Nobody ever likes the thought of rats roaming around their backyard or property. And learning what attracts rats and mice to your home in the first place will help to keep them away and prevent an infestation.
Although rodents are often spotted during the colder months, rats can be a problem year-round. In fact, spring is a particularly common time for these rodents to look for food, warmth, and shelter because it's their peak breeding season.
That’s why it’s so important to ensure you don’t make your home inviting for such pests. Not only can an infestation become the ultimate nightmare, but they can also cause potential damage to your property.
However, this one item, commonly left out in our yards, can unknowingly attract rats. So, if you don’t want to deal with a nuisance pest problem, store these things properly right now.
Don’t leave compost bags on the ground
While spring is the perfect season to get planting, you probably have bags of compost or soil lying around, from your last visit to the garden center. However, according to experts, compost bags are full of organic material and trap moisture, creating the perfect warm and damp conditions that rats and mice seek. By leaving bags of compost on the ground, you may well be inviting a rodent infestation.
“Nesting rats are a big problem,” Allan Jeffrey, gardening expert at Ultra Decking, told The Express. “Their numbers grow quickly, and they'll soon start gnawing through garden structures like your decking, your fencing, and that kind of damage doesn't come cheap."
How to store compost properly
The best way to store compost is to keep it off the ground by simply elevating it so pests can’t easily reach it. In fact, experts suggest storing items like compost bags and firewood on a raised platform, positioned one to two metres away from your house and wooden structures.
The best way to store compost is to keep it off the ground by simply elevating it so pests can’t easily reach it.
This method of elevated storage will promote good airflow, which prevents moisture accumulation and makes the area much less attractive to unwanted visitors.
Alternatively, store bags in air-tight, sealed bins to keep them out of sight, and if you’re making your own compost, be sure to use heavy-duty plastic bins with clip-on lids. You want to make it extremely harder for rats and other pests to get access to it.
Similarly, don’t leave firewood or timber lying around on the ground and ensure these are elevated off the ground or kept in a secure place. And of course, always keep your yard and outdoor areas clean and tidy at all times.
"Rats are attracted to cluttered and dirty places, so it's advisable to regularly clean and tidy your garden building, removing debris such as leaves and sticks from the outside and any materials which could be used for nesting," states Sam Jenkinson, garden building expert at Tiger Sheds.
Additionally, remove debris near buildings and cut back any vegetation that has become overgrown to prevent rats from hiding and seeking shelter.
So before you get to planting this April, just remember to elevate and store your compost bags securely afterwards — for a rat-free yard.
For more top tips, check out these 5 expert tips to outsmart pesky rats in your yard.
