How to get rid of rats from your yard and prevent them from coming back

Signs of a Rat Infestation in Your Yard

Before jumping into solutions, it’s crucial to confirm that you’re dealing with rats. Since rats are nocturnal, you might not always see them, but you’ll likely notice evidence of their activity.

• Rat Droppings: Dark brown or black, about the size of a grain of rice, often found near food sources or nesting areas.
• Gnaw Marks: Rats constantly chew on wood, plastic, and even metal to keep their teeth sharp. Check for bite marks on fences, garden furniture, and food containers.
• Burrows: Norway rats (the most common outdoor species) dig burrows in soft soil, especially near buildings, sheds, or under dense vegetation.
• Grease Marks: Rats have oily fur that leaves dark smudges along walls and fences where they frequently travel.
• Scratching Noises: At night, you might hear scurrying sounds in bushes, under decks, or around compost bins.



If you notice these signs, it’s time to take action.

Understand what attracts rats to your yard

Rats are drawn to environments that provide easy access to food, water, and shelter. Identifying and eliminating these attractants is crucial in making your yard less appealing to these pests. Otherwise you could be attracting them without knowing it, garbage, bird feed, or even plants can attract rats.

Common Attractants

Rats are drawn to environments that provide easy access to food, water, and shelter. Identifying and eliminating these attractants is crucial in making your yard less appealing to these pests.

Food Sources: Unsecured garbage, pet food left outdoors, bird feeders, fallen fruits, and accessible compost piles.

Water Sources: Standing water from leaky faucets, birdbaths, or poorly drained areas.

Shelter: Overgrown vegetation, clutter, woodpiles, and debris provide ideal nesting sites.

Smells and Odors that attract rats

Odors and smells that come from pet waste, pet food, garbage containers, barbecue grills, birdfeeders, and even from unharvested fruit and nuts from plants can attract rats and mice. Too much clutter in your yard could also be an easy shelter for mice - keeping these things away or limited would help keep rats away. Good sanitation habits can effectively improve the prevention of attracting rodents in your yard.

Water Sources Attract Rats

Eliminate water sources when possible, rats require a constant water source and they tend to stay around these sources. It’s necessary to remove, cover, or repair any sources that provide a water source for these rodents. This includes swimming pools, leaky faucets, irrigation lines, water bowls for pets and other sources of standing water. It won't only benefit your rat control efforts but will help with mosquito control as well.

Seal Entry Points Around Your Home

If rats are in your yard, they may try to get inside your home as well. Prevent future infestations by sealing all possible entry points.



• Close Gaps in Walls: Use steel wool, wire mesh, or cement to block holes in your home's foundation, garage, or shed.
• Install Door Sweeps: Add weather stripping to doors leading to your yard to prevent rats from sneaking inside.
• Cover Vents and Drains: Use metal grates to cover vents and floor drains, which can serve as hidden entry points.