Rats

[angrybear]

It sounds to me like the rats live somewhere else (probably in the sewers) & just visit you every so often to look for food,
it may also be that they are either regularly attracted to your area by something, or on the other hand maybe driven from where they usually live by something else happening, if that makes sense to you.

Rats are very smart & will travel quite a long way to get food, a few years ago when we had snow I spotted one going back & forth and was able to follow it's track for about 150m from my bird feeders, down the lane, through a hedge, across 2 neighbours driveways & under an old shed in the corner of a field.

If you put food out as bait that will continue to attract them, If you want them gone it sounds like a job for the local council although I have no idea how such things work in your Country.

[rapidboy1]

We usually get them in the garden every winter as we have a couple of dozen bird feeders in the trees.

Live capture cage traps work well at night, they won't go into smaller traps, the traps around 8" x 8" x 18" work best.
I need to reposition the traps once a week and changing baits keeps them interested

Shooting them during the day always seems to be better than at night, a bit of winter sun is even better, they sit basking on a good day, on a cold day or at night they are more active and don't hang about.
Peanuts in a metal mesh bird feeder or a tin of dog food with holes punched all over both work well, they have to hang around to work at them.

I know people say to remove the food source but that just moves the problem, they will multiply and be back sooner or later.
As soon as i see them i start feeding them, encourage them to a place where i can shoot and trap them and just keep at them until they are gone.

Shooting from cover is best, they bolt as soon as they see anybody but shoot from a vehicle or building and they hang around longer.
I always position traps so that i can see them from the house, even if i need binoculars to check them, again its better to keep an eye on them without disturbing them.

This is the first year we haven't had any, (i was expecting more than ever because im now feeding birds on the ground as well as in the trees).
We had a stray cat turn up and we gave him a home for about four months, he slept all day and patrolled all night, had to put him down a couple of weeks ago but i haven't seen a rat this winter and that is a first.

[Born Again]

i haven't seen a rat this winter and that is a first.

That's because they're all in my polytunnel