If they manage to establish a nest in your garden, rats will gnaw through wood or tunnel beneath concrete to gain access to food and shelter inside your home. While many experts have offered advice on keeping rats out using chemical solutions, you can also plant specific species in your garden to ward them off.
Rats possess highly sensitive noses and certain smells prove overwhelming for them, causing them to flee the area from which the odour originates. Pest control specialists at Critter Control assert that there are plants that can help “keep rats away for good”.
1. Garlic
If you enjoy growing your own produce in your garden, rats may well be drawn to it, but introducing some pungent garlic to your collection could encourage them to seek food elsewhere.
While the strong aroma of garlic may be rather appetising to humans, the scent is “incredibly abrasive to rats”, the experts claim.
If you’d rather not grow your own garlic or simply lack the space, you can still incorporate it into your garden by placing the bulbs around your flower beds, which should do the trick.
2. Onions
Much like garlic, “rats despise the smell” of onions – and they are remarkably straightforward to cultivate, providing a useful supply for your kitchen. However, you can also use onions for rat prevention without actually growing them in your garden.
Simply place a few slices of raw onion outside around your home to help “drive rats far from your property”.
3. Lavender
Lavender is a beautiful, sweet-smelling, purple herb, but it is not solely its aesthetic appeal that makes it a worthwhile addition to your garden.
If growing vegetables is not your preference, consider planting lavender around the perimeter of your home to deter rats.
The plant is guaranteed to leave your outdoor space smelling delightful. Rats will “stay far away”, as lavender is another “one of the many scents that the nuisance rodents can’t stand”.
The lavender’s powerful aroma will prevent rats from detecting any potential food sources in the garden, rendering it a completely unappealing area for them.
