Monty Don says rats will stop entering your garden if you make 1 simple change

Gardening experts Monty Don and Alan Titchmarsh have shares the common mistake that attracts rats to your garden this spring.

Monty Don says rats will stop entering your garden if you make 1 simple change(Image: Paul Grace Photography Somersham via Getty Images)

Spring marks the beginning of breeding season for many rats, meaning you’re likely to spot more of these unwanted visitors around your garden and potentially your home. The mere idea of rats gaining entry to your property is enough to make anyone shudder, yet in many cases, they can be kept at bay.

Renowned gardening expert Monty Don has highlighted that compost is the primary factor drawing rats to your garden.

While composting is a fantastic method for disposing of kitchen waste and nourishing your garden, the horticultural specialist cautioned that you must be selective about what you add to your compost heap.

Monty explained, “The real secret of compost is life to soil. Because compost is made by the material being digested by bacteria and fungi and nematodes and the worms and beetles and bugs, you make it work like a recipe that you know just works and works over time.

The main thing attracting rats to your garden is compost(Image: Raphael Ruz via Getty Images)

“So let’s look at it like a recipe. First thing is your ingredients. You can add almost anything that’s lived to a compost heap.”

However, his composting advice comes with one significant caveat. “Don’t add meat, fats or cooked material,” he said. “Particularly cooked starches like potato or rice or pasta.”

He warned: “The main reason for that is not that it won’t decompose, because it will in time, but it will do so more slowly. It will attract rodents. You will get rats.”

These food items tend to break down at an extremely slow pace, produce unpleasant smells, and can attract various types of rodents.

TV gardening specialist Alan Titchmarsh also highlighted that rats are particularly attracted to compost.

He explained: “The place they love more than anywhere else in the garden is the compost heap. Mainly because of the heat generated by all this rotting vegetation.”

He also advised gardeners against adding fats, cooked items and meat to compost. Alan warned: “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.”