Yahoo News Five plants that will deter rats from your garden forever, say pest control experts
Rats can become a significant issue the moment they decide to make your garden or house their home.
These pests can wreak havoc on properties in no time, with homes, vehicles, and gardens all at risk when rats are present. And rats pose a health threat as they can transmit infectious diseases to both humans and pets.
Therefore, it's crucial to act swiftly once a rat infestation is identified, to eliminate these pests and prevent their return. However, there's also a preventative measure you can take - growing certain plants, reports the Express.
Top Best Pest Services experts suggest that the solution to preventing a rat infestation lies in cultivating plants that repel rats, and they've identified five such plants.
1. Allium
Allium is a plant whose flower you'd likely recognise first, and like most flowers, it has a sweet scent.
But what you may not realise is that alliums are related to onions, garlic, and leeks. The experts said: "These may smell nice when cooked, but the raw 'oniony' scent of the allium plant is more than enough to ward away rats and even mice."
2. Mint
Mint offers a delightful scent, flavour, and sensation. Luckily, this benefit is only enjoyed by humans and not pests - particularly rats.
For rats, "the scent of mint is utterly revolting", much like other strong and overpowering scents. As you may be aware, rats possess a keen sense of smell which is precisely why they excel at locating food sources to unearth.
Thankfully, mint, and particularly peppermint due to its higher mint concentration, is "one of the best plants that repel rats".
3. Lavender
Lavender is widely cherished for its ability to alleviate stress by fostering relaxation, but it also serves a dual purpose when dealing with pests. The aroma of lavender is "overwhelming to rats".
Bearing this in mind, experts suggest that by positioning a few lavender plants around the garden, your home "will be clear of rats".
4. Wood hyacinth
Wood hyacinth, also known as the Spanish bluebell, has "a long history of proving itself to be one of the best plants that repel rats". For generations, gardeners have observed that the presence of wood hyacinths in their gardens "drastically reduces the number of rats that invade and feed from the garden".
While some may view this plant solely as an ornamental feature, it actually functions like "silent scent-powered bodyguards that keep rats and mice at bay".
5. Sweet pea
The flowers produced by sweet peas are vivid pink and emit a "flowery" and "sweet" fragrance. Owing to its robust and pleasant scent, "rats and mice are repelled" by these plants.
