Gardening experts Monty Don and Alan Titchmarsh recommend one simple task to keep rats out of gardens this autumn: avoid adding meat, fats, or cooked material to compost heaps. As temperatures drop, rats become the predominant pest entering gardens, and compost is a primary attraction due to the "heat generated by all this rotting vegetation," as Alan Titchmarsh noted.
Why compost attracts rats
Both experts agree that the main factor drawing rats to compost is when gardeners introduce three specific items. Monty Don urged: "Don't add meat, fats or cooked material. Particularly cooked starches like potato or rice or pasta."
Alan Titchmarsh gave similar advice: "Don't put processed food, anything you have cooked, any meat, or any potatoes. Don't do that because it's just an absolute open invitation for rats."
A balanced compost heap should mix brown and green materials. Greens include fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, tea bags, and grass clippings, while browns are carbon-rich items like cardboard and twigs.
Keep compost covered
Both experts also recommend keeping compost covered, particularly during autumn and winter, ensuring there are no gaps or holes rats can squeeze through. Covering the material also helps waste heat up faster and protects it from heavy winter rainfall.
For cooked foods and meats, placing them in a food waste bin is advised. Cooking oils can be sealed in a container and taken to a local recycling centre.
Other rat deterrents
Maintaining a tidy garden helps deter rats, as it provides less cover, though an excessively neat garden may be less hospitable for wildlife like hedgehogs. Keeping grass short, decluttering storage areas, and cutting back overgrown patches around fences and sheds are recommended.
Securing rubbish is also important, as waste offers rats an easy food source. All rubbish should be stored in firmly sealed bins and disposed of regularly, avoiding leaving bin bags or food waste outside for extended periods.
