How To Fight Rats From The Neighbors Garden?

Your neighbor disposes of food waste on the compost and keeps chickens?
Mountains of garbage, bulky waste and leftover food are carelessly disposed of on the neighbor’s property. The area resembles a garbage dump?

These are paradisiacal conditions for rats. No wonder that the rodents are on the move even in broad daylight.

You should definitely talk to your neighbor and make him aware of the rat infestation.

In addition, you should inform the responsible public order office or health department by phone or e-mail about the rat infestation.

If the rodents are in the property next door, then sooner or later the pests will also come to your property.

Therefore you should put rat poison (rodenticides) in bait boxes (bait boxes protect dogs and cats from eating the poison).
Alternatively, you can also set up rat traps in the property.

A rat infestation in your property and garden is no fun and can be dangerous for you and your family.

In this article, you’ll learn what attracts rats.

How to prevent a rat infestation?

Which rat control products are really effective.

Rat infestation on private property – Who is responsible?

If there is a rat infestation on private property, the responsibility for rat control lies with the property owner.

Be sure to talk to your neighbor about the rat problem.

The neighbor is obligated under the Infection Control Act to implement rat control measures.

These measures serve the safety of the residents and the general health protection.

Whether the owner applies the measures himself or has them carried out by a professional commercial pest controller is up to the owner.
The commercial pest control trade offers a wide variety of pest control agents that are approved for residential use.

These agents can be purchased at garden centers or hardware stores. Before using the poison baits, you should inform yourself exactly about the application.

Observe whether your neighbor is really taking measures to control rats!

Is a rat infestation reportable?

Yes, a rat infestation is reportable. Rats are carriers of dangerous diseases. Therefore, the competent authority should be informed. A rat infestation should be reported to the responsible public order office or health department.

Preventing rats in your own property

You should implement the following preventive measures to avoid attracting rats to your property:

Garbage cans should be secured with a rock or bicycle lock.
Do not dispose of food waste in the compost.

Do not dispose of food waste in the toilet.

Do not put pet or bird food out in the open.

Eliminate all hiding places for rats on the property (wood piles, trash piles, wild garbage dumps).

Do not put garbage outside until the day of pickup.

Close doors or floor-to-ceiling windows to prevent rats from entering the house
Secure the toilet with a backwater valve to prevent rats from entering the sewer system through the toilet and into the bathroom

Install a wildlife camera and monitor the property at night to check if the rodents are already active on the property.

The 3 best means for rat control

If you discover rats on your property, you should immediately take measures to control the rodents.

I present you the 3 best means against rats for private use.

1. poison bait against rats
   When using poison baits, you are obliged to place them only in a secured box. This is required by law!

With a bait box you protect wild and domestic animals from poisoning. Cats or dogs could eat the bait and be poisoned.

Replace the poison every 3-4 days and wear gloves. Rats are intelligent animals and will sense your scent if you place the bait with your bare hands.
Brumolin rat baits* are a good recommendation and can be purchased including a suitable bait box. The dosage is easy, because the baits are already pre-portioned.

2. beat traps against rats
   In case of a rat infestation, beat traps are placed in the house and in the garden. Strike traps are a good option for the control of individual rats.

The Gardigo professional rat trap set of 5* is recommended for this purpose.

Peanut butter, nut nougat cream and chocolate are excellent bait.

If you have a heavy rat infestation, you should use poison bait.

3. ultrasonic repellent against rats
   To support your control measures, you can use ultrasonic distributors. These emit ultrasonic waves, which drive away the rodents.
   The sound waves are not perceptible to human hearing.

Place the ultrasonic repellent on your property.

TIP: You can aim the ultrasonic distributor at the neighbor’s property to create an “ultrasonic barrier”.

In my garden I use the VOSS.sonic 2000* and am very satisfied with the device.

This is solar powered. Just plug it into the ground, turn it on and you’re done.

The sound waves not only work against rats, but also mice.
Should you have problems with rats in the garage or apartment building, I recommend the Pest Detective Ultrasonic*.

The smallest devices are only suitable for indoor use!

Why are there rats on your neighbor’s property?

Unsanitary conditions and an abundant food supply are the reasons for the presence of rats.

In the following section I explain to you what things attract rats.

The following things attract rats:
Disposing of food in the toilet.

Food scraps in the compost.

Birdseed in the garden.
Open pet food (dog food/cat food).

Overflowing garbage cans.

Wild garbage dumps on property provide hiding places for pet and Norway rats.

Farm Animal Husbandry.

Keeping small animals such as rabbits or chickens, their food scraps are a welcome food source.

Uncleared fallen fruit from fruit trees.

How much does professional rat control cost?

Professional rat control by a commercial pest controller costs between 300 – 500 euros.

What to do if the neighbor is not known?

If the owner of the neighboring property is not known, you should obtain information about the property owner from the residents and neighbors.

If you can’t find out who the owner is, then inform the responsible public order office about the rat infestation on the neighbor’s property.

Are rats dangerous in the house, in the garden and on the property?

Yes, rats in the house, in the garden and on the property are dangerous!

Did you know that rats can transmit hundreds of diseases to humans?

If the rats are on the neighbor’s property, then it is only a stone’s throw to you.

Once the rats are established, it is very difficult to get rid of them.

Rats have offspring up to twelve times a year
A pair of rats can produce up to 750 young per year. Therefore, do not underestimate the problem!

These intelligent omnivores are constantly on the lookout for new food sources and curiously explore the surrounding area.

Rat infestation on urban properties – What to do?

In the event of a rat infestation on public/urban properties, the city or municipality is required to take rat control measures.

Municipal properties include parks, schools, sidewalks, public schools, etc.

The Public Works Department must be notified immediately by phone or email of the rat infestation.

What do rats not like at all?

Rats do not like the smell of neem oil and turpentine at all.

If you lay out rags soaked with them, possibly even near the rat’s burrow, they will think twice about staying.

Since rats are sensitive to odors, they also avoid certain spices: Chili powder is not at all liked to be smelled or ingested.

If you scatter it on the rats’ walking paths, remnants of the spice will get stuck in their fur. If the rodents preen themselves, there is a horrible taste sensation.

TIP: It is important to know that home remedies are not sufficient for a severe rat infestation.

The risk of a rat infestation on your own property is too great.

Product recommendation for protection against rats
Game camera
To control whether rats are on your property, you can set up a game camera. With it you can also track down raccoons and other uninvited guests.

I have been using the Secacam in my garden for many years.

With the SECACAM Mobile – 3G game camera* you can have the pictures sent directly to your cell phone. The camera is the test winner of the European hunting magazine.

Rat poison for the home

SBM Protect Home rat portion baits* are recommended for use indoors. These are applicable for dry and damp rooms such as basements or attics.