Regardless of the month of the year, no one wants to think about rats, but if you’ve seen these rascals running about your garden, you can be certain they are up to no good. Rats are not only disease bearing rodents, they also cause immeasurable damage to the fruits and vegetables you are trying to grow.
Their numbers are at their lowest in the cold months, so now is the time to be proactive and do your best to eliminate them. There are of course many services that will come out and do the job for you, but there are also a number of effective traps that can be used to attack the problem. It’s no fun to come outside to find a dead rat in a trap, but it’s also no fun to see your fruits and vegetables devoured by these furry critters.
Please note!! Under no circumstances should poison of any kind be employed!
There are any number of poisons that are marketed for the killing of rats, but any and all of them also kill owls and other birds of prey. When rats ingest poison, they become slow and inefficient, making them a prime target for the birds that eat them. Once the poisoned rat is ingested, the owl experiences secondary poisoning and dies as well. More owls are killed through secondary poisoning than any other cause. Killing off the owls can actually increase your rodent population, as they are natural predators that feed on rats.
Another way to help reduce the rat problem is cutting away any and all ivy, which is their favorite spot to live and breed. Ivy is an invasive plant, so riding your landscape of this opportunistic plant is a good deed!
Book your 30-minute free consultation now by calling Kathleen at Gardens by La Voy.
707.753.1445
