Last Updated on May 1, 2020 by Kimberly Crawford
Rats carry disease, ticks, fleas, and also damages wooden furniture and structures. They can even ruin your beautiful garden. Take necessary action to free your garden from these unwanted creatures.
Or else they will somehow quickly make it to your home and before you know it you will have a major rat problem!
Now in order to completely repel rats from the yards, the whole neighborhood has to pitch in because often when rats have been driven away from one yard they take shelter and hide in someone else’s yard.
To free you from this rodent disaster, here are 10 tips:
1. Do a proper inspection of the yard
Rats in the yard can be spotted at any time of the day. First, you have to do a proper inspection to check on damages. This helps you to find their probable hiding places and also allows you to estimate how much rat poison or how many rat-traps you might need.
Look for items that have been chewed or scratched by the rat. Properly inspect to see if they have somehow made it into your house.
2. Fortify any entry to the house
In order to completely get rid of rats from your yard, you will have to make sure that there is no way for them to enter your house. Or else, they will just take shelter inside your home when you are busy cleaning up the yard.
To make sure the rats don’t come inside, you will have to rat-proof your house.
Check your garage or other small places that rats might use to enter. Doors, windows, crawl space entrances, and attic fans usually have small cracks or spaces for the rats and mice to easily enter.
After identifying the places you can use window and door seals like weather strippings, cedar planks, and spray foam sealers to carefully seal out all sorts of small cracks and entrances. You can also use high gloss paints in pipes to make it difficult for the rats to climb.
3. Reconsider bird feeding in the yard
Bird feeding can attract rats to come to your yard. In that case, it would be wise to remove any sort of bird feeders in the garden. If you still wish to continue feeding birds then follow a few steps-
- Give only that much food you know the birds will be able to finish within a certain time. Do not try to overfeed. The excess amount of leftovers can be an invitation for the rats to come over.
- Try to avoid ground feeding and instead use the feeder on a baffled pole.
- After feeding clean the area just to be sure that there are no leftovers.
4. Clean up your yard
Keep your yard free from clutter and trim the grass. Rats are afraid of roaming around in open spaces. So the best possible way to defend your yard is to just keep it clean.
This also includes removing ivy, pruning large shrubs, and tree branches. This helps to remove one of the pathways rats use to move around.
5. Remove potential nesting sites
Rats like closed places. So make sure your yard is not their ideal paradise for them to feel comfortable. Remove firewood stacks, compost piles, debris, cardboard, and any other stocked piles. Check your storage shade and clean it up properly.
Make sure you have sealed up any cracks or small entrances in the shed. Rats like to make nests using cardboard, paper, and small grass clippings to make nests. So make sure to clean everything, eliminate access to garbage, and tidy up your yard.
6. Clean Barbecue equipment
One of the main reasons rats come to the yard is to search for food. They are also attracted to the odor. Barbeque grills have both odor and the food. The meats scraps and fats stuck in the grills are an ideal source of food for the rats.
Clean all barbeque equipment to make them free from the smell as well as any bits and pieces of food. Vinegar is a good option to clean the grill. It is also best to store the equipment in a secure place where rats won’t be able to enter.
7. Remove sources of food and water
Secure all sources where they can live . Garbage bins are ideal places for rats to search for food. Make sure the garbage bins are properly sealed.
If you store food in the yard then do not use plastic bags, containers, or wooden boxes to store them. Instead, use glass or sealed metal containers.
Remove all sorts of water sources that rats can possibly live on. Repair all leaking pipes, faucets, and garden hoses.If your pets sleep inside the house at night then be sure to bring the water bow inside as well. Re-enforce your irrigation lines so that rats can not chew through it in search of water.
8. Use smoke bombs
Rats sometimes create burrows in the yard as nests or pathways to move around. In these cases, the best way to kill them would be to use smoke bombs
But remember not to use smoke bombs if the burrows are close to trees or any flammable structures.
9. Use traps
Traps are a good way to clear your garden. Live rodent traps can be used in the garden. These, however, will have to be checked on a daily basis. They would also have to be relocated often.
Another effective way is the use of snap traps. These can be bought in hardware and grocery stores. You will have to use baits on these traps. Cheese, bread, biscuits, meat can be a good choice.
The use of rat poison baits is discouraged as house pets can mistakenly eat these..
10. Clean up properly
Take your time before cleaning up. Make sure that no further rats are seen or are being killed by the traps and only then start cleaning. First, clean up the urine and droppings, make sure to wear rubber or latex gloves before you do so. You can use disinfectant or bleach and water to soak the area. Use a paper towel to pick up any droppings and make sure to properly dispose them.
You can also use the same disinfectant or mixture to soak up any rodent nestings before cleaning them up. After that, place all the dead rats and rodent infected materials in a tightly sealed plastic bag before throwing it in the garbage bin.
Final Thoughts
Rat problems can certainly be a messy situation. It is best to handle it as quickly as possible. By taking the above measures you can secure your yard and your home from any sort of rodent situation.