People’s gardens are often their pride and joy. During the spring and summer months, many homeowners take pride in clearing the last fall leaves and deadwood and beginning to take care of their beloved gardens.
While clearing out the garden, you may encounter some pests. Rats, unfortunately, are often garden pest culprits.
Rats are sometimes difficult to encounter in your garden because they’re good at hiding themselves during the day and they’re usually very active at night
3 Definitive Signs You Have Rats in Your Garden
The easiest way to know if you have rat problem in your yard is to know what you’re looking for.
1. Bite or Nibble Marks
These can be present by your trashcan, your compost piles, or perhaps firewood stacks that you may have in your garden.
2. Rat Droppings
Rats defecate a lot because they’re constantly eating. If you find rat droppings in your garden, then, without a doubt, you have rat activity going on.
3. Track Marks
When you have a rat infestation, you’re likely to find track markings through your vegetation, walls, and hedges. What’s interesting about rats is that they’re habitual creatures. They’ll memorize a particular path they take in and out of their shelter so, this will make it easier to spot where their dwelling is.
Now that you know you have rats in your garden, let’s discuss how to keep them out.
4 Simple Ways to Keep Rats Out of Your Garden
1. Keep Garden Tidy and Clean
Overgrown areas, piles of wood, and garden clippings can all be inviting for rats as these can easily provide nesting places for rats. Ensure that you keep your garden tidy and clean to discourage them from identifying your home as a potential nesting spot.
2. Cover Food
Your garbage bins and compost heaps are easy sources of food for rats. Ensure that they’re covered and inaccessible. Pet foods should also not be left outside for extended periods of time.
3. Keep an Eye on Your Lawn Grubs
Lawn grubs
4. Hose Their Burrows
Take your garden hose and spray water directly into the burrow. This will force the rats out. Of course, they’re likely to return, however, if you do this enough times, the rats will start to see that this isn’t an ideal shelter for them and then start looking for shelter elsewhere.
Be Careful of Handling Traps
Traps may be able to eliminate the rats for you, however, these can be dangerous for any household pets or little children. The most effective measure is to contact a professional rat exterminator Cambridge. Besides getting rid of the rats, pest control experts will also evaluate your garden and give you extra tips on how to further prevent rats from making a home for themselves on your property.