Forum Topic

Rats

Spotted a very bold specimen calmly enjoying the contents of a rubbish bag by the kerb on Windmill road yesterday. Wouldn't be surprised at night- but this was 2.30 in the afternoon.

Mark Gormley ● 2764d35 Comments

Yes, the problem is the PEOPLE who dump their food in the street and in the shrubbery.Why blame the rats for making the most of OUR filthy habits?"Per capita waste by consumers is between 95-115 kg a year in Europe and North America, while consumers in sub-Saharan Africa, south and south-eastern Asia, each throw away only 6-11 kg a year.""The food currently wasted in Europe could feed 200 million people."http://www.fao.org/save-food/resources/keyfindings/en/

Philippa Bond ● 2691d

Saw 3 huge Rats climbing out of a wheelie bin in Windmill road last night. One of the larger bins that is always overflowing and stinks very close to Hamilton Road.It's not just the system which is causing this but the slovenly way in which too many of us, the residents cannot be bothered to use simple common sense for basic public health and cleanliness.  Something that then ends up affecting anyone and everyone.

Raymond Havelock ● 2704d

We should get the kids to show us how - and I mean those a lot younger than teenagers.  The crews shouldn't have to do it.The same with the shoe recycling container.  What has happened to us that we can't think past taking our shoes there?  THEY NEED TO BE TIED IN PAIRS.  How many one-legged people are there?  When the skip is tipped up into a lorry full of the contents of other skips who is going to pair them then??

Philippa Bond ● 2704d

"There need to be more demonstrations of how to flatten a box, cans, water bottles, milk bottles etc."Really? - How difficult can any of that be? People sling stuff out without even bothering to squash it or fold/break it down properly, and frankly I don't blame the crews for not taking it.

Vanessa Smith ● 2713d

There must be some imbalance in the food chain.

Philippa Bond ● 2714d

My Mrs. saw 3 (in close succession, so probably all together) in Gunnersbury Park yesterday morning.  Which at least meant a variation from her usual response when I ask her if she enjoyed her walk - I'm usually told "those stupid Councils are ruining that park"...Vanessa makes a very valid point about shrubbery, when I'm acting on behalf of my 'fast food' client we often have battles with Councils who wants lots of dense landscaping around sites which of course are the perfect habitat for vermin...

Adam Beamish ● 2714d

My husband had one run across in front of him in the car park outside ASDA on the Twickenham Rd. at around 8.30 the other morning. Think they probably live quite comfortably in all the shrubbery along the front of the shopping parade, a good argument for getting rid of it and replacing with hard landscaping.

Vanessa Smith ● 2714d

Sitting on the underground train was a joy, ankle deep in discarded take-away wrappers and drink tins rolling all over the floor.  Don't travel any longer so hopefully it has improved.

Jennifer Selig ● 2724d

Its the takeaway society. I remember when people did not carry a can every where. Thereare shops on lots of stations selling food and drink so this is a supply of litter. With council cut backs there will only be more litter in  the streets.

Nicholas Beard ● 2725d

Thames Water some years ago now used to bait regularly - that's gone the way of so much else with privatisation - hence the cost is passed on to individuals. I do agree though that the litter bin emptying schedule needs a boot up the backside. Hounslow town centre is particularly dreadful even after 10.00'clock in the morning, and the rubbish strewn all over the place is sickening, some people are just pigs.

Vanessa Smith ● 2726d

The rats have been making holes in my front garden for 2 years I paid the council the £75 for 3 visits but the rats are so clever, contacted the water board for the third time and they have now found a hole in the pipe from the main drain and I am waiting for them to come and repair it,hope that will be soonCannot see why if you own your property you have to pay for there serviceJoan Johnson

Joan Johnson ● 2726d

We have seen rats in the same spot three days running in middle of the day. They congregate around rubbish in the driveway of a house recently purchased by a certain local furniture shop. This is also opposite a public bin that is often overflowing so doesn't help. Have reported it to the Council...

Adam Jackson ● 2733d

Where ever there's a human there's at least one rat!  There's food for thought and action, I hope.

Jennifer Selig ● 2734d

I see someone has reported the Windmill Road rat infestation (which appears to have become worse) on Fix My Street. Seemed to me football fans en route to the station dumped loads of rubbish around bins on private property. BFC generally good at sweeping up the surrounding streets

Mark Gormley ● 2734d

Yes, "Check local recycling" is irritating but I'm not sure that a fixed yes or no is correct either.  There has to be an allowance for change.  We need to know what something is made of and as has been happening we need fewer mixed materials.There need to be more demonstrations of how to flatten a box, cans, water bottles, milk bottles etc.  Too many bins are full because no-one has made any effort to reduce the volume of the packaging.  You'd never pack your suitcase like that!

Philippa Bond ● 2759d

A big part of the problem is labelling. Some yes, some no, but when I see "check local recycling" on a plastic thing it is really annoying.When you buy something, one is naturally interested in the contents, and not necessarily concerned about the packaging disposal, at the time of purchase. Having a minimum % (eg 10%) of the front of the package, in a standardised form,  clearly showing how recyclable it is would, I think, provide consumers useful and helpful information when deciding what to decide to buy.I can see something a bit like the traffic light system for food: Red % - not recyclable like films and film lined coffee cups, Orange - some local authorities recycle this like more obcsure plastics, Green - Universally recycled - glass, tins, cardboard universally recycled plastics.Hopefully this would encourage manufacturers into only using the more universally recycled stuff in the first place, making life easier for all of us!

Christopher Gillie ● 2759d

You have to continue to tweak your systems.  I agree that the bins are too large and difficult to manoeuvre.  Near us where our houses have been vandalised by not one but two overlarge wheelie bins someone has had their front wall to their tiny front garden re-built with another gate at the opposite end to the front gate.  Now they can take the wheelies out whichever gate the relevant wheelie is nearest.(Otherwise they have to take two out in order to get the right on out.)Squashing tins and plastic bottles makes a lot of difference. Interestingly I discovered that many people do not empty the soiled disposable nappies in the same way that we always emptied terry nappies before soaking and washing.  Obviously you can't always but I'm sure it must make a difference if you can.

Philippa Bond ● 2759d

It is a lack of outside space to put these inflexible and huge recycling bins causing problems.  In my neck of the woods, in our 2 household designated bin area containing 1 dustbin each lined with black sacks, we just about have room for 2 food caddies and ONE recycling box shared between us, we've selected the blue, paper and card, one.  I put glass bottles and jars, never more than 4 items, in a separate bag and stand it beside the recycling box and the operatives take it.  My neighbours in the upstairs maisonette cannot cope with plastics/tins - all goes in the black sack.  I have room in a porch cupboard to hang a plastic bag & creep out the night before collection day, to dump whatever I have into a neighbour's red box.  There is always more than enough room as you'd expect with small homes of 1 - 3 people.You really do have to take it upon yourself to talk to your neighbours about sharing these cumbersome boxes.  I got the Council to collect the boxes we could not use/store.  The original bags were a lot easier for people like us in tiny homes to store and use.

Jennifer Selig ● 2759d

There is no excuse for not recycling food (or other recyclable) waste where facilities are provided.Saying there is no room is a poor excuse. There is not a kitchen in Brentford that doesn't have room for a kitchen caddy and not a house that doesn't have room for an outdoor food caddy. .Food residue is food waste (rather obviously). The other things you mention, equally obviously, are not.Rinsing is perfectly adequate for 95% of things: if you're talking dog food tins you may have to scrape out with a fork first.

Guy Lambert ● 2760d

It's all very nice and dandy but if you do not have space, And lets face it the newest homes have even less, then all this is not just impractical it is not possible. No-one in their right mind is going to create a health and safety risk inside their homes, although it is more than apparent that the same degree of self concern diminishes when dumping everything outside for up to two weeks. Airborne infections are just as likely but then a risk to anyone.People do what they can and embraced recycling from day one when it was long overdue.But since it has been meddled with it has become harder and less practicable.As for what goes in wheelie bins They stink without food waste. Unless you want to classify animal waste, filled nappies, vomit and food residue as food waste.Rinsing for some waste is not effective enough it has to be properly washed.This places more demand on water. We already have pressure reductions because of overdevelopment and limited infrastructure and that is set to become really problematic here within 6 years.The big problem is the wrong tools for the job leading to a bodged inflexible system.

Raymond Havelock ● 2760d

Philippa - while I greatly admire and appreciate most of your replies to anything remotely (and not so remotely) connected to waste and recycling, I do wonder if you have time to do anything else.  Maybe it is your paid employment to know all this but many of us, even the retired, find it a bit overwhelming to carry out some of your suggestions.  I'm still referring to a chart on my kitchen wall about what to put where in the councils' myriad bins and boxes!  As for giving up Kleenex face tissues - I cannot.

Jennifer Selig ● 2760d

https://twitter.com/SmallChangeFood

Philippa Bond ● 2760d

www.lovefoodhatewaste.com has lots of tips on portions, storage, store cupboard items, recipes and the difference between Best Before dates and Use By dates.

Philippa Bond ● 2761d

If you really don't have room - why not share a food waste bin with a neighbour?They are best kept out of direct sunlight in this hot weather - something that is far easier to do with a small food waste bin than with a wheelie bin!  They are also far easier to wash out.When there is no food waste in the wheelie it doesn't get so smelly and if you use the food waste caddy (the smaller one) you will learn what you waste so will be able to save money by buying less of that item/cooking slightly differently/managing the menu slightly differently/learning how to refrigerate, freeze and extend the life of particular foods.Rats are likely to be looking for water as many sources will have dried up and changed during this hot weather. Try and make sure that you don't invite them into your home by having leaking pipes/open drains near open doors.It is the foxes that manage to open food waste boxes if you leave them where they can be knocked over and opened.  In LBE it was suggested that they are put on top of a wheelie for collection.  Ours have two locking positions of the handle. I just find that not leaving it near the edge of the steps works.  I'm sure that other people have ideas and ways of making their FWB's unattractive to foxes and rats.

Philippa Bond ● 2761d

I wonder if the canal and the river attract a higher number of rats than might be usual?

Keith Iddon ● 2761d

Interesting piece on BBC this morning - a man who had been made redundant decided to purchase a franchise to clean Wheelie bins. £4 a time every four weeks. He had to have a waste carriers licence and recycle the water he used. If you can honestly see any local authority doing this out of the council tax - Good Luck!

Vanessa Smith ● 2761d

This was raised again and again by several local people and it was completely dismissed. Utter irresponsible attitudes from council officers involved and the Council Leaders use of thumb screws to anyone of his disciples who might dare to raise it.The Grenfell enquiry is also exposing the way in which the Fire Brigade has been politically manipulated - by both main parties, to suit policy rather than safety and pragmatism.One wonders whether it will explain why the London Fire Service is one of the very few UK Fire authorities which do NOT carry the National Fire safety Assoc,  health and safety advice for wheelie bins and recyclable waste containers in congested spaces on their website and have refused to "due to external pressures"It's again the same old story of double standards and half baked agendas achieving little when it could be so much better.

Raymond Havelock ● 2761d

Raymond is dead right - ALL waste bins. wheelies and boxes and food caddies MUST be washed out.  I have suggested wheelie bin washing should be added to the Council's responsibilities.  These giants are impossible for people without a hosepipe and the strength to tip the bin over to drain it.  Hard enough for disabled or elderly to clean the boxes as it is.

Jennifer Selig ● 2762d

Last time we had a number of large rats it was when Thames Water had the drains open in a nearby road.  Could there be open drains nearby?

Sarah Felstead ● 2762d

I'm pretty sure it's not general litter as that's sporadic.But possibly lack of good housekeeping with recycling recepticals.Most seem to be used as outdoor open bins across the week rather than filled just prior to collection.Plastics can be rinsed but plastics that contained various food products contain residues that won't rinse off unless washed with hot water and detergent. A real waste of resources. Rats I've seen in the small hours are most often around the red boxes and not the bins.Some authorities regularly come round and spray wheelie bins or provide a cleaning kit for homes where this is impractical i.e. no hose pipes or rear access or front gardens. But maybe lids for the plastics boxes is better. But whilst Rats are not uncommon here I cannot ever remember seeing so many so often. Whatever the sources it ought to be dealt with.Foxes don't help although I though Rats were a favourite lunch for them. They are able to open the food waste boxes and are defy at opening wheelie bins and raking stuff out. This too brings other vermin scurrying along.Again it's the stuff being there for up to two weeks that makes this a constant rather than an occasional.  Clearly no-one factored these elements into collection methods or the health risks involved.  If it were cars there would be all manner of measures imposed. Yet these health risks are far far greater and known, unlike the current wave of suggestive possibles from other sources.

Raymond Havelock ● 2763d

I think this particular rodent was taking advantage of something that had been dumped, as opposed to rubbish in the recycling system. The latter is a massive pain in the fundament, but I do think the roads are less littered before, during and after collections. What's missing is regular street cleaning- not least around the railway bridge on Windmill Road, which seems to be a magnet for guerrilla waste disposal.

Mark Gormley ● 2763d

There seem to be a lot of Rats about and some really large ones far more than usual.The stench from wheelie bins that are never washed out own some streets around here beggars belief and the open plastics boxes are little better all of which are out in this weather and usually filled with items.What irks me is the vociferous zeal over combating one aspect of pollution on the basis of scaring everyone witless over health risks.The biggest health risk of all is from vermin and the causes. Namely waste. The smells carry spores which can cause hay fever like infections through to encephalitis, TB and Toxoplasmosis can be transferred to pets via waste foods, which in turn can be harmful to women of child bearing age. Then there is the risk of Wiel's disease from the Rats and other vermin, Mange and distemper from Foxes.All these nasties were the roots of why municipal refuse was collected daily and everything went in to a bin with a closed lid which became a lined.The difference is old style dustbins were easier to clean out. Wheelie bins are near impossible and the fortnightly collections are clearly a massive health risk and the open plastics boxes must have something to do with the huge rise in vermin.The black bag system meant that bags were only out for one day at the most.  But the plastics in a lidded sack was probably a better means of container as it can be folded and put away whereas the boxes remain outdoors and coated with all manner of residues.Needless to say this all fell on deaf ears to suit the bean counters.  But the double standards towards public health is simply disgusting, hypocritical and reckless.

Raymond Havelock ● 2764d

My cat brought one in (dead, thank goodness) the other month and another one walked boldly alongside me on Braemar Road before scuttling into Griffin Park that same week.  Not seen another in the area since but they must be around.

Catherine Jones ● 2764d

No idea.. it was a large blue rubbish bag, split down the side with stuff pouring out. I didn't examine it closely, partly because I was driving past but more because of the rat.

Mark Gormley ● 2764d

Why was there a rubbish bag on the kerb at 2.30 in the afternoon?  Was this fly-tipping with food in it?

Philippa Bond ● 2764d