Experts say using black pepper in your garden can help to protect your garden plants
Angela Patrone and Chanelle Georgina Senior Audience Writer
10:30, 17 Mar 2026
How does black pepper come in handy for the garden?(Image: annabogush via Getty Images)
Gardeners face a packed agenda this March, with specialists highlighting key tasks to tackle in your outdoor space before spring takes hold. Three pest control experts have shared a clever tip: spreading black pepper around your garden can ward off pesky rodents like rats and mice, keeping them at bay.
Getting this done before spring kicks in will help safeguard your beloved plants from damage. Better still, there’s no need to wait until these unwanted visitors actually appear before taking preventative measures.
More often than not, stopping a problem before it starts proves the most successful strategy. Black pepper contains piperine, an antibacterial compound that gives pepper its distinctive flavour, which can also be off-putting to rodents.
Rats are an unwanted garden visitor(Image: Mark Chivers via Getty Images)
Rats find black pepper and stronger varieties such as cayenne pepper particularly offensive, according to Ricky Young, a pest control expert and owner of Young’s Pest Control.
He said: “Rats dislike the strong scent of black pepper, so sprinkling black pepper around areas where rats are can help to keep rats away.”
Experts in pest management at Buzz Boss have hailed black pepper as a “potent rat repellent”, explaining that it triggers pain receptors in rats and similar creatures, “causing them to sneeze, cough, and scurry away”.
This assessment is supported by specialists from Bioactive Pest Control, who note: “Black pepper has a strong, pungent smell that can deter rats.”
Their recommendations suggest: “Scatter ground black pepper near suspected rat activity zones to disrupt their sense of smell and encourage them to leave.”
The spice can be used alone or mixed with cayenne pepper for enhanced effectiveness. However, there’s a limitation to this approach – the fine pepper granules can easily be dispersed, dislodged, or washed away, especially when used outdoors.
Peppercorns could be added to the garden to deter rodents(Image: annabogush via Getty Images)
For those wanting to test this strategy, larger peppercorn fragments can be arranged in piles or tucked into gaps and crevices.
How rats harm garden plants (and you)
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) confirmed rats are likely to eat growing garden crops.
“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,” the RHS noted.
But that’s not the only concern as the rodents often carry a bacterium that is “spread in rats’ urine” that can lead people to develop a form of jaundice known as leptospirosis.
Such an infection can occur if you have a cut on your hand while tending to the garden where rats have urinated.
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