Spotting rats in your garden can be worrying, as not only do they spread diseases and destroy plants by digging up roots but if not dealt with quickly it could lead to infestation. 

Many people turn to traps or poison to get rid of rodents, but Toby Bateson, an expert from the pest control company Hammer has explained that doing so can be extremely cruel. 

He said: “Conventional pest control can cause harm and suffering to rodents, as well as causing poisons to enter the food chain. 

“This can lead people to look for all-natural rat repellents. These can be safer for the environment and pets, as well as causing less suffering for the rats.”

Rats have highly sensitive noses and can easily be deterred from gardens containing smells they find overwhelming as it will make the environment less appealing to them, which can convince them there is no food nearby or the area could potentially be dangerous. 

READ MORE: ‘I’m a gardening pro – how to stop pests from ruining your plants’

Citronella

Citronella is not only effective against keeping ras away but is a very popular and effective natural method for keeping away mosquitoes, making it the perfect deterrent to use in the summer. 

Toby said: “Citronella is another essential oil which can be used to keep rats away. Its lemony scent can disorient the rodents and disguise their tracks. 

“Rotating different oils may be more effective than simply using the same oil all the time. Rats are neophobic so anything new will upset them but they can become accustomed to changes over time. This a good reason to mix things up a bit.” 

Eucalyptus

Rats will also find the intense smell of eucalyptus repulsive, and you can either buy eucalyptus as an oil or scatter eucalyptus leaves in areas you suspect may have a rat nearby. 

Toby said: “Eucalyptus oil is another pungent ingredient you can use to keep rats away. Use in a spray or soak into cotton wool balls and leave where the rodents spend time and hopefully, they will think twice and leave the area.” 

What natural methods should you never use on rats? 

One popular but inhumane piece of advice online for deterring rodents is to try using cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.

You should never use anything extremely spicy to keep rats away as it can burn a rodent’s eyes and they will not be able to clean them. This can lead to rats panicking, hurting themselves to try to stop the burning and is overall very cruel as it will cause them a lot of pain. 

Not only that but cayenne pepper will also harm other local wildlife, pets or neighbourhood dogs and cats which makes it dangerous for your local environment. 

Instead, there are many other natural ways to keep rats away such as growing certain plants in your garden as well as other repellants such as sprinkling lavender around your borders without having to turn to

However, one of the most effective ways to avoid rats in your garden is to simply make sure there are no food or water sources for them to live on.

Make sure there are no pet bowls filled with food or bird feeders near the ground in your garden, pick up any fruit falling off plants plus keep your rubbish sealed, and rats will naturally keep away from your property in no time.