How to Keep Rats Out of Your Yard or Garden
No homeowner wants to find rats taking up residence in their home. They cause damage to your home or yard, and of course are carriers of diseases. As the saying goes, prevention is always better than cure. Here’s how you can make your yard or garden unattractive to rats, so you don’t have to deal with them coming into your home.
Keep the Garden Tidy
Rats love having somewhere they can shelter in your yard, and so you need to ensure there isn’t anything in your yard for them to shelter under. Remove as much clutter as you can, so there are no places for rats to hide out there. If you have a bird feeder, clean up any spilt seed as this can attract rats too.
Remove Food Sources
Rats are going to be attracted to your garden if there’s plenty of food around for them to eat. Remove as much as you can, to ensure that they won’t find it easy to get a good meal here. If you have any outdoor bins or garbage cans, get tight-fitting lids so rats and other scavengers can’t get inside. If there’s pet food being stored, keep it in sealed containers, preferably above ground level. Finally, if you keep a compost heap don’t include organic waste, as this attracts rats too.
Plant Mint Plants
One interesting way of deterring rats is to plant mint plants. Rats don’t like the smell of mint, and it’s often enough to keep them away. If you don’t have any planted and you’re already seeing rats, you can use mint oil or dried mint in your garden to drive them away. Spread these around the perimeter in order to keep the rats out.
Fake a Predator
No rat is going to enter your yard if they think a predator is already there. You can easily fake this with the right tools. Many swear by fox urine being the best way to create this impression, which can easily be obtained at your local garden store or hardware store. Again, you’ll want to spread this around the perimeter of your yard to get the best results. It comes either dried or in liquid form, and if you buy the liquid form it’s best to spread it around by using a cotton ball to wipe it in the appropriate spots.
Seal Up Gaps
Rats can squeeze into the tiniest gaps, so even if you feel your garden is impenetrable, there will be gaps in your fencing that they can get through. Look for these gaps, and seal them up. They only need about half an inch to gain entry, so look for anything that will allow them to make their way in.
You can deter rats from getting into your garden or yard quite easily if you know what to do. Clear up debris, keep a lid on food, and seal up gaps to ensure that they can’t get in. This is the best way to protect your home and nip a rat problem in the bud.
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