You can easily deter them from your outdoor spaces without traps
Mia O’Hare Senior Spare Time Journalist
13:57, 05 Apr 2026
Rats are a common garden problem(Image: Paul Grace Photography Somersham via Getty Images)
Rats are every gardener’s worst nightmare and can overrun our outdoor spaces. They pose a widespread problem during spring, when their breeding activity reaches its peak.
As the weather begins to improve and gardeners venture back outside to spruce up their plots, rats are on the hunt for shelter and food– and our gardens tick both boxes perfectly. These creatures are predominantly nocturnal, making their presence easily undetected.
However, they do leave tell-tale signs of their visits. Keep an eye out for runs – greasy trails running alongside walls, fences or buildings.
Gnawed wood, teeth marks on crops, burrows, and mounds of loose, shredded material are further indicators that rats have paid a visit.
Fortunately, there are several changes you can make to your outdoor space to make it far less appealing to these unwanted guests.
According to Gardeners’ World, deterring rats from your garden can be achieved with one remarkably straightforward change – simply rearranging items around your garden, reports the Mirror.
Regularly move items around your garden(Image: sagarmanis via Getty Images)
The publication explained: “Rats are ‘neo-phobic’, which means they have a fear of new things. They don’t like disruption to their territory, so place obstacles in their runs and move things around in the garden frequently.”
This fuss-free, chemical-free approach exploits rats’ inherent wariness of environmental changes. Gardeners have also been advised to maintain clean and well-kept outdoor spaces, as clutter and mess are known to attract rats.
Simple changes to your garden, such as regularly rearranging plant pots, can prove effective. These straightforward alterations make rats feel uneasy and prompt them to move elsewhere.
Renowned gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh has also revealed his own methods for keeping rats at bay. He notes that gardens containing compost heaps are especially appealing to these rodents.
Speaking in a Gardeners’ World video, he explained: “The place they love more than anywhere else in the garden is the compost heap. Mainly because of the heat generated by all this rotting vegetation. They can burrow into it, and they’ve got a central-heated house.”
Alan shared two changes you can implement to make your compost heap far less inviting to rats. Firstly, ensure there are no openings in the heap allowing them access. Alan’s own compost bin features steel sheeting as an internal lining.
His second recommendation concerns what you place inside the compost heap. “Don’t put processed food, anything you have cooked, any meat, any potatoes,” he cautioned. “Don’t do that because it’s just an absolute open invitation for rats.”
As an alternative, Alan recommends adding mouldy apples, which decompose rapidly, along with any green garden waste.
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