Gardeners have been told to spray garlic water in the gardens to keep rodents at bay. Making gardens a haven for wildlife is important for the health of your plants. Worms and insects do their bit by helping to keep your soil rich and healthy, and pollinating flowers.
Garden birds play a key role in keeping plants healthy by chasing after pests that can cause damage and disease in plants. But some creatures can have a detrimental effect, including rodents, like rats. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) notes that rats “can feed on the fruit and vegetables that we intend to eat, either while it is growing or after it has been harvested and is being stored”, and are also known to take food left out for birds, poultry and pets.
They can also carry a bacteria that causes “a form of jaundice known as leptospirosis or Weil’s (pronounced ‘Viles’) disease” which can affect people in addition to other issues associated with them.
Once in your garden, they may well seek to enter your home for the warmth, shelter, and leftover food that might be lying around.
Thankfully, there are various ways to keep them at bay, including using a homemade garlic or mint spray to put them off coming onto your property in the first place, an expert explains.
Angelika Zaber, a Lawn Care Specialist and Gardening Expert for Online Turf, says if you have an “open garden and can’t seal entry points, there are a few humane ways to try and deter them from entering”.
“Strong scents like garlic or mint are unpleasant for rodents. You can use these to make a mixture by adding some plants into a spray bottle, filling it with water and letting it sit for a while, then spray any entry points in your garden.”
Ms Zaber says the best way to keep them out of your home is to stop them entering your garden.
“There are many ways in which this can be done, but for best results, a hybrid approach of mixing different methods together is best,” she explained.
“Rodents are looking for gardens that they deem to be a food source. If you’ve got a compost pile or unsecured bins, they’re going to want to keep coming back because they know they can get a steady supply of food easily.
To avoid this, she recommends investing in secure, lockable bin lids, adding: “don’t leave any rubbish out overnight, and invest in a compost bin so the pile is sealed and can’t be accessed”.
“Even if a rodent can smell it, if they can’t access it, it will deter them from returning. However, the bin itself must be made from good-quality materials, and should be placed on a solid base, such as concrete, to block burrowing rats.”
Gardeners are also told to seal their gardens as much as possible. “To do this, invest in high, smooth fences with no gaps in between and install netted mesh on the ground so that it’s harder for them to get in,” she added.
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