterial infection known to science are another matter.

The people who feed them do so, I believe, out of a misplaced desire to be kind to animals, and merely help increase their numbers.

Less food waste on the streets means less of these disgusting little flying bioweapons. So as usual it's up to us.
10 minutes being talked to by you! what did you do explain the theory of flight and air pressure to the poor ba.t.rd. Bet it felt like me when the wifes shopping for clothes in Cole Brothers.
Anyway perhaps you could get rid of the other pidgeons on the Moor all ya need to do is stand and talk to them.
But if they see you coming theyll have p.ss.d off anyway

Anyway all the rats are at Swillsborough on a home game

Originally posted by Killian
not a pigeon fancier then, Phan? careful - remember what happened to the Flanders pigeon murderer.

You shot my Speckled Jim!!!!!!! :evil:

Originally posted by Pauly
You shot my Speckled Jim!!!!!!! :evil:

a piece of comic genius. when will we see its like again?

I know just the man to sort out this rat/pigeon problem.

You there SM?

I have the whole 4 series on DVD. :D Pure genius

Anyway, back to topic. Rats!

They make good pets ya know. Very affectionate creatures in their domestic form. :)

Originally posted by Pauly
I have the whole 4 series on DVD. :D Pure genius

Anyway, back to topic. Rats!

They make good pets ya know. Very affectionate creatures in their domestic form. :)

Hear that Dragonsoup? Wednesday fans make good pets. hope you're listening?

Originally posted by dragonsoup
10 minutes being talked to by you! what did you do explain the theory of flight and air pressure to the poor ba.t.rd. Bet it felt like me when the wifes shopping for clothes in Cole Brothers.
Anyway perhaps you could get rid of the other pidgeons on the Moor all ya need to do is stand and talk to them.
But if they see you coming theyll have p.ss.d off anyway

Anyway all the rats are at Swillsborough on a home game

Pidgin: like your English

(with acknowledgements to Basil Fawlty)

Originally posted by Pauly
I have the whole 4 series on DVD. :D Pure genius

Anyway, back to topic. Rats!

They make good pets ya know. Very affectionate creatures in their domestic form. :)

Sorry Pauly i am quite trollied at this time but 4 series of wot?

Originally posted by dragonsoup
...all ya need to do is stand and talk to them.
But if they see you coming theyll have p.ss.d off anyway


Keep trying it on you, but no joy yet.....

Theres a big problem with Rats in Endcliffe Park the river banks are overflowing with them.

Originally posted by fuzzy
Sorry Pauly i am quite trollied at this time but 4 series of wot?


Have a look here:

Corporal Punishment (http://www.british-sitcom.co.uk/blackadder/series4.shtml)

Ok ta. Get it now.

I used to work at Stokes Tiles at the bottom of the moor before they did all the new roads.

I used to have to walk under the passage to get into work and every day without fail id c a rat.

I used to walk down to the moor at dinner. i used to walk at the back of Atkinsons and down to the side of Sainsburys. the rats used to running all over near the entrance to Sainsburys.

And there used to be rats in Fitzalan Square

Originally posted by Killian
exactly the same as seagulls down here, but they keep on feeding the horrible things.

I think the problem with seagulls is they become agressive when there's food around, start giving them chips and they suddenly see no reason not to take chips from the hands of an unsuspecting child.

I always thought the never more than 20 feet from a rat thing was just in London, but I wouldn't be suprised if it applied to the whole country.

Originally posted by tslogf74
I think the problem with seagulls is they become agressive when there's food around, start giving them chips and they suddenly see no reason not to take chips from the hands of an unsuspecting child.


problem with seagulls is they have deserted their natural habitat to scavenge in towns. they are herring gulls and are supposed to nest on cliffs and feed from the sea. constant feeding from tourists have resulted in them nesting on rooftops of houses in most coastal towns and scavenge for food scraps. your average West Country herring gull wouldn't know a herring if it jumped out of the sea and bit their tail feathers. they are a menace in Devon & Cornwall seaside towns where they snatch food out of people's hands and have been known to hurt children. i remember the cliffs around Newquay being covered by nesting herring gulls in the 60's. now there are virtually none.

not exactly rats, i know, but they are more of a pest than rats and much more daring.

Pidgeons were referred to by Ken Livingstone as flying rats, which is about spot on, the rat problem in Sheffield was not helped by the council cutting back on regular pest control as an attempt to save a few bob!

slimsid2000, To answer your question I've seen many in Endcliffe Park in the past 18 months end (at dusk) and always near the river and particularly near the Hunters Bar entrance and on the "back path" on the far side of the river and level with the "second pond"

Being an old fart and long standing park user (for legitimate reasons!) I can report that this is a fairly recent phenomenon.
I did report this colonisation to the Council (an answering machine!) offering to give precise locations but they couldn't be ar*ed getting back to me.
I hope no kiddies catch Weil's disease!

Rats in the parks and by ponds are quite common, I grew up in Rivelin and rats were a regular sight by the riverside down there. I'd be more worried about seeing rats in the streets than in parks, they were all over the place when I lived in a shared house on Shoreham Street. The place was right behind the United ground and the little buggers were in and out of there like commuters on the London underground (and as a Wednesday fan, I can assure you this is no attempt to slight the fans of the other great Sheffield team).

As with pidgeons, the real problem is that people create a food source which these resourceful creatures exploit to survive. How many times have you been out on a Saturday night and seen folks throwing their half-eaten kebabs on the ground? Want to see less rats? Then clean up after yourself because it really is that simple.

Ive lived here for just over 6 months and have seen 1 rat, but i do live at a student house so you would come to expect it.:P

I see quite a few rats late at night in the subway under the Bramall Lane roundabout. I've also seen quite a few foxes around here.

saw a bunch in broad daylight crossing the road at Firth Park - went down the side of the library and disappeared into the estate - must have been 20 or more. Funny thing other people were walking about like it was the most natural thing in the world - the estate must be teeming!

Every city's got 'em....

Some years ago we lived up the 'top' end of Walkley, towards Crookes, and one evening we heard a screeching noise from the garage. I trotted out and saw Curious, our cat, cornering a rat that was about 18" long nose to tail tip. The rat was on it's hind legs and squealing at C. whilst C. was taking the odd swipe at it with a paw. Eventually C. won.....

I currently work in Leeds and when walking from the office the other week saw a rat sitting on the lawns of the office block I work in.

And final rat tale....about 2 years ago I was on a location shoot in Richmond, Surrey. We finished filming for the day and went to a pub in the town centre. It was separated from the pub restaurant next door by an alley, and we sat outside the pub drinking our beers and debating eating in the restaurant. I glanced down the alley and say rats wandering between pub and restaurant.

Needless to say we ate elsewhere....

I believe the 20 foot rule still applies - rats are incredibly good at what they do. They exploit niches that we create - messy roads, restaurant waste, overflowing bins, dropped takeaways....

Joe

Originally posted by Killian
problem with seagulls is they have deserted their natural habitat to scavenge in towns. they are herring gulls and are supposed to nest on cliffs and feed from the sea. constant feeding from tourists have resulted in them nesting on rooftops of houses in most coastal towns and scavenge for food scraps. your average West Country herring gull wouldn't know a herring if it jumped out of the sea and bit their tail feathers. they are a menace in Devon & Cornwall seaside towns where they snatch food out of people's hands and have been known to hurt children. i remember the cliffs around Newquay being covered by nesting herring gulls in the 60's. now there are virtually none.

not exactly rats, i know, but they are more of a pest than rats and much more daring.
Was walking along the harbour front in St-ives ice cream in hand,when i heard a crack,felt a gust of wind,and saw my ice cream going skyward in a sea gulls beak:confused: must admit i was impressed with the skill it carried out its "raid" bloody nuisance tho,although a visit to my favourite place in the world wouldnt seem complete without the sound of the gulls cry.