Autumn is well underway and the season not only brings a change in weather, but an increase in one particular pest.
Rats are creatures you’d rather not see in your garden, and they tend to appear more frequently at the start of the season. While they are around all year, these pests are known to breed more often between March and October during the warmer months.
There are several well-known factors that contribute to rat populations thriving, with poor sanitation being one of the most significant. However, experts have highlighted a lesser-known autumn feature that can attract rats, despite seeming harmless and even beneficial to other animals.
As UK garden birds require more food and water in autumn due to harsh conditions and a scarcity of natural food sources, installing bird feeders in your garden seems like a great way to help. But this could quickly transform your outdoor space into a haven for rats.
According to specialists at Vine House Farm, rats are quite fond of bird seed, and this readily available food source can keep them in your garden and potentially even lead them into your home.
These pests pose serious health risks to your family and pets, including hantavirus, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, and tapeworms, as well as causing significant damage to your garden.
However, this doesn’t mean you should deny the birds additional food. Instead, Lucy Taylor, manager of the wildlife product retailer, has offered some advice on how to deter rats from your garden while still maintaining your bird feeders.
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One tip Lucy suggests is to switch to a spicier bird feed, as she notes: “Some types of birdseed are less appealing to rats.”
She explains, “Spice is a natural rat deterrent as they do not like the smell of cayenne pepper, or any sort of spicy foods and chilli powders. Some feed blends feature pepper oils. This is perfect as it has no effect on birds as they can’t taste it.”
Another natural method to deter rats from your bird feeder is to position it among strong-smelling plants. Lucy advises: “Place your feeder around plants and shrubbery like lavender, eucalyptus, garlic and mint.”
She added: “All these plants have a strong scent that rats dislike, which will repel them. In addition to plants, rats also dislike certain spices like peppermint so try spraying your feeder with peppermint oil to deter them.”
If you can’t find any special feed, there are repellent sprays available, such as the Peppermint Oil Rat Repellent Spray, which is also effective against many bugs, for just £12.99 on Amazon.
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