Rats! Most people shudder at the sight of them – an instinctive reaction that goes all the way back to the bubonic plague. They are cunning and resilient, and they breed like nobody’s business.
You can see them all the time in the inner city, scuttling around and squeezing themselves into impossible spaces. Admittedly, though, some people have them as pets.
Also, one of the joys of living in Australia, even in an apartment, is the variety of birds that can come calling.
We live in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs and we have lorikeets that visit our balcony (uninvited), magpies drop in too and we frequently hear and occasionally see kookaburras.
But we also have a by-law that forbids us from feeding wild birds. Why? Because one resident’s feathered friends’ feasts could be others’ feral pest buffet. In short, there can be unforeseen consequences from unfettered bird feeding.
Take the Flatchatter who contacted us this week to ask what can be done about a neighbour who leaves out food for birds and possums. Cute, to a point, but then reality kicks in.
The free food attracts rats and she’s worried that her toddler grand daughter could be bitten by or pick up a disease from these rodents who seem to be utterly fearless.
The neighbour has been issued with Notices To Comply and let’s just say she has a mind of her own and ignores them.
What can be done to stop the rats or at least force the neighbour to start obeying the rules? That’s HERE.
Elsewhere in the Forum
- Committee members getting cold feet on NCAT action over by-law breaches. That’s HERE.
- Same firm, same terms but we’ve had our strata insurance reduced. That’s HERE.
- Ageing resident wants a handrail installed next to a few steps. Is it OK and who pays? That’s HERE.
- Bathroom floor in a townhouse is leaking but committee says they will only pay for the shower area. That’s HERE.
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