The Non-Toxic, All-Natural Way To Keep Rats Out Of Your Garden Is Hiding In Your Kitchen

Pest management is an integral part of having a home garden. Aside from insects, you also may need to protect your plants against rodents. Rats can be particularly dangerous problems to deal with. Not only can they potentially spread diseases through their waste, they can also wreak havoc by eating fruits and vegetables from your plants. Before investing in expensive measures against rats, you might be wondering if there are more affordable and natural solutions available to help address this problem. Cinnamon may be one potential option for deterring rats from your garden, but it's important to understand how this method may work as part of an overall rat management plan.

There are many ways you can use cinnamon to deter household pests. Rats are thought to be sensitive to strong scents, and thus may stay away from areas with these types of odors. This includes the smell of cinnamon. In fact, cinnamon may help keep other pests away from your garden as well, including ants. Researchers have traced the efficacy of cinnamon to its active components of cinnamaldehyde as well as eugenol, which are both found in the leaves and bark of the plant. Ground cinnamon is made from the bark, while oils are usually derived from the plant's leaves or the bark. Both may help reduce rat activity, but know that the strategy is not guaranteed to work, or work completely, in all cases.

Before you head to your spice cabinet in search of powdered cinnamon, it's important to have a plan in place for how you might use this product. When using cinnamon powder, liberally sprinkle the product around the bases of the plants you want to protect from rats. Another option is to use cinnamon essential oil, which is even more potent than powdered cinnamon. Combine 10 drops of oil per every cup of water into a spray bottle, and use around your plants as needed. However, if you have pets, it's important to keep them away from cinnamon essential oils, as these can be toxic for them.

Also know that there's no single method of rat control for gardens. Instead, you might use cinnamon as part of a more holistic plan of action, along with other must-know tricks every gardener should know to keep rats away. These can include other rat-deterring methods such as removing fallen fruit and bird seed from the ground every day. Preventing areas of standing water and yard clutter can also help, as well as keeping compost and trash in containers will tight lids. Planting plants 2 to 3 feet apart from one another is yet another way to help reduce rat activity, as these rodents don't care for being so exposed. If you continue to see signs of rats in your garden despite the use of cinnamon and other pest control strategies, it may be time to call the pros.