A garden is a great thing to have, but of course it can also come with problems, and something that many people struggle with is the presence of rats. Rats are all over the UK and they have evolved to live alongside humans. Of course, many people won’t want them there but are aware of the problems of using poison to get rid of them and the effect it can have on other wildlife.

Fortunately, there are other things that you can do to discourage rats away from your garden. Here are some of them…

Remove Food Sources – The main thing that rats will be looking for is a food source, so if they don’t have that then they are less likely to take an interest in the garden. Don’t leave things like pet food outside or in a place that is accessible. Bird food can also be an attraction to them.

Keep any household bin lids secure, and if you have a compost heap look into ways to make it more rat proof.

Keep a Tidy Garden – A garden that is rarely disturbed is a haven for rats and if you have places for them to hide and breed then you may quickly find that the population grows. Another thing that can have them coming back is access into sheds and outbuildings where they can find shelter. If you need garden maintenance work you can get a professional like this grounds maintenance Gloucester based company to help you with this.

Use Scents – There are some scents that can be off-putting to rats and it is worth giving them a try to deter them – things like peppermint, garlic and lavender are all used by people who want to deter pests including rats.