Will Rats Attack The Fruit Trees In Your Yard?

Having a garden, a small orchard, or even a couple of fruit trees outside can be a source of great joy. However, it can also be a draw for rodents, especially rats, who are always on the lookout for a sugary treat. Here is how you can keep your yard protected against rats and stop them from reaching the home.

Protecting your fruit trees

It can be difficult to keep rats out of an open space area such as your yard, but there are a few measures that you can take. First, make sure that you do not leave out certain foods and materials that attract rats. For example, your bird feeders can attract rats, since they’re filled with nuts, and rats are drawn to compost which they consume and build nests in. You can then lay traps and poisons around your property. Of course, you have to be very careful to not harm other animals, and you may need a permit to use rat poisons outdoors, but at the very least, you leave some snap traps out and about to act as a deterrent.

What happens once rats are in the yard

If rats find plenty of food sources in the yard, they will build their burrow closer in the area. Then, as they explore or forage for new food, they may sense it in your home, and attempt to enter. Alternatively, the rats will be happy to live outdoors for a few months, until the temperatures start to drop, at which point they will try to enter the home to keep warm.

Removing a rat infestation

Fruit trees are a prime target for rats, because they have everything a rat needs, from seeds, to insects and of course fruit. To make matters worse, the fruit trees may be close to the home, which means that the rat might head indoors after its finish gorging on fruit. So it’s important to implement measures that keep the yard protected. But what if rats are already in the yard? In this situation, you will need the help of a pest control pro who will be able to use traps and poisons to clear out the rat population.

For more information on how outdoor and indoor rat infestations are removed, or if you have an infestation that you need to get rid of, contact us today.