I tried my best to convince myself that not all the rat species are harmful to my garden. It is true that some wild rodents can eat insects and help break down the organic matter. But then I compare the damage they cause in my garden ( crop loss ), which far outweighs any small benefit.
I somehow needed to get rid of rats in my garden, and I succeeded. In this article, I will share the best ways to get rid of rats in your garden.
Before that, let me share this with you. This was the day when I decided to work seriously on getting rid of rats.
I was living in Plano (A city in Texas) during my college days. There are rats all over Plano.
Every winter, I used to clear my south garden down and cut pretty much everything to the ground.
A red-tailed hawk stopped by for a visit and watched me cut and haul the brush to the curb for the city to pick it up. Then, as I was working, I heard a noise in one of my gutter down spouts.
The hawk was after something which I suspect was a rat. I have seen rats use downspouts to get up on the roof. I've tried to put out spring traps baited with peanut butter, but the only thing I caught was a songbird.
I don't want to use poison as it can also kill animals that you aren't targeting.
But you know, rats carry fatal diseases. If you don't have children with you, go for a mild toxic substance too ( obviously, a state-approved one).
Practical and effective methods to get rid of rats
Like other websites on the internet, I am not going to put all the methods here.
I am only writing the methods that actually worked in my garden.
Combined methods
Have you ever wondered how pest service works? They use combined methods ( not the traps, sprays, or baits only ).
Cleaning should be the first step.
Remove fallen fruits or vegetables daily. Clean the garden beds.
If you have pets, do not leave pet food or any type of grain outside.
If you are making compost at home, make sure you are using a compost bin and closing it properly. Never do open piles for composting.
Oh! I created this compost guide last year. Best homemade fertilizers for garden. (Organic)
I know cleaning weeds is something that we all hate. For you, I have created another guide (have a read): How to get rid of weeds in your garden
Only this cleaning alone can reduce 50–70% of rat activity. I am not joking.
If you follow this, the next methods will become more effective.
Cats
I pet a cat, and after a few weeks, I noticed there was less rat destruction in my garden. But they were not completely gone.
There are some wild rodents, cat do not attack. Cats usually attack smaller rats.
My opinion on this: Go for cats if you have fewer rats in your garden. I am here talking about Outdoor Cats.
I will rate it 6 out of 10.
We used to have outdoor cats in the neighborhood, but I never see cats anymore, and now we have rats. I’ve lived here 25 years and didn't have rats for 23 years. - This is a statement of my uncle, and he would rate Cats 9 out of 10.
Mothballs
I tie mothballs up in old socks. You can toss them in attic eaves or in crawlspaces. Wherever there’s no threat of moisture. They are toxic, but with care, they are effective. Rats carry fatal diseases, I am saying it again.
I will rate it 8 out of 10.
Screech owl house
You can get a Screech Owl house. They are the best rodent control.
Rats are scared of owls and other night crawlers.
I will rate this 7 out of 10.
Destroy burrows properly
If you can locate the holes, you should destroy the tunnels as early as possible.
You can flood the tunnel with water or put a strong stick inside to destroy the tunnel.
Once done, fill with gravel, broken bricks, and soil.
If you repeat it 3-4 times in a month, they will relocate.
State-approved slow-acting poison ( I suggest avoiding this )
My exterminator uses locked rat bait boxes on the outside perimeter of my property along the fence line.
He uses a slow-acting poison that is state-approved.
When I asked about this, he said, "It will not kill my dogs or cats if they get hold of a dying rat or a dead one. My dogs try to bring them in, but they don’t try to eat them. My neighbor had them in her attic and house. It was horrible. Almost every house here has a pool. The water brings them."
Use traps
This is the fastest and most effective control. Still, I find people complaining about the traps.
There are two types of traps easy to avail.
Snap traps and cage traps.
Snap traps will kill the rats, and with cage traps, you can release the rats far away from your yard.
Use peanut butter, banana, or any fried food as bait in the traps.
If you know where to place the traps, you will win the game.
Rats usually try not to cross open areas. So place the traps along walls/edges or corners.
I will rate this 9 out of 10.
Mesh barriers
You can also use mesh barriers where needed.
For years, I avoided landscape because rodents would hide in the mulch.
After a few years of pest service with those rodent boxes, I tried to understand how rodents passed through my yard.
I use hardware cloth or wood to close off fence areas where rodents enter my area from my neighbors.
Blocking off areas forces them to find another way or leave.
Now that I have flowering garden beds and raised garden beds, I use gambles with things such as society garlic and secure garden mesh—no rats in my vegetable beds.
Why did I say "gambles" here? It is not proven that society garlic gonna work. But yes, people believe, and I have seen plants like mint, society garlic, that help deter rats.
Note: Works only as a deterrent, not a solution alone.
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