9 Tricks To Get Rid Of Rats From Your Garden For Good

#1: Use Peppermint Oil

Rats have an extraordinarily sensitive olfactory system pproximately 1,000 times more sensitive than a human’s and find the strong menthol compounds in peppermint oil actively repellent.

To deploy it, soak cotton balls in 100% pure peppermint oil and place them at intervals throughout the garden, in the shed or gazebo, and along fence lines where rats typically travel.

#2: Plant Catnip Around Your Garden

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) has been shown to deter rats due to its active compound nepetalactone — the same volatile chemical that attracts cats.

Research from Iowa State University found that nepetalactone repels a range of pest insects and rodents at concentrations far lower than synthetic repellents.

Plant catnip around the perimeter of your garden, near compost bins, and beside entry points along fencing.

#3: Install Soil Netting Under Garden Beds

For new or recently renovated garden beds, laying a layer of heavy-gauge galvanized wire mesh (hardware cloth with ¼-inch openings) flat underneath the soil at planting time is one of the most effective structural defenses available.

It physically blocks rats from burrowing up from below to access plant roots, bulbs, and tubers their preferred below-ground food sources.

Note that determined rats will attempt to chew through plastic netting over time use galvanized steel mesh for lasting results.

Complement netting with regular garden inspections along the bed perimeter to detect any burrowing attempts at the edges.

#4: Get a Rat-Hunting Pet

The scent of predators alone is a significant behavioral deterrent for rats they will actively avoid establishing territory in areas where cat or dog presence is strongly evident.

A garden-roaming cat is one of the most effective long-term rat control tools available, particularly for preventing re-infestation after a trapping campaign has reduced the active population.

After getting a cat that spends significant time in my garden, I have not had a rat infestation reach the level it used to.

The cat has made two actual catches but more importantly, I see far fewer signs of scouting activity (fresh burrow starts, gnaw marks on fruit) along the fence line closest to the garden.

#5: Keep Food Off the Lawn and Garden

As detailed in our guide to understanding the rat menace in your garden, food availability is the primary driver of rat colonization. Eliminate the food source and you eliminate the primary reason for rats to be there in the first place.

Remove bird feeders or switch to squirrel-proof/rat-proof designs with catch trays that prevent seed from falling to the ground.

If you take meals outdoors, clean up all spills and food scraps before leaving the area. Harvest ripe fruit and vegetables promptly fallen and overripe produce is a primary attractant.

#6: Eliminate Standing Water Sources

Rats require daily access to fresh water to survive without it, they cannot sustain a colony. Removing standing water sources from your garden significantly reduces its viability as rat habitat, especially in dry climates or summer months when water is scarce.

Remove or regularly empty birdbaths, drainage saucers under pots, and any containers that collect rainwater.

Check that irrigation systems don’t leak or pool in accessible areas. If birdbaths are non-negotiable, elevate them on a smooth post at least 30 inches tall  rats are poor climbers on smooth cylindrical surfaces.

#7: Keep Your Garden Clean and Clutter-Free

Rats are instinctively cautious animals that need cover to feel safe moving through open spaces. Clutter old pots, timber offcuts, tires, stacked materials, dense overgrowth provides the cover and nesting material that makes a garden feel safe and habitable to rats. A tidy, open garden is a hostile environment for them.

Keep grass mowed short with your reel mower or rotary mower. Remove any objects that provide shelter old pots, scrap wood, unused equipment. Keep compost bins sealed and raised if possible. Trim overhanging vegetation and dense ground cover along fence lines.

#8: Block All Access to the Garden Shed and Structures

Garden sheds, gazebos, and outbuildings are prime rat habitat they offer shelter, warmth, and usually some degree of stored food or organic material.

Systematically block every potential entry point: gaps in walls, holes around pipe entries, gaps under doors, and hollow spaces or voids beneath the structure’s floor.

Use galvanized ¼-inch hardware cloth to seal any opening larger than ½ inch rats can compress their bodies through openings as small as ¾ inch (the size of a large coin).

For the space under shed floors, lay hardware cloth flat on the ground extending at least 12 inches outward from the structure’s perimeter to prevent burrowing entry.

#9: Keep Rubbish Bins Tightly Sealed

Household waste bins are one of the most powerful rat attractants in the domestic environment.

Food odors carry significantly in open air, and even a briefly uncovered or poorly sealed bin signals a nearby food source to any rat within range. Bins that overflow, have cracked lids, or don’t seal at the base are particularly problematic.

Ensure all outdoor bins have tight-fitting, locking lids. If your existing bin lid doesn’t seal adequately, retrofit it with a bungee cord lock or replace it entirely.

Keep bins on a hard surface not directly on soil to prevent burrowing beneath them. Rinse food containers before disposal to reduce scent.