There’s nothing more annoying than finding rodent burrows in your farm or some crops missing. Well, this can be quite draining, especially when you just spent days preparing your farm and planting your crops. And it gets even more annoying when you start seeing mice and rats running around your farm.
But don’t worry, as you’ve come to the right place. This article will discuss a few tips and tricks to keep rodents away from your crops. With these tips, you can, therefore, rest easy knowing that your plants are safe. But before anything, let’s start by analyzing the signs of a rodent invasion on your farm, as well as cover some of the reasons why rodents may be attacking your plants.
Signs of a Rodent Invasion on Your Farm
You need to know that the main thing rodents look for is shelter, food, and water. That said, when you irrigate your crops, it provides them with water. Additionally, the plants supplement them with both food and shelter. Therefore, if you don’t take care of the rodents, they may reproduce and eventually find their way into your home. And we definitely don’t want that.
Another important piece of knowledge to have is the difference between what rodents are invading your farm. There are different signs that a rat, mouse, mole, gopher, etc., are destroying your crops. When coming into contact with any of these rodents, there are a few telling qualities to decipher what kind of animal you’re dealing with.
With all this in mind, some indicators that you have a rodent infestation on your farm include:
- Mice running around, especially along the fences.
- Small burrows near water sources—an indicator of Norway rats
- Rice-like droppings on the ground or around hiding places
- Plants disappearing overnight, as the rats are probably gnawing away crops from the roots
- The presence of mounds on the ground is also an indicator of a rat invasion.
- Gnaw marks on leaves or fruit tips
Clearly, it would help if you took action before it is too late. Let’s dive in and look at some of the tricks you can use to keep the rodents away.
1. Secure Your Compost Pit
Disgusting as it may sound, rodents such as mice leave their droppings just about anywhere. And a compost pit is even more susceptible to a rodent invasion than any other area. The worst thing is that mice leave you vulnerable to diseases like hantavirus. But, you can prevent that from happening by making sure you turn the compost pit every day.
To add to that, you need to have your compost pit sprayed every once in a while. That will help to keep the rodents away. You can also decide to have a set period when you’ll be revisiting your compost pit. And this is one of the easiest ways to keep rodents away from your farm.
2. Inspect Your Farm
Continuously ensure that you conduct inspections on your farm. There is no limitation to how many times you can inspect since rodents will keep coming back. On top of that, ensure you check for any holes or furrows present on the ground. It is an even better idea if you start by owning a well-maintained granary.
Further, check all the vents and pipes. That will help you be aware of any invasion and take care of it as early as you can. The purpose of these inspections is to give you a clear picture of a need for any repairs.
3. Seal Any Openings
After inspecting and finding the holes and vents where rodents are passing through, immediately seal them. On that note, the most effective sealant is silicon polyurethane. The good thing about this sealant is that it’s odorless.
Therefore, the rodents will not be finding their way out as the sealant will buy some more time for them to suffocate and die. That is an excellent way of probing your crops’ rodent’s attack, especially when you have a farmhouse.
4. Creating Traps for the Rodents
Traps are probably one of the best ways to catch the rats and mice that are finishing off your crops. Imagine waking up one day and finding that squeaky mouse that has been giving sleepless nights entrapped. How satisfying is that? First of all, the wooden snap traps are the best fit for this job. However, other trapping mechanisms, such as electrocution traps and glue traps, aren’t as effective.
The last resort to use is poison. This is not an advisable method as you’re at times likely to forget the dead rat, and your cats may end up dining on it. Also, dead rodents lying around your garden may end up attracting more insects to your farm that may attack your crops. And let’s not forget the pungent, foul smell in the area where the dead rodents are.
5. Clean up All the Rodent Droppings
Clean up the foul-smelling vents and also sweep off the small feces. That will help to set an excellent growing condition for your crops. It’s also a great method for preventing other rodents from returning.
The smell of the rodent droppings is likely to invite more rodents to your farm. Therefore, you can invest in an atomizer or an enzyme-based cleaner. These two are best known for their ultimate effectiveness in cleaning up rodent droppings.
Other Natural Tricks for Rodent Control
- Remove any food sources around your home or near your farm. Inevitably, this stops the entry of rodents in any room. On that note, keep any leftovers in storage containers. Also, avoid leaving the trash bags open, as this will be a breeding ground for rats and other rodents.
- Have a cat or dog in your home. The presence of a pet and predator urine around scares off the rats. That’s because it creates an illusion that the predator is still around. If you don’t have either a cat or a dog, you can consider using ammonia to play the same role.
- You can also use toilet cakes. They create a strong smell that drives the rodents nuts. However, make sure children don’t get a hold of them as they are potentially poisonous when consumed.
In Summary
Now, there you have it! From this article, I hope you now have the best tips and tricks to keep rodents away from your crops. If you’re looking to learn more about what will help you protect your precious plants, click here for more rat information on controlling those pesky creatures.
