Unwelcome rats and other rodents in your homes and gardens can be a real concern. They are a threat to your health, wellbeing and your property. In winter especially, rodents are on the hunt for shelter and food. It’s far better to catch rat infestations sooner rather than later but they are incredibly smart animals and they hide themselves well.
If you have rats ensconced in your property, it’s time to call in the pros. Arrest The Pest can manage a rat and rodent invasion for you, but here are some tips to avoid getting them in the first place.
Tips to keep rats away
Surrounding your garden with traps and poison is not very convenient or safe if you have pets and children nearby. So with that in mind, there are certain methods you can employ to keep rats from finding your house and garden an attractive place to call home.
Certain plants are known to deter rats and other rodents. These do tend to work better in the spring and summer months so during the winter months, it is important to keep gardens clean, storing rubbish away and sheds tidy.
Lavender
Lavender is a good option because it has a really potent smell. That’s why us humans love it, right? However, for rats, they rely on their sense of smell to find food and avoid predators. So, the smell of Lavender can interfere with a rat’s sense of smell and send them on their way.
Place it anywhere you fancy in your garden, but particularly around decks, garden structures, and the perimeter of your garden.
Garlic
The smell of garlic is often very repulsive to rats. Try placing some garlic at entry points in the garden where rodents may enter, and if they get too close to it, they will run away and look for another place to infest.
You could also try placing garlic by any potential rat entry points around your home (drainpipes, roof gaps, etc). Garlic powder also works well but can wash away when it rains. It’s best to use the powder if the weather is dry.
Mint
The smell of mint can be very off putting to rodents including rats because of its extremely strong smell. Peppermint oil is also known to work well as it contains menthol, which is thought to irritate rodents’ nasal cavities.
Simply plant mint in different spots around the garden. This will not only deter rats from coming to check out your garden, but it will to provide you with fresh mint all summer long! Ready for Pimms O’Clock?
If you want to try using peppermint oil, it can be dabbed around entry points where rats may enter a garden, shed or home but this will only last for a short period of time so you’ll need to reapply.
Herbs
For the same reason as lavender, herbs, such as thyme, basil, rosemary and echinacea will create a barrier, stopping rats from wanting to come into your garden. The herbs will put them off coming in as the scents are too overpowering.
Our advice
The best advice we can give homeowners is to manage your household to make it as unattractive as possible for rats. The less clutter in your garden, the better. You must ensure that holes in walls, doors, under roofs and drainpipes are all dealt with, so that rats do not use these as entry points to your home.
It might be obvious, but make sure you store rubbish away, keeping your outdoor areas clear from rubbish. Make sure there are no holes under outbuildings, such as sheds, summer houses and storage units. Keep woodpiles away from your house, as rats like to hide in these. Ideally, store firewood at least 1.5 metres from your home and 45cm above ground level. To get more advice on rats, visit the BPCA’s guide here.
Call us
If you would like advice or support with a rat, mice or rodent infestation, don’t hesitate to call or message Jeremy on 07766083234. We are always glad to help.
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