Rats carry disease,ticks,fleas, and also damages wooden furniture and structures.

They can even ruin your beautiful garden.

Take necessary action to free your garden from these unwanted creatures.

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To free you from this rodent disaster, here are 10 tips:

In this article

1.

Do a proper inspection of the yard

Rats in the yardcan be spotted at any time of the day.

First, you have to do a proper inspection to check on damages.

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Look for items that have been chewed or scratched by the rat.

Properly inspect to see if they have somehow made it into your house.

Or else, they will just take shelter inside your home when you are busy cleaning up the yard.

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To see to it the rats dont come inside, you will have to rat-proof your house.

Check your garage or other small places that rats might use to enter.

you might also use high gloss paints in pipes to make it difficult for the rats to climb.

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Reconsider bird feeding in the yard

Bird feeding can attract rats to come to your yard.

In that case, it would be wise to remove any sort ofbird feedersin the garden.

If you still wish to continue feeding birds then follow a few steps-

4.

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Clean up your yard

Keep your yard free from clutter and trim the grass.

Rats are afraid of roaming around in open spaces.

So the best possible way to defend your yard is to just keep it clean.

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This also includes removing ivy, pruning large shrubs, and tree branches.

This helps to remove one of the pathways rats use to move around.

Remove potential nesting sites

Rats like closed places.

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So see to it your yard is not their ideal paradise for them to feel comfortable.

Remove firewood stacks, compost piles, debris, cardboard, and any other stocked piles.

Check your storage shade and clean it up properly.

ensure you have sealed up any cracks or small entrances in the shed.

Rats like to make nests using cardboard, paper, and small grass clippings to make nests.

So double-check to clean everything, eliminate access to garbage, and tidy up your yard.

Clean Barbecue equipment

One of the main reasons rats come to the yard is to search for food.

They are also attracted to the odor.

Barbeque grills have both odor and the food.

The meats scraps and fats stuck in the grills are an ideal source of food for the rats.

Vinegar is a good option to clean the grill.

It is also best to store the equipment in a secure place where rats wont be able to enter.

Remove sources of food and water

Secure all sources where they can live .

Garbage bins are ideal places for rats to search for food.

verify the garbage bins are properly sealed.

Instead, use glass or sealed metal containers.

Remove all sorts of water sources that rats can possibly live on.

Re-enforce your irrigation lines so that rats can not chew through it in search of water.

Use smoke bombs

Rats sometimes create burrows in the yard as nests or pathways to move around.

Use traps

Traps are a good way to clear your garden.

Live rodent traps can be used in the garden.

These, however, will have to be checked on a daily basis.

They would also have to be relocated often.

Another effective way is the use ofsnap traps.

These can be bought in hardware and grocery stores.

You will have to use baits on these traps.

Cheese, bread, biscuits, meat can be a good choice.

The use of rat poison baits is discouraged as house pets can mistakenly eat these..

10.

Clean up properly

Take your time before cleaning up.

double-check that no further rats are seen or are being killed by the traps and only then start cleaning.

it’s possible for you to use disinfectant or bleach and water to soak the area.

Use a paper towel to pick up any droppings and ensure to properly dispose them.

Final Thoughts

Rat problems can certainly be a messy situation.

It is best to handle it as quickly as possible.