Nature and Gardening

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All things green, outdoors, and nature-y. Whether it's animals in their natural habitat, hiking trails and mountains, or planting a little garden for yourself (and everything in between), you can talk about it here.

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How to deal with rats coming from neighbour's yard? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I love growing my own food but I have had to limit the types of plants I grow because rats always come and eat them.

In previous years I have had rats devour my entire beet, carrot, pea, and strawberry harvests each in a matter of one or two nights.

I set snap traps every night with peanut butter (and trip them every morning so I don't kill any birds). Last year I killed 17, this year I have already killed 5.

I am now growing peas that climb taller so the rats can't reach them. Next year I plan on hanging my strawberry plants off the ground. I have started removing all the lower branches of my tomatoes so they can't climb them. I have given up on carrots, beets, and daikon...

Has anyone found any effective methods to manage this? My neighbour won't do anything about the rats and their property is entirely overgrown.

I have heard spreading hot pepper flakes can discourage them from coming around.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Are you in more of a suburban area or a farm area? Only things I've seen take care of them before is something that actively hunts them, or cleanup of the area they breed/hide in.

Ie, cats, raptors (hawks, eagles), coyotes

They're quite smart creatures is the annoying bit. So anything minor isn't going to stop them