Homeowners can use this £1.80 hack to keep rats away from fences and gardens
Rats can be a nuisance, especially when they aren't afraid to make themselves comfortable in our homes and gardens.
Keeping them away in the first place can be difficult, but a pest control expert has shared a cheap hack that can make your property less appealing to them.
While your first thought might be to put poison down, there are lots of ways you can keep rats away without harming them.
The Sun reports that a pest control expert has shared a hack which costs £1.80 for a 50ml pot at Superdrug and will make rats think twice about entering your garden.
Pest expert Marcus Mueller from Skedaddle shared that Vaseline can be used to keep rats away as it forms a slippery surface, making it harder for them to reach.
He suggested adding Vaseline to garden fences so that rats find it difficult to enter your garden.
Marcus added some further tips for homeowners, including cutting low-hanging tree branches.
He said: 'Rats often enter gardens by climbing over fences [or] using low-hanging tree branches. You can deter rodents by properly maintaining the trees on your property.
'Trim back branches to keep rats from using them as highways.
'You should also collect and discard fallen fruit to prevent the rats from accessing an easy food source.'
Really Wild Birdfood Co previously shared the Vaseline hack in 2022.
It said that since rats look for food sources in our gardens, including bird feeders and tables, it's a good idea to use Vaseline to keep them away.
You can do this by putting Vaseline on the pole of the bird feeding station to make it slippery and more difficult for rats to climb to the food source.
It added that taller feeding stations are better as they make it more difficult for rats to climb compared to those that are at ground level.
To report a pest problem, the government website encourages you to get in touch with your council to see if they provide pest control services to get rid of rats.
You can enter your postcode, and the website will match the postcode to a council and direct you to their website for more information.
The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) recommends getting in touch with a professional pest management company that is a member of BPCA.
Recommended reading:
Have you found rats in your house or garden? What to do if you see rodents
RSPCA shares how to get rid of rats in your home or garden without harming them
When are rats and mice most active? How living near humans affects their plans
You'll need to enter your postcode and state whether your property is commercial or residential, and the service you'd like.
Then, companies that are BPCA members and located in your area will be listed with contact details.
The BPCA says all of its members have the correct insurance and use trained and qualified technicians.
They all have to be audited to the British Standard in pest management EN 16636 and follow BPCA's Codes of Best Practice.
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