Blog: Unwelcome visitors lead to a multipronged approach to deter rodents!
Most of us would agree – rats are unwelcome wildlife, and knowing how to get rid of rats in your garden is an essential skill for us all. I recently had a reminder of this. While decorating indoors next to the French windows, something caught my eye. A rat was looking in at me! I always thought in that situation I would scream – I didn’t, but I did swear badly and repeatedly.
The old myth that you’re never more than 6ft away from a rat in urban areas is just that – apparently, it’s more like 164ft (still too close for comfort for my tastes). We knew other neighbours had complained of seeing rats, but thought we were OK with George’s scent around the garden. However, he’s not been well and hasn’t been out for a few weeks.
My fear of rats is based on the fact that they can spread potentially serious diseases, including Leptospirosis, which can lead to Weil’s disease. They’re mainly nocturnal, and I saw ‘mine’ at dusk. Other signs that there are rats in the area are:
- Tunnels (6-9cm in diameter) or ‘runs’ – tracks alongside walls, fences or buildings up to 10cm wide.
- Cylindrical droppings (15mm long and 5mm wide).
- Chewed wood (especially near food stores).
- Parallel teeth marks in crops.
Rats need food, water and shelter to survive. By making life uncomfortable for them, they’ll move on, and you won’t have to resort to poison.
Try an ultrasonic deterrent
Despite my fear of rats, I can’t bring myself to use poison. What if a cat or other garden wildlife were killed by it? Even humane traps proved to be less than perfect – one of ours caught a hedgehog, luckily none the worse for wear. A couple of outdoor ultrasonic repellents worked wonders a couple of years back. However, I couldn’t find the same model, so I bought what was labelled as an outdoor repellent from Primrose via Amazon (you can get it directly). However, it seems to be meant for barns and greenhouses! Fingers crossed, it seems to be working outdoors. I also bought a pack of four indoor plug-in ultrasonic deterrents, just in case one got in the house.
Rodents don’t like the high-pitched pulses made by the deterrents and, after a couple of weeks, can’t stand it any more and move out. My scarers have been in place for a fortnight and I haven’t seen a rat since.
How to get rid of rats in your garden – Stop feeding birds and wild mammals
Sadly, I’ve stopped feeding the birds. Rats are attracted by fallen food from bird feeders. If you have chickens, secure runs. Store bird and other animal food in secure containers.
Move things around
Rats are neophobes – they have a fear of new things. I swept up the autumn leaves, moved the pots around, pressing them flat to the wall so there was no room for a run.
How to get rid of rats in your garden – Keep your garden tidy
Tidy gardens provide less cover. As already mentioned, leaf fall was removed, and drains were covered. If you have grass, keep it short and clear away clutter, especially near fences or garden buildings.
The dangers of decking…
The space under the decking is perfect for rats. It’s sheltered, hard to reach, and food can fall between the planks. Sweep up any fallen food after outdoor meals. Block access if possible or install a patio instead. Costly but efficient.
How to get rid of rats in your garden – Make sure garden buildings are secure
Rats can gnaw through wood, so block any holes in the walls, floors and doors of garden buildings. Add a metal ‘kick plate’ to a shed door to stop them from gnawing.
Check your compost heap
Compost heaps can be a big attraction. Don’t add food scraps and keep it moist (rats hate this) – include plenty of green and brown materials. Watering the heap regularly can deter them. Fix chicken wire around the base to prevent rodents from being able to dig beneath the bin. Turn the heap regularly, but remember, hedgehogs can use compost heaps too. If rats have used your bin, don’t use the compost on edible crops.
How to get rid of rats in your garden – Watch out for crop damage
Rats love sweetcorn, pumpkins, squash, root vegetables and apples, so store harvested crops somewhere secure. If you suspect any crops have been gnawed by rats, don’t eat them. Rats also eat seeds.
Remove water sources (within reason)
Rats can’t survive without water, so limit water sources. Don’t remove ponds or bird baths, but do fix dripping taps, secure drains, and add baffles to drainpipes.
Encourage predators and pets in the garden
Foxes are your friend – rats form a big part of a fox’s diet. If you have the space, encourage them in your garden. Cats and dogs can also deter rats, being disruptive, and they are predators too!
The RSCPA has more advice about dealing with rodents at www.rspca.org.uk. For more advice on coping with pests and diseases, visit my category page.
How to get rid of rats in your garden updated 2025
