Why Do You Get Rats In Your Garden?
No one wants rats in their garden. These vermin can make a mess, spread filth and occasionally even attack you. But why do you get rats in your garden? There are several reasons why this happens.
What is attracting them?
Why do you get rats in your garden? There are dozens of reasons, most often it’s because something is attracting them. For example, one of the biggest reasons is because your garden provides them with a place to shelter. It’s important to get proper rat control to stop them from becoming a problem.
A place to feed
Rats and sewer rats are attracted to food in the garden. This may include rubbish bins behind your house. Make sure your bins are securely sealed. Also throw away your rubbish as often as possible.
Why do you get rats in your garden? You might have rats because of pet food which is left outside. It’s a good idea to wash pet bowls after they have eaten. You should also bring pet bowls inside at night. Even a dirty barbecue grill can attract rats. Clean your grill as often as possible and do not leave it lying outside. Your grills should be stored in your shed or garage.
Your outside eating area could also provide food for rats. If you have not cleaned up properly there maybe scraps of food left behind. These can often be invisible to the naked eye, so scrub the eating area thoroughly.
Rodents are also attracted to certain types of fruit trees, berry bushes, and vegetable patches. Why do you get rats in your garden? This sometimes happens if you have a bird feeder. Rats will scale the bird feeder and steal the food. They also eat food which falls from the feeder.
A place to shelter
If your garden is wildly overgrown, then rats will enter and build their nests beneath bushes and in long grass. And don’t forget, rats are highly adept at digging. This means they may also burrow passages under your plants.
Basically, rats will build their nests wherever there is clutter in your garden. This may include piles of refuse, rubbish and even manure piles or compost heaps. To prevent this, keep your garden clean. Do not let garden refuse stand for long periods of time.Throw it away as soon as possible. If you have a compost heap, cover it up with a tarpaulin, old carpet or another suitable cover.
Is your shed attracting rats?
Why do you get rats in your garden? Another big reason is sheds. Rats love to live in sheds. This is especially true if you seldom go into the shed. They may also be attracted to what is stored in the shed.
Are you keeping pet food in your shed? Don’t store pet food packets in a shed, because rats can get in the shed and gnaw through plastic or cardboard. In addition, other products may be of interest to rats. We recently had a case where rats were eating the bone meal fertiliser which was kept in a shed.
They feel safe in your garden
Why do you get rats in your garden? The biggest reason is because there are no predators. You see, in the outside world rats have to deal with all sorts of predators. These include things like birds of prey, snakes and weasels.
Rats seek shelter in your garden in order to avoid these predators. This is especially true for people who don’t have cats or dogs. If rats are a continual problem in your garden you may want to consider getting a pet.
To get rid of garden rats, simply follow the tips mentioned in this article. If the problem persists, feel free to give us a call to receive a visit from one of our professional London rat catchers.