Gardener says rats 'will look elsewhere' and not come back if you remove item from garden

The pest that we all dread in the garden is the rat. They are drawn to the garden by a food source, a supply of food that keeps them coming back. Rats will build a home close by. So what can we do about this problem?

Rats are drawn to the garden by a food source, if we prevent and reduce the food source we will start to get the rat problem under control as the rats will look elsewhere. If the source of food is from fruit trees, then pick up the fruit off the ground so they cannot settle and become a meal for the rats. If a bird feeder is dropping seed and nuts to the ground, then keep this area tidy.

Locating the rat run is helpful, the pathway the rats are using from their holes to the place of food. Once located find the hole and fill it in.

Also fill in any gaps in fences or walls to make it harder for rats to find their way in. If the food source is reduced, gaps and holes filled then the rat will start to go elsewhere.

Rats thrive in a messy environment, so the neater the garden is, the less rat-friendly it is.

If the lawn grass is tall the rats can run round in it without feeling exposed and if beds, borders and hedges are untidy again rats will find easy cover. It's not an exact science but by doing the above it can help deter rats from the garden.

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