Much-loved gardening expert and lead presenter of Gardener’s World, Monty Don, has shared one surprising tip to deter rats from your garden this spring.
Spring is the start of the breeding season for rats, and they can be a nuisance. However, there are tips and tricks to get rid of garden pests.
Readers may be pleased to learn that a simple change to your homemade compost could make all the difference in preventing rats from descending on your garden.
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‘The real secret of compost is life to soil,’ explains Monty. ‘Because compost is made by the material being digested by bacteria and fungi and nematodes and the worms and beetles and bugs, you make it work like a recipe that you know just works and works over time.’
Home-made compost can be created from all your plant prunings – woody or otherwise – lawn clippings, and fruit and vegetable peelings from the kitchen.
‘Let’s look at it like a recipe,’ says Monty. ‘First thing is your ingredients. You can add almost anything that’s lived to a compost heap.’ However, there is a significant caveat that makes all the difference when it comes to deterring rats. ‘Don’t add meat, fats, or cooked material,’ he said. ‘Particularly cooked starches like potato, rice, or pasta.’
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‘The main reason for that is not that it won’t decompose, because it will in time, but it will do so more slowly. It will attract rodents. You will get rats.’
Gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh also agreed that modifying your compost to avoid ‘processed food, anything you have cooked, any meat, or any potatoes’. To include them would be ‘just an absolute open invitation for rats.’
Making compost is the ultimate in recycling. Investing in a decent compost bin is also paramount for keeping your compost pile contained and less likely to attract pests. Some of our favourites include the Wilstone composter and scoop from Burford Garden Company, the 120L compost bin from Garden Trading and the Primrose slatted composter from Amazon.
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