This Morning: Alice Beer shares tips for removing pests
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Rats are considered to be pests and a health hazard by many. They will eat away at fruit and vegetables, camp in your compost, gnaw through fences, planters and containers and, worse still, carry diseases harmful to humans. Taking to Mrs Hinch Gardening Tips on Facebook, one man asked for advice on how to stop his garden being “overrun” with what he assumed to be rats.
Posting a picture of areas of her garden that had been ruined by the rats, Denis Denis said: “I think maybe rats have taken up residence under my garden bench.
“What do I do? I have cats and they usually keep these visitors out. I don’t mind rats but don’t want to get overrun.”
The post received many comments from the page’s group members, but the most suggested response was to use steel wool.
Sally Wood said: “I’m not a fan of poisoning animals. It’s a horrible painful death. I expect you have foxes in your area and they eat rats so hopefully you won’t get overrun. But if there are not, try using steel wool. My husband said it’s a great mouse and rat deterrent.”
Steve Thorne wrote: “I found a hole similar to that in my garden in the last house I had, and one day one of the slabs needed lifting as it was sinking a bit. I was amazed to see loads of tunnels under the patio. It was like a motorway for rodents.
“We followed the runs which led up to the garden pond waterfall, and dug down to find their pantry full of bird seed that I’d been leaving on the bird table.
“We used steel wool to keep them away. Cheap and easy. It works as they can’t chew through it you see.”
Tara Clement advised: “Cover any holes/entrances in your garden with steel wool. When they try to chew through it they won’t be able to.”
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Valerie Brookes suggested: “If you are sure they are rats then fill the holes and gaps with wire wool, they will chew through most things but they hate that stuff.”
Gardeners can use steel wool as an effective way to block the access points to their garden.
Robert Collins, a pest control expert at myjobquote.co.uk, told Express.co.uk: “If there are any visible access points where you know the rats are entering and exiting from, stuff some steel wool into these gaps.
“Steel wool is a great barrier as it’s difficult for rats to nibble at steel wool.”
If gardeners are using steel wool rats will “eventually give up” when they find “they can’t get through it”.
Steel wool is relatively cheap and can be bought online or in DIY shops.
Toolstation sells a pack of three steel wool pads for £2.09 and a single steel wool pad can be purchased from Wicks for only 65p
Another suggestion for repelling rats gardeners were keen on was to use peppermint oil.
Sandra Fiford said: “I had rats and I covered cotton balls in peppermint oil and dropped them down the hole. Next morning when I went to check on them they had all scurried out.”
Sue Walker wrote: “I stuck some cotton wool with peppermint oil on them down the hole they made and I didn’t see them again.”
Sara Gullick recommended: “Peppermint oil is a good deterrent for pests like rats and mice.”
June Ramsdale added: “I’ve not tried it but they say peppermint oil is good because they don’t like it.”
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