Rats and mice, unlike many other garden pests, do not hibernate during the winter.
Instead, they seek warm places to shelter and protect themselves from predators. Outdoors, these rodents often burrow into the ground for rest or to bear their young. To deter rats and mice from invading your garden, plant retailer David’s Garden Seeds has suggested a few plants that “can actually repel rodents from the garden“.
The first type of plants that rats and mice “do not like” are herbs. The retailer recommends planting herbs around the garden “sort of like a protective wall to repel”. Herbs with strong smells such as mint (especially peppermint), catnip, rosemary, sage, lavender, oregano, and basil are “the most effective plants at keeping these unwelcome creatures away”.
While humans find the aroma of herbs pleasant, it is overwhelming for rodents like rats and mice. Many gardeners also choose to place sage around targeted plants, creating an affordable yet effective barrier. Sage is a versatile plant that will thrive in any soil type as long as it is exposed to sunlight, reports the Express.
As for flowering garden plants, rats and mice dislike marigolds and painted daisies, so consider planting them around the borders of your garden. Gardeners can plant some garlic bulbs from now until spring in their garden to deter rodents. Another tip is to finely chop garlic and boil it in water. After straining out the garlic pieces, put the garlic water in a spray bottle.
Spray the bottoms of plants to keep rodents at bay and scatter chopped garlic around the garden’s perimeter. The greatest advantage of using garlic spray is that it eliminates the need for other, more harmful pesticides in the garden.
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