The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: doganjo on May 15, 2011, 08:41:21 pm
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Was anybody listening to Gardeners question time on Radio 4 this afternoon? I was! A question was asked about planting mint to deter rats! None of the panel had ever heard of such a thing but a little squeaky voice said 'yes, it does work' and they introduced Amy the producer onto the show - apparently she had heard of it, planted mint, and also scattered some around the rat runs - and no more rats! What's the betting Amy will have her own spot soon! Maybe even her own programme!
Even the experts learn something new every day!
I've just planted my pot of mint at the far side of the little wall separating the duck run/front paddock and the burn (next to a rat hole my son spotted), so I'll let you know if I see a mass exodus. Apparently it's something to do with a rat's keen sense of smell and the pungent scent of mint. I don't know what kind of mint I have but I'm willing to plant different varieties over there as there are 2 foot deep footings for the wall so that should contain it, and it can grow all it likes over there. All that grows there otherwise is nettles and they are no more as my son strimmed the whole paddock this afternoon.
I could have a veritable mint farm over there, couldn't I?
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Let us know if it works - would far rather plant mint than use poison :-\
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That would be brilliant if it works!
Just have to keep the sheep from eating it.
m
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need to get some planted now!
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oooh I will have to raid the supermarket potted herbs now as I get them in all the barns and shelters. I would surround the buildings with mint if it works
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Off to get some seed/plants tomorrow then... :)
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Garlic is said to deter rabbits too, which as far as my veg plot is concerned are a far bigger nuisance than rats.
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We have a big patch of two different sorts of mint and it doesn't seem to affect whether we have rats or not.
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We have a big patch of two different sorts of mint and it doesn't seem to affect whether we have rats or not.
Well I hope it works here. The girl seemed to be quite sure - did no-one else hear that programme but me? I'm sure I wasn't dreaming because I was driving to edinburgh Airport at the time ;) ;D ;D ;D Ah well teh mint will have fun sperading over there if not ::) ;D
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My brothre ALWAYS listens to gardeners question time, he has rang in before...I just wish he was up here to enjoy things and input his knowledge......I will ask him to join as he reminds me of our beloved Wizard, full of knowledge,,,
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I heard it Annie! I just switched on to hear the discussion about all the Bay trees that have died over the winter. I have a Bay which is about 30 foot high which did not survive. I just cant bring myself to chop it down, heard them say to cut everything back and give it a year. Will do that and keep fingers crossed however don't hold out much hope!
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Suppose you have to plant it and not just leave clumps hanging around? What about opening a few jars of mint sauce, surely the vinegar content would be a bit off-putting too - or would that smell rat-licious? :P
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Does wild mint have the same effect as we have loads of it around?
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Suppose you have to plant it and not just leave clumps hanging around? What about opening a few jars of mint sauce, surely the vinegar content would be a bit off-putting too - or would that smell rat-licious? :P
Don't know about rat-licious but the flies would love it. I use jars with vinegar in and clingfilm with a small hole in to catch flies
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Suppose you have to plant it and not just leave clumps hanging around? What about opening a few jars of mint sauce, surely the vinegar content would be a bit off-putting too - or would that smell rat-licious? :P
Don't know about rat-licious but the flies would love it. I use jars with vinegar in and clingfilm with a small hole in to catch flies
Reckon my mates in their pest control business would roll over killing themselves laughing about planting mint to keep rats away .... if I tell them .
I'd imagine if this little gem were true the whole of the UK and the rest of the world would be knee deep in mint with not a rat left anywhere.
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Suppose you have to plant it and not just leave clumps hanging around? What about opening a few jars of mint sauce, surely the vinegar content would be a bit off-putting too - or would that smell rat-licious? :P
Don't know about rat-licious but the flies would love it. I use jars with vinegar in and clingfilm with a small hole in to catch flies
Reckon my mates in their pest control business would roll over killing themselves laughing about planting mint to keep rats away .... if I tell them .
I'd imagine if this little gem were true the whole of the UK and the rest of the world would be knee deep in mint with not a rat left anywhere.
Ok, go ahead, laugh! ;) I'll be on here fast and shoutng it from the roof tops if I see them rushing off down the burn with their little rucksacs ;) ;D ;D
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OMG, what an image :D
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None of the panel had ever heard of such a thing but a little squeaky voice said 'yes, it does work' and they introduced Amy the producer onto the show -
OMG!...Amy is a rat??? :D
Seriously, though, I have a huge area of mint by the hen runs and this year I have not seen any sign of a rat. There was one hole and a bit of shite just after harvest last year, but I put a bit of poison down. I've seen nothing since. The difference this year is that I am always cutting into the edges of the mint patch with the lawn mower in an effort to halt its spread, so there is usually a strong smell of mint there.
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None of the panel had ever heard of such a thing but a little squeaky voice said 'yes, it does work' and they introduced Amy the producer onto the show -
OMG!...Amy is a rat??? :D
Seriously, though, I have a huge area of mint by the hen runs and this year I have not seen any sign of a rat. There was one hole and a bit of shite just after harvest last year, but I put a bit of poison down. I've seen nothing since. The difference this year is that I am always cutting into the edges of the mint patch with the lawn mower in an effort to halt its spread, so there is usually a strong smell of mint there.
So maybe I'm not that daft thinking it might work? ;)
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None of the panel had ever heard of such a thing but a little squeaky voice said 'yes, it does work' and they introduced Amy the producer onto the show -
OMG!...Amy is a rat??? :D
Seriously, though, I have a huge area of mint by the hen runs and this year I have not seen any sign of a rat. There was one hole and a bit of shite just after harvest last year, but I put a bit of poison down. I've seen nothing since. The difference this year is that I am always cutting into the edges of the mint patch with the lawn mower in an effort to halt its spread, so there is usually a strong smell of mint there.
Keep the poison to hand .. it looks like you have managed to make a fairly rat free area ..keep making up your bait stations and looking to see if the poison is being consumed.. once you get signs of reinfestation , place more strategic bait stations in pet , bird & child protected/secure places .
One thing that may have led to the fable is that rats like most wild animals ( foxes especially ) are wary of new things, so cutting your mint regularly may un nerve a rat by producing strong scents every few days .
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Having googled 'mint rats' I did find this:
Using Mint
Although mint is a pleasant aroma to most humans, rats shy away from it. Soak rags or cotton balls with a few drops of peppermint oil and place them in areas where you have seen or suspect rats. Kentucky Colonel mint (Mentha cordipholia) is recommended as a type of mint that works well when you use it fresh, but try peppermint, spearmint, pennyroyal and other varieties. Another method is to make a strong tea from mint leaves and then spray it wherever rats are present.
Other Helpful Plants and Substances
Other herbs and plants that deter rats include orange peel or orange essential oil, black pepper, cinnamon and cayenne. The smell of daffodils, wood hyacinth, allium and camphor plants is unpleasant to rats. Because dogs are natural predators of rats, their scent will scare these unwanted creatures away if you place dog hair or urine where rats congregate. If you soak a rag in ammonia and then place it in a coffee can near their home, rats will relocate in short order.
Hints and Tips
Don't expect a little mint oil or a few mint plants to completely rid your property of a large rat population.
Read more: Does Mint Repel Rats? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5335999_mint-repel-rats.html#ixzz1MpTCeyJa (http://www.ehow.com/about_5335999_mint-repel-rats.html#ixzz1MpTCeyJa)
so it could well be that your mowing them is releasing the oils.
m
mab
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Because dogs are natural predators of rats, their scent will scare these unwanted creatures away if you place dog hair or urine where rats congregate.
Ha, that's a laugh! They're not scared by my four predators! ::)
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Because dogs are natural predators of rats, their scent will scare these unwanted creatures away if you place dog hair or urine where rats congregate.
Ha, that's a laugh! They're not scared by my four predators! ::)
The small holding we purchased had a guy on it who also bred and showed Kerry Blues.. During the second visit to the prospective seller I opened a top stable door to find his prized Kerry Blue stud mutt curled up fast asleep on a pile of straw up with a bit fat rat snuggled in by its tum.
It took one look at me and lazily ambled off into a corner and then went down a hole.
Once we got there one of the first things I did was use my electric mixer to make up a barrel of corn , crushed barley , pin oats , a tin of coca , 1/2 litre of corn oil mix along with three measures of a lovely red substance called " Dratt poison " ( had to sign the poisons register and have proof of ID ) This first batch of poison lasted just over three weeks , they were eating it like popcorn on a Saturday night. I ended up making several more mixes before we could consider a fairly rat free set of buildings and land .
Once we reached this stage we still had some 40 home made bait stations around the perimeter fences and along several buildings walls , they were checked and restocked as needed at the end of each month even when we finally reached the stage of no apparent takes of the bait .
Had we not done the rat treatment scheme & kept it up they would have eaten us out of house and home by eating the animal feedstuffs & ruining things .
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I had heard about this a few years ago and put lots of mint in all my kitchen drawers when we had an invasion. Worth a try but a week later it was a call to Environmental Health..... :&>