Hi everyone! We recently moved into a house that has a large decking area, and my partner is really anxious about rats since we've spotted a few in the garden. This tends to happen when we forget to bring in the bird food or if we use slug pellets which seem to attract them.
We try our best to keep the garden tidy, but there are always spots where they can hide among the plants and containers. Considering our garden borders with others, we know we can't completely eliminate their presence, but we would like to prevent them from nesting in our space to avoid the risk of them getting inside the house, especially since our garden isn't very large.
I'm contemplating whether getting rid of the decking and replacing it with a patio would actually decrease the number of rats that come into our garden. We do have a summer house on concrete with a small gap underneath for ventilation, and I've noticed they sometimes go under that too. Any recommendations on how to block that space to keep them out? Thanks a lot!
1 Answer
The impact of removing decking on rat presence largely depends on what's underneath it and if there's food available nearby. If the area under the decking is uninviting, rats are less likely to nest there. They'll typically linger only if there's food around. To keep them out, consider using steel rat mesh—it's pretty affordable online!
That's interesting! I noticed they had a tunnel behind our decking leading to the neighbor’s garden. Pest control said it was a 'bolt hole', not a nest, but they just kept digging it up every time I filled it in. It seems like the sheltered area of the decking is cozy for them, especially since I only see them when we forget the bird food. Underneath is rocky, so hopefully, they aren't living there.