Rats are often drawn to a garden by a food source, which will keep them coming back if it’s not removed.
If that pattern gets established, it’s important to locate the rat run, which is the pathway they use from their holes to the place of food.
Once located, you can fill in any gaps or holes in your fence to make it harder for them to access your garden.
People urged to remove one item from their garden in autumn to deter rats
Households have been encouraged to pick up fallen fruit if they have a fruit tree in their garden.
Additionally, picking up any seeds or nuts from a bird feeder that fall on the ground is also crucial.
Kate Turner, Gardening Guru at Miracle-Gro, explains: “We’re all encouraged to help wildlife, but putting up bird feeders and hanging fatballs from trees can unintentionally attract rats, due to spilled seeds and suet.
“Rats will eat just about anything, and love easy pickings. Bird feed provides an easy food source and an open invitation to rodents, and once they discover your garden, they’re unlikely to leave.
“To avoid attracting these pests, think long term by removing bird feed, and instead transform your patch into a haven for birds. Plant native shrubs and trees full of berries and nuts such as hawthorn, rowan, hazel, holly, and ivy.
“These plants will feed everything from blackbirds to blue tits while giving rats little to scavenge.”
Meanwhile, Bradley Spencer of garden furniture specialists Royal Finesse said: “Fallen fruit or bird seed is a delicious source of sustenance for rats, so it’s vital to clean this up if you want to keep your garden pest-free.
“How often you should clean your garden may vary according to its size, usage and amount of organic matter, but doing it once a week can help keep it tidy and prevent bigger problems down the line.”
Sam Jenkinson, for garden building retailer Tiger, concurred, saying: “If you don’t remove food sources from your garden building, rats and other pests may be attracted.
“Ensure you clean any outdoor buildings out thoroughly after use to remove all traces of food.”
Alongside that, Laura Harnett, founder of eco cleaning brand Seep, suggested taking care when putting food sources out as fertiliser for plants.
She said: “Gardeners also know that banana skins are brilliant fertiliser for plants, but always soak these in buckets of water and don’t just put the whole skin straight onto the soil or it will attract rats.
“Soak the skins for a couple of days in a bucket of water before using it to water the garden. It will be packed with potassium and phosphorus which is brilliant for plant roots.”
Finally, Jonathan Davis of Lawnsmith explained: “Apples, plums and berries left to decay on the grass release sugars and scents that attract rodents such as mice and rats.”
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He added: “Bird seed is another common culprit for enticing rodents. While seeing a variety of species in your garden is enjoyable, dropped seeds on lawns can become a buffet for pests. Rats in particular are opportunists and will quickly find accessible grain and nut mixes.
“Use bird feeders and catch trays to limit the amount of seed that falls on your lawn and ensure you pick up and dispose of any fallen fruit as soon as possible.
“Rodents are not only unpleasant visitors but can damage your green spaces, too. Clearing the area of food sources regularly and keeping your lawn short are simple deterrents.”
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