Signs of Rats in Your Yard and Garden in Delta

The most common signs of rats in a yard are holes about 5 to 8 cm wide dug beside foundations, sheds or garden beds, fruit and vegetables with bite marks, and worn paths along fences and walls. Rats in the yard are also the first step toward rats in the house, so it pays to act while the problem is still outside.

Signs to Look For

• Burrows. Smooth, round holes with loose soil fanned out at the entrance, often under decks, sheds, concrete slabs or thick plants.

• Damaged produce. Tomatoes, squash, corn and fallen fruit with bites taken out, often left half eaten.

• Runways. Narrow, worn paths through grass or along the base of fences where rats travel the same route every night.

• Droppings. Dark, capsule shaped droppings about the size of a raisin near compost bins, bird feeders and sheds.

• Activity at dusk. Movement along fence tops, in hedges or under the deck as it gets dark.

• Chewing. Gnawed holes in compost bins, garden hoses, irrigation lines and shed doors.

What Attracts Rats to a Yard

Rats need a steady food source and a sheltered place to nest. In a typical yard, the main draws are bird seed spilled under feeders, open compost with food scraps, fallen fruit, pet food left outside, chicken feed, and wood piles or clutter against the house. Water from ponds, leaky taps and irrigation helps too.

What You Can Do Yourself

• Use a closed compost bin with a solid base, and keep meat, dairy and cooked food out of it.

• Move bird feeders away from the house and clean up spilled seed daily, or take feeders down for a while.

• Pick up fallen fruit and harvest vegetables as soon as they ripen.

• Store wood, lumber and garden supplies off the ground and away from walls.

• Trim dense plants and ivy back from the foundation so rats have less cover.

• Close gaps under sheds and decks with galvanized hardware cloth, buried a little below the soil line.

When to Call a Professional

Call if you're seeing active burrows, fresh droppings or rats in daylight, which often means a larger population. Also call if you have signs of rats near the house, because the next step is usually the crawlspace, garage or attic. Our rat control service deals with the rats outside and checks your home for entry points.

Rats in Delta Yards

Delta's farmland, sloughs and waterfront give rats plenty of food and cover, and backyard gardens, fruit trees and chicken coops add to it. Activity peaks in late summer and fall, when gardens are full and rats are building up numbers before winter. We serve all of Ladner, Tsawwassen and South Delta.

FAQ

Is it a rat hole or a vole or mole hole?

Rat burrows are larger, around 5 to 8 cm, with smooth sides. Mole activity shows as raised soil ridges and mounds, and vole holes are smaller and linked by shallow runways in the grass.

Are vegetables safe to eat if rats have been in the garden?

Throw out anything with bite marks or droppings on it. Wash the rest well and peel root vegetables.

Will rats in the yard get into my house?

They often try, especially in fall. If you're already hearing noises inside, read Scratching in the Ceiling: Rats or Mice?