This tip with plastic bottles may well save your garden before summer!
The rats are among the small animals feared by many gardeners, just like the moles, the campagnols and the mice. If it is never pleasant to come face to face with a rat, they can also tackle your plants and cultures, spread disease and cause significant damage in your garden and your home. It is not for nothing that they are very often considered as harmful and that we prefer to keep them away from our house and our garden.
If the rats love to come to the gardens, it is for a very simple reason. They are attracted to food sources and shelters. A garden with leftover food, lots of wood or poorly maintained areas is a perfect environment for these rodents. Once installed, they reproduce quickly, making their eradication difficult.
Getting rid of these pests can be a difficult mission, and many solutions offered are not suitable for everyone and are sometimes violent. If you do not want to adopt cat or use rat traps or rodonticide products (which kill rodents), there is an easy solution to implement with a simple plastic bottle, validated by many gardeners.
The idea is to exploit a simple phenomenon: noise and movement. Rats are suspicious animals that avoid places where they perceive danger. A plastic bottle can be transformed into effective repellents thanks to these few steps. Choose an empty plastic bottle. Pour it in several places to allow the air to rush. Pass a stick through the bottle so that it can turn freely with the wind. Plant the stick in the ground or fix it on a post near the areas to be protected. Let the wind do the work. As soon as there is a breeze, the bottle will turn, producing noise and vibrations that will scare the rats.
Rats are very sensitive to unusual noise and vibrations. The unpredictable movement of the bottle disrupts them and makes them believe that a danger lurks. This technique is used in certain agricultural crops to remove rodents not only, but also other unwanted animals such as birds.
Here are some additional tips for optimal efficiency:
- Multiply the bottles in your garden by placing them in different places;
- Combine this method with other natural repellents such as the use of odors that these rodents hate: peppermint, white vinegar or even bay leaves.
- Avoid leaving food in the open air. Remember to store your waste well and not allow food remains to be dragged in the garden.