A pest control expert has revealed a £1.25 hack to ensure rats stay out of your garden this summer.
Rats can cause a great nuisance in summer as ripening crops attract them to the garden.
two
They can also get into homes, so it’s important to make sure your recycling bin is completely covered to deter them.
In addition to causing discomfort when eating fruits and vegetables, they can also contaminate the soil, as rat excrement can contain diseases that are harmful to humans.
You may be tempted to use rat poison to get rid of pests, however this is very dangerous for pets as it can kill any animal that ingests it.
Instead, pest expert Marcus Mueller from Exit quickly shared some more humane methods of getting rid of the creatures.
He said: “Keeping rats out of your garden can be a daunting challenge, but it is an important strategy to prevent them from entering your home.”
Marcus revealed that the first step to ensuring your garden is rat-free is to look for possible entry points where rats could enter, such as holes in fences.
He said: “Rats often enter gardens by climbing fences [or] using low tree branches. You can deter rodents by properly maintaining trees on your property.
“Trim branches to prevent rats from using them as highways.
“You should also collect and dispose of fallen fruit to prevent rats from gaining access to an easy food source.”
Marcus added that you can lather your fence with Vaseline (£1.25 from Boots) to make it very slippery for rats to climb.
To protect your fruits and vegetables from being eaten, Marcus suggested putting a fence around them so that mice can’t access them.
He said: “Remember that rodents can get through small holes, so wire and wire fences are not always effective at keeping rats out of the garden.
“Opt for a wooden fence that has no holes on the outside if you want to prevent mice from feasting on the vegetables in your garden.”
Tips for Keeping Pests in Your Garden
- Plant companion plants, such as peppermint, to repel mice.
- Place Garden Netting Pest Barrierover your flower beds.
- Fill open containers with beer and place in the soil to repel slugs.
- Spray plants with Neem Oilto repel ants, flies and spiders.
- Sprinkle your flowerbeds with diatomaceous earth.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of dish soap, 10 drops of peppermint oil and 4 cups of water and spray on flower beds.
- Place eggshells around plants to protect them from slugs and snails.
He added that it’s important to mow your lawn regularly so rats have fewer places to hide.
He said: “Rats prefer to avoid interactions with humans.
“They like to hide in properties with tall grass to avoid being seen by people and predators.
“If you take care of your yard and mow the grass frequently to keep it from getting tall, you eliminate many of the spaces that rodents use as hiding places.”
Fabulous will pay for your exclusive stories. Just email: fabulousdigital@the-sun.co.uk and put EXCLUSIVE in the subject line.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
