4 Ways Your Healthy Veggie Garden Could Be Attracting Rodents
Growing your own vegetables is the best way to have a healthy household. But have you considered that behind this green choice, there may be risks you don’t realize? Mice and rats are opportunistic by nature, and a well-looked-after garden can look like an all-you-can-eat buffet with a safe place to shelter up.
Here are 4 ways your healthy veg garden can attract rodents and what to do about it.
#1. What You Grow
Some of the best vegetables are appealing to rodents. They love leafy greens like kale, spinach, lettuce, or Swiss chard. Root veggies and seed-producing plants also become a target once they get a taste for the good life.
Once those rodents find a reliable place to eat, they tend to keep coming back regularly.
#2. Sheds
Garden sheds are useful for storing tools and supplies, but they can also become a rodent hotel. They’re warm, dry, and not disturbed much on a daily basis, so they make perfect little nesting spots.
Rodents can easily hop from the shed into the garden beds next door. If the shed is full of cardboard, fabric, or just general clutter, then that’s even more appealing to mice and rats. And if a small rodent population gets going, then before you know it, you can have a big problem on your hands.
#3. Compost Piles
Composting is a great habit. But beware of open or poorly secured compost piles. Fruit scraps, veggie peels, and grains are ideal food for rodents.
Even the compost bins that are supposed to be rodent-proof can become a problem if the lids aren’t properly fastened.
It’s not the compost itself that’s the issue. But it definitely needs to be properly contained. If it’s not, then you’re giving the rodents an all-access pass.
#4. Proximity to Home
Gardens sited right next to the house can inadvertently invite rodents into the house. They are near a source of warmth, and they may soon become familiar with the area. Having rodents in your garden means that it’s only a matter of time before they start searching for entry points, in the form of gaps, vents, or just general cracks.
Before you know it, what was a garden issue can become a house problem, especially once the weather starts to get colder and rodents start looking for a warm shelter.
When Prevention Isn’t Working Anymore
You can do all the right things to reduce the risk, but it’s not always enough to stop the rodents from coming in. If you’re still seeing activity after you’ve secured everything, this is your sign to bring in a professional rodent exterminator who can help contain and remove the problem altogether. These guys will track down entry points, seal them up, and work to keep the rodents out rather.
Growing your own veg can be exciting, but it is also a potential risk, as it attracts rodents. You don’t have to lose your garden to pests. Being aware of the issues and understanding how your gardening choices affect rodents is the first step. Simple choices, such as making your vegetables more difficult to access or allowing pets to wander in the garden, can act as a deterrent. But ultimately, healthy gardening and effective pest control can go hand in hand.
