They are one of the most common pests in the UK, rifling through bins, spreading disease, scuttling into your house and breeding in sheds and garages.
Rats can even chew through wires, damaging important connections or home appliances, making them dangerous for your home’s electrical safety as well as vectors of disease.
It’s little wonder, then, that many home owners and gardeners find themselves resorting to extreme measures to stop the spread of rats at home and in the garden, including rat traps and poison pellets, as well as the usual more humane repellents and rat scarer devices.
But people are being warned that using rat poison is actually a bad idea, because of the unintended knock-on effects it can have on other living things, not just pests like rats and mice.
Owls are – unlike rats – one of the most beautiful and majestic creatures you can have visiting your garden. Not only is the sight of one of these silent predators a stunning spectacle, but they also directly target mice and rats, helping to rid your garden of potentially disease-spreading rodents at the same time. According to garden experts at Green Feathers, there are ways you can attract owls to your garden.
But you must avoid using rat poison.
Green Feathers says: “If you want to attract owls into your garden to deal with a rat problem, make sure your garden is free of rat poison and rat traps – trust the owls to handle the issue for you. Never try to use rat poison as well as owls to deal with a rat problem, as you can cause a lot of damage to wild owl populations.”
According to BBC Gardeners World, common signs of rat infestations include ‘runs’, which are greasy tracks left along walls and fences, droppings (about 15mm long), gnawed wood, teeth marks in crops and burrows in soil, which are usually 6 to 9 cm across.
The best ways to stop rats from being attracted to your garden is to clear away any food waste, such as dropped bird seed, and avoid letting rubbish or food spill out into your garden. Also blocking access to decking (underneath decking is the perfect place for rats to nest), and blocking access to garages and sheds, to prevent them getting in.
Gardeners World also says that rat control, like poison, should be a last resort. It adds: “As an absolute last resort, you may consider taking stronger measures to control rats. Do this only after all other efforts to deter them have been exhausted, as poisons can harm other wildlife in your garden and can get into the wider environment.
“First, identify where the rats are living and the feeding routes they take between them – in neighbouring gardens, too. Traps and poisons are sold at garden centres but must be used correctly – read the label. It’s better and safer to contact your local council or professional pest controller.”
