Rats are the type of pests that will infest a garden if they find it hospitable.
If your garden offers plenty of hiding places, they will love it. If it offers them lots of food, be it from a food garden you’re working really hard on, pet food left outside, or a constantly opened rubbish bin, they will love it.
However, for those who don’t have hiding places or food for them to feast on in gardens, a gardening fan has shared an item rats “hate” that will make them “stay away”.
Taking to the Gardening Hints and Tips Facebook page, Julie Finch said: “Hi. Those of you that want to make sure rats stay away.
“I get rats in the garden occasionally and have tried a few methods to move them on (purely because I have four bunnies).
“This time I’ve tried raw onion (I’d read about it that they hate the stuff) and it seems to have worked perfectly.
“I put raw chopped onion down the rat hole and covered with soil, next morning a new hole appeared, presumably to get out, so I did the same again. New holes appeared for the next two days but nothing since.”
Jordan Foster, pest control expert at Fantastic Pest Control, also agrees with this tip of using onions to repel rats.
He said: “You can grow onion in your garden or place it at the most common entry points for rats. Once they smell it, they’ll run.”
For those planning on using this tip, don’t forget to put fresh onions every few days to make sure it is effective, or they’ll rot.
Jordan added: “Making beds with onion, garlic, and leeks is a great way to keep rodents and other pests at bay.”
Onions are something most households will already have to hand, but they’re also cheap to purchase. A pack of three onions racial for 69p at Asda which works out as 23p per onion.
However, the expert warned that “onions can be dangerous for pets” – especially for dogs – so be careful.
Another item rats “hate” is peppermint oil, according to the expert. Peppermint is a perennial plant, which means it only needs to be planted once, and it will return each spring on its own.
The expert also suggested using peppermint oil. He said: “Place cotton in the burrow after it’s been dipped in peppermint. You’ll need to change the cotton every three to four days, but the rats won’t stick around for too long.”
For those looking for a stronger option, Jordan noted: “Bay leaves are deadly for rats. They eat it thinking it’s food. It’s poisonous for them, so they’re going to die.”
