As we enter the warmer months of the year, more Brits will be spending time in their gardens. There is a telltale sign of rats in your outdoor space that you might notice before you see things like holes and droppings. Experts have revealed what to look out for if you fear you might have a rat infestation in your garden. Rats are unwelcome visitors in British gardens, as they can destroy flowers and other plants you are growing in your outdoor space.
Plus, they can make their way into homes and actually damage wires, furniture and even your walls. And of course, rats carry a variety of diseases, which can be bad for our health. Most people look out for bite marks and droppings when trying to determine if they have a rat infestation, but there is another sign that might present itself before you even see anything. It’s not always obvious when rats are in your garden, so you should use your nose as well as your eyes and ears when trying to find them.
If you think you might have rats in your garden, then you should know what smells to look out for. Rats, unsurprisingly, have a unique smell that can be easily identified.
Many experts point out that rats have an “ammonia smell”, which is strong and pungent. If you need a reference, it can be similar to urine or sweat.
If you notice a musky smell in your garden, it might be time to introduce measures to deter them from your outdoor space. There are a number of ways to do this, but the first thing to do is find out if rats are entering your garden, and where they might be coming from.
However, the smell might be masked by other things in your garden, so it’s important to note the other ways to identify a rat infestation. According to Gardener’s World, the signs to look out for are:
A musky smell that can resemble urine or sweatCylindrical droppingsTeetch marks in cropsGnawed wood (this might be on fences, decking or garden furniture)Soft shredded materials (this could be a sign of a rat’s nest)Burrows
To deter rats, the first thing you should do is block off any suspected entry points. This might be gaps under fences or decking. You should also keep your garden tidy to leave them fewer hiding spots.
Rats also don’t like disruption to their territory, so if you move things around, it will put them off your garden, as they like things to stay exactly where they are.
Additionally, leaving a radio playing can deter them, as they will avoid human voices. There are also certain smells that rats hate, including peppermint oil and lavender.
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