Rodents such as rats and mice can wreak havoc in our gardens, gnawing through roots, bulbs, and even fruit. And that’s before they start infiltrating our homes. Instead of resorting to harmful, toxic methods to eliminate them, why not utilise nature’s own resources? Certain plants not only enhance the beauty and aroma of your garden but also act as natural rodent repellents. It’s about gardening smarter, not harder.
Plant and flower expert Igor Podyablonskiy from My Flowers and Neil Miller, head gardener at Hever Castle & Gardens, told Country Life their proven tips on how to keep these pesky creatures at bay. A common household item, likely languishing at the back of your bathroom cabinet, could be a game-changer for your garden maintenance. For added protection, Neil suggests grating soap into the planting hole.
“The rodents don’t like the taste of soap, and it infuses with the bulb to keep them away.” Tulips may be beloved by both gardeners and rodents, but Neil has some strategies to safeguard them, and this soap trick is one of them. Another tactic he recommends is using chilli powder.
He said: “We’ve found that planting tulip bulbs with chilli powder or sprinkling it on top can deter them.
“I also use a homemade repellent made from peppermint oil, lavender, lemongrass oil, and citronella, which works well to keep rodents off the tulips and bedding plants.”
Greenixpc recommends Irish Spring soap in particular, as some gardeners found that rodents were actually eating some of the soaps intended to repel them.
You can strengthen your chance of repelling pests even more by mixing the soap with two more ingredients you are sure to have on hand. Content creator Toprecipe_andtips recently shared a simple yet effective homemade remedy, claiming it has saved him money and completely eliminated pests from his home.
The trick involves a few everyday kitchen and bathroom items: a bar of soap, toothpaste, sugar, and stale bread. In the video, he explained: “After I learned this trick, I never spent money on this issue again.”
To create the DIY pest repellent, the TikToker grated a small amount of soap, then mixed it with a spoonful of toothpaste and two tablespoons of sugar.
The sugar acts as bait, luring pests in, while the soap and toothpaste contain chemical components that rodents and cockroaches cannot digest.