The four key signs you have rats in your garden - the common clue around your plants
RATS are one of the most common garden pests found across Britain and are known to appear all year round. With no particular season associated with these unpleasant rodents, how can you be sure if you have rats in your garden?
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Rats can be found in both country settings and urban areas across the UK, making them one of the most common pests throughout the country. With plenty of attractive garden spaces to explore, it can be hard to tell exactly when and where these rodents will strike next. Luckily, there are a few telltale signs which could give you a clue as to whether you have a rat problem in your garden. Express.co.uk reveals the four key signs to look for.
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Your crops have visible bite marks
Like most pests, rats are almost always looking for food, and garden crops provide the perfect environment for them to get their fix.
Visible teeth marks are one of the most obvious signs that rats have been visiting your property, but what types of marks should you look for?
According to the Royal Horticultural Society, parallel grooves on growing crops are one of the biggest telltale signs of these hungry rodents.
While rats are notorious for eating almost anything with their large incisor teeth, there are a few key foods which they are particularly drawn to.
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Five ways to keep rats out of your garden
Rats might come into your garden in search of food or shelter, but along the way, they could pose a danger to your beloved plants and flowers.
Your vegetable patch or carefully cultivated flowers can suffer if rats invade your garden.
Here are five simple ways you can keep rats out of your garden.
Sweet vegetables including corn cobs, pumpkins and squash are particular favourites for these common pests.
You should also watch out for your root vegetable crops as these are also a firm favourite.
According to the RHS, these “adaptable” creatures are known to feed on:
- Carrots
- Parsnips
- Beetroot
- Potato tubers
- Harvested apples
Whether your homegrown produce is growing or stored outdoors, these clever rodents will almost always manage to seek out their favourite foods.
Sweet vegetables including corn cobs, pumpkins and squash are particular favourites for these common pests.
You should also watch out for your root vegetable crops as these are also a firm favourite.
According to the RHS, these “adaptable” creatures are known to feed on:
- Carrots
- Parsnips
- Beetroot
- Potato tubers
- Harvested apples
Whether your homegrown produce is growing or stored outdoors, these clever rodents will almost always manage to seek out their favourite foods.
You have rat droppings around your plants
When rats have been tucking into your growing crops, it is highly likely that teeth marks will be closely followed by small, brown droppings.
The RHS said: “The pellets are cylindrical in shape with rounded ends and are about 15mm long and 5mm wide when fresh.”
Don’t forget to check stored crops too. If you have harvested produce tucked away in a greenhouse or shed, give the area a quick scour for banana-shaped brown pellets.
One rat can leave up to 40 droppings per day, so you should be able to get an idea of the scale of the problem based on how many droppings you find.
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Your shrubs are lined with holes
Overgrown shrubbery provides the ideal spot for rats to nest and burrow.
If you notice new holes around your garden shrubs, it could well be a sign of nesting rats lurking beneath the soil.
Keep an eye on the size of any new dug-out spots. Rat tunnels in the soil usually have an entrance diameter of around 30-40mm.
It is also very important to keep up to date with your shrub-pruning, as this will help to deter unwanted rodents from burrowing into the overgrowth in your garden.
Sheds are also a hot spot for rat tunnels, so keep the area around your shed clutter-free to keep them away.
There are unexplained spillages in your shed or garage
When rats enter your garden in search of food, they will leave no stone unturned to find themselves a meal.
Garages, sheds and other garden outhouses are particularly vulnerable to hungry rats, but they will often leave a few telltale signs that they have visited the space.
Look for:
- Unexplained spillages of items
- Loose shredded materials
- Gnawed items
- Spilt grain
- Rat dropping
These could all be a sign of nesting rats.
