Does The Smell Of This Ground Cover Perennial Really Keep Rats Out Of Your Home And Garden?

Rats are a common problem around homes and gardens. Not only do they cause structural damage and eat your plants, but they can also transmit a number of diseases. Seeing or hearing rats around your home and yard, or perhaps spotting their hair or droppings, are all signs that of an infestation and may need help from a wildlife expert to help get rid of rats humanely. Before you reach the point of an infestation, though, you might consider ways to help deter these rodents from your property. One commonly promoted method is to use lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) in your yard and around your home's entry points to deter rats, but it's worth noting this strategy is largely based on anecdotal evidence.

Lavender is a popular perennial plant known for its green needle-shaped leaves and pretty white or lavender flowers. It's also coveted as a way to attract a wide variety of pollinators, especially butterflies. Some gardeners choose to plant this herb for aesthetic purposes, while others also appreciate is strong scent that is often described as balsam-like. It's this latter quality that supposedly makes lavender a deterrent for certain pests, including rats. Before planting lavender for rat control, though, it's important to understand how it works and the best ways to implement this method.

The scent of lavender is attributed to both its leaves and flower heads, which can emit strong aromas. While lavender is appreciated by many humans for its calming effects, the scent can create the opposite reaction in certain insects, such as flies, moths, and mosquitoes. It's thought the plant creates too strong of an aroma for these pests. This is a similar effect to other fragrant plants known to deter insects, including basil, catnip, mint, and rosemary. For these reasons, many people use this simple lavender hack for keeping mosquitoes away from their homes.

Due to such effects, some gardeners have experimented with planting lavender to ward off other types of pests. This includes rodents like rats, who purportedly don't care for the plant's fragrance. In theory, lavender could then work as an effective barrier when planted around landscape beds or the perimeter of your garden. You might even be able to place potted lavender or sprigs of the plant near your home's entry points as rat deterrents. Such strategies are even recommended by some pest control blogs.

While lavender can make a lovely addition to any home garden, there are some caveats to consider if your sole motivation for planting lavender is to control rats. Several university extensions note that lavender may indeed help to deter certain insects, but there's no solid evidence that the plant will have the same effect on rodents. Moreover, herbs should never replace other home pest management strategies.

If you do decide to try lavender as a rat deterrent, the key is to place it in areas where rats might access your yard, garden, or home's entry points. You can plant lavender in containers or directly in the ground where it can grow up to three feet tall. No matter how you choose to grow it, it's important to keep in mind that lavender prefers full sun, low humidity, and quick-draining soil. It's hardy in Zones 5 to 10, where the plant also has a reputation for drought tolerance. You can also make sachets of lavender to strategically place around your home and yard as needed.

Lavender and other fragrant plants are unlikely to solve all your pest problems alone. With this in mind, you can plant lavender with cautious optimism along with other rat control strategies. Removing sources of food and shelter are keys to reducing pests around your yard and garden. This includes fallen fruit, bird seed, pet food, unsealed garbage cans, open compost, and debris piles. Keeping your yard clean is one easy and inexpensive solution to keeping unwanted rodents out of your garden. It's also important to inspect your house for any holes or cracks to ensure rats cannot access the inside of your home. As a rule of thumb, any gaps that are larger than ¼ of an inch require resealing.