Rats, notorious for being unwelcome guests in gardens where they breed and scavenge for food, can easily transition from your garden to the inside of your home, using it as a gateway.

These pests crave secrecy, so they’re experts at covering their burrows. Keep an eye out for holes approximately 8cm wide when you’re poking around the garden.

Jordan Foster from Fantastic Pest Control advises homeowners to utilise their gardens as a defence mechanism to deter rats from settling in. By doing so, you can keep these pests from feeling at home in your outdoor areas.

To repel rats, consider planting mint throughout your garden as they “dislike the smell” of it, which can block potential entry points.

Not only does mint ward off rodents, but it also serves as a fresh addition to your culinary creations.

Similarly, garlic’s aroma is “repulsive” to rats, making them reconsider their approach. Jordan suggested: “You can experiment with garlic water and squirt it down a rat burrow. 

“The smell will make it uncomfortable for the rats to live there, and they will leave your garden in a hurry for a more comfortable one.”

Besides its rodent-repelling properties, growing garlic offers the bonus of having fresh ingredients for delicious home-cooked meals.

Households troubled by rodent invasions might consider turning to their gardens for a solution, with experts suggesting planting onions as a deterrent. 

The expert said: “After taking one smell at it, they will run away. Just make sure to put new onion every few days otherwise, it will rot, and instead of repelling the rodents, it will become their food.”

However, pet owners should be cautious, as onions can be toxic, particularly to dogs.

In addition to onions, cultivating beds with garlic and leeks can also serve as an effective natural barrier against rodents and various other pests. 

Rats depend heavily on their sense of smell to locate food and “avoid dangerous situations,” which they sense by certain repulsive scents like lavender.

Surprisingly, the pleasant aroma of lavender to humans is off-putting to rats. Jordan elaborated: “Because of its potent smell, it can deflect them from finding food. So they try to avoid plants like this one.”

Planting lavender strategically around areas that attract rats and along garden perimeters could prove beneficial.

Jordan recommends establishing a border with herbs such as basil, thyme, and echinacea. He explained: “Once the rats smell them, they will consider that your place has nothing to offer and they better run to the neighbour who probably doesn’t have a ‘repulsive’ border around the garden.”