How to get rid of rats outside
Have rats invaded your yard? Rats, Gophers, moles and voles (there are many types of rats)can wreak havoc on your yard by damaging your garden and leaving unsightly mounds or tracks on the lawn; not to mention, they can negatively impact your yard’s irrigation and watering systems, too, and its not to far fetched that they can ultimately ruin your foundation if allowed. With the right measures in place, you can prevent rodents / roof rats from ruining your yard, so continue reading for not only how to get rid of them, but keep them away for good. You can read our article on The Difference between a rat and mouse if you think its not rats that are plaguing your yard.
How to Get Rid of Rats In Yard
Contacting a rodent control specialist is always recommended when you are unable to carry out the necessary task it would take to take back control of your yard. There are four steps we need to take for this to work:
Get Rid of Smells that attract rats
Get Rid of openings that attract rats
Get Rid of Hospitable situations for Rats
Plant Plants to Repel Rats from Coming Back Again
What attract rats
A Rats smell is incredible, some folklore says they can smell up to 1 mile, but most sciebtific
Keep Bird Feeders Elevated
Rats are expert climbers, If you have bird feeders in your yard, make sure you elevate those to make them difficult to reach for a hungry rat. Cutting off all food supply sources will discourage rats from taking up residence in your yard, its likely in your best interest to remove bird feeders altogether.
Keep Pet Poop Picked Up
rat holes in yard
Rats like dog food so much that they often eat dog poop, I understand this is disgusting, but its the main reason to keep pet waste picked up each day. Not only is it sanitary, but rats can also eat poop and get nutrition from it if they are desperate. The waste matter in your pet’s yard can be a source of sustenance for a nasty rat colony. If there is an ample supply of dog feces the rats may move right into your yard.
Keep Pet Food Put Up When Not in Use
Remove any excess food and store it in a sealed container. Rats love to eat dog food or cat food, and can will seek it out above most forms of food, DO NOT LEAVE PET FOOD IN YOUR YARD.
Make Sure Your Garbage Can Lid are Secure
Make sure your garbage cans and recycle bins are sealed shut and cannot be opened easily. Many municipal garbage bins have heavy lids to prevent rodents from opening them. Rats are known for being notorious to keep out of your garbage, and feast like kings on the scraps of food we throw away, a tightly sealed garbage can fixes alot of faults.
Clean Barbeque Grill
Be sure to clean your barbeque and grill thoroughly after each use. Make sure the air vents are shut tight, and secure the lid tight so no rats can enter the barbeque chamber when it is closed, if you hate this like most people there are many local Grill Cleaning companies around.
Get Rid of openings that attract rats
It is very important to seal even the smallest crevices, along your fence or driveway. Rats and mice can squeeze through extremely small cracks by flattening their body, but often times wont do it and will opt for something easier, a well placed brick blocking a very active hole coming from your neighbors yard can work wonders.
Use weather stripping, wire mesh, door seals, or spray foam to close off these crevices. Some people will say to use steel wool to seal off small entry holes.
Rats usually build Rat nests in the attic, in overgrown shrubs or landscaping, in wood piles or where clutter is accumulated, but you will often find rat holes in the yard also.
Keep Yard Free of Clutter Junk and Wood Piles
Rats like to hide in places where humans are nearby. When your yard is filled with clutter, this gives more opportunities to the rats to build a nest.
If you have a firewood pile, or stacks of scrap wood, rats can also hide in these crevices. By keeping your property clean and organized, rats are less likely to find a safe place to hide and multiply.
Eliminate Compost Piles
While composting is ecologically sustainable, it provides a buffet for rats. Your waste food like coffee grounds, citrus peels, old vegetables, eggshells, and other discarded organic matter is all food for a rats. If you suspect rats in your yard, eliminate your compost pile and take away a food source.
Get Rid of Hospitable situations for Rats
If you have a garden on your property, keep it as far from your home as possible. Rats can eat food found in the garden and live long health lives from that food. Most gardens are decorative, and people would be better served by buying groceries at a grocery store close to you.
Trim Shrubs and Ivy
Rats look for places to hide that are close to humans, but where they are relatively unseen. They love hidden places like attics and sheds. Another place they tend to congregate is in overgrown foliage, like ivy, shrubs, and tall grass. Keep your landscaping neat and your plants trimmed back so rats don’t have another place to build a hidden nest.
rat nest yard
Fencing
If you have a garden in your yard, you can protect your vegetables and flowers from rodents by placing a fence around the garden area. Opt for mesh fencing that’s 1/4” or smaller, and bury it a foot into the ground to prevent voles from burrowing. If you’re dealing with moles or gophers, bury it 2-3 feet deep. For safe measure, bend the fencing to a 90 degree angle (this will create an L shape) underground. There should be at least 6 inches of fencing above ground.
Wrap Affected Trees
To prevent voles and other rodents from damaging your trees, wrap the lower trunks with wire mesh. Again, the mesh should be 1/4” or smaller and buried several inches into the ground. Consider wrapping large shrubs, too.
Attract Natural Predators
Natural predators can help prevent rodents from damaging your yard by keeping them out in the first place. Hawks, owls and snakes feed on moles, gophers and voles. A family of barn owls can consume 1,000 gophers per year.
To attract barn owls, build nesting boxes in strategic locations throughout your yard.
Plant Plants to Repel Rats from Coming Back Again
Another simple way to prevent rodent damage – and to discourage them from coming into your yard, is to plant daffodil and sage in strategic locations. Both of these plants are vole and gopher neutral, which will discourage them from burrowing and coming into your yard in the first place.
Keep Your Yard Tidy
Rodents prefer to hide in grassy areas and underbrush where their tracks can’t easily be spotted. Keep your grass trimmed short and eliminate underbrush to discourage rodents from making your yard their home. Remove all wood piles and any other debris from your yard as rodents may use them as a shelter.
If rodents are already damaging your Dallas, TX yard, consider hiring a professional rodent removal company or rat exterminator to eliminate the infestation. Once eliminated, you can use the tips above to prevent rodents from returning and causing more damage.
For further reading on the subject :
How to get rid of Rats
Rats Sounds
How to get rid of Mice
Mice Sounds
How to get rid of Squirrels
Squirrel Sounds
How to get rid of Raccoons
Raccoon Sounds
How to get rid of Opossums
Opossum Sounds
Contact Rapid Rodent Removal today (469) 609-RATS.