Rat populations explode during our citrus harvest season because food is so plentiful. Many of you have probably noticed large holes in oranges and grapefruit where rats have hollowed out the fruit to feed on the seeds. These seeds contain Niacin, and rats love to eat them in mass.
Rats and mice feed on a variety of fruits including oranges, avocados, peaches, lemon, and figs. They are fond of walnuts, almonds, and peanut butter. All fallen fruit and nuts should be regularly removed and discarded in the trash. Rodents also feed on bird seed, snails, garden vegetables and dog droppings.
The roof rat, sometimes called the black rat, is a common vertebrate pest in citrus and nut orchards. In citrus, it builds leaf and twig nests in trees or it can nest in debris piles, thick mulch on the ground, or in shallow burrows under the tree, especially in hot weather.
Rats will also gnaw on the bark and branches of citrus trees. Contrary to this, it has been reported that rats will eat the pulp of oranges and pomegranates but not the rind or outer covering. It is not understood why but lemon peels and pomegranate juice is high in Vitamin C and calcium.
However, be we urban or rural dwellers, we are not the only creatures that enjoy the ripe fruit hanging on our trees. Rattus rattus, the naked-tailed roof rat, a nonnative but ubiquitous local resident, has a fondness for many of our backyard fruits with a special affinity for oranges.
In a pure and concentrated form, citrus oils work well at naturally repelling rats, and they don't smell bad like some other natural rat repellents.
Fruit and berries — Out of all the foods rodents consume, their top two loves are generally fruits and berries. In the wild, rats and mice consume these foods at every opportunity. Therefore, raspberry and blackberry bushes — as well as apple and pear trees — can serve as magnets for the animals.
Use chopped up orange peels near your plants
The pungent smell of orange peels can help deter some pests and rodents away from the plants,' Kevin explains. However, Kevin urges you to ask fast and ensure you cut when the pieces are still fresh. 'You need to replace them once they have dried out,' the expert adds.
Avoid harmful foods such as onion, citrus fruits, walnuts, rhubarb, grapes, raisins and chocolate. Avoid sugars and high-fat foods such as dairy. Rats like sweet and fatty food, but it can cause health problems if they eat too much of it, so only use these as treats and rewards during training.
Placing rat traps or bait boxes near the fruit trees can help catch some rats, allowing you to dispose of them off your property. Rat traps or bait boxes can be used with bacon, Slim-Jims, dried fruits, or even peanut butter. Positioning traps under the tree and tied to the branches will provide the best results.
Ants are most likely to show up in your citrus tree when aphids or scale bugs are already there. These sap-sucking pests produce honeydew, a sweet liquid that ants eat. In fact, the ants so prize this food source that they will "herd" the aphids from leaf to leaf and protect them from predators.
First, you can plant herbs around your garden, sort of like a protective wall to repel rodents. Herbs that have the strongest smells such as mint (especially peppermint), catnip, rosemary, sage, lavender, oregano, and basil are the most effective plants at keeping these unwelcome creatures away.
Citric Acid Amendment of Water Is Well Tolerated by Rats. Citric acid (CA) makes water taste sour but has negligible nutritional value and no known toxicity.
Peppermint Oil – The scent of peppermint smells nice in a home, but this pleasant odor is something that rats dislike. According to a study published in Thailand in 2010, rats spent significantly less time hanging around in places where the scent of peppermint lingered.
You might try planting these in or around your home to keep the mice away: any type of mint, amaryllis, sweet pea, lavender, daffodils, wood hyacinth (or squill), grape hyacinth, alliums, catnip, camphor plant, elderberry, euphorbias, and wormwood. * Oak and bay leaves are also known to repel rodents.
Citrus or lemon scents (orange peels, lemon peels), garlic, ammonia, vinegar, coffee grinds, pipe tobacco, mustard, citronella, or eucalyptus all deter cats as well. The scents diminish over time, so re-applying is necessary.
A citrus essential oil may be way too strong and overpowering for your cat's ultra-sensitive olfactory system and could lead to irritation, which you both will want to avoid. Now that you know why most cats seem to have a hatred for citrus, you may want to use citrus-scented items with more caution.
Essential oils that may be helpful in repelling rats and mice include peppermint oil, lemon oil, citronella oil, and eucalyptus oil.
Rats and possums are common pests of citrus and will eat the peels of fruits. Sometimes they will leave the peel and eat the flesh or the entire fruit. Control rats with baits.
Again, these rodents have a strong sense of smell, so they tend to avoid food items that have a pungent odor. Pantry staples like onions, chili flakes, pepper, and cloves can help repel mice. You can place these in places where there is high rodent activity.
Yes, mice are known to dislike the scent of lemon, making it a potential natural mouse repellent. The strong citrus scent of lemon can be overwhelming for mice and can mask the scent of food, making your home less attractive to rodents.
Some people believed that the strong smell would deter these animals. No evidence has been found, however, to indicate that lime is effective to keep certain types of wildlife away. The risks of lime to these animals are similar to the dangers of putting lime on your yard and having pets.
In addition to plants, rats also dislike certain spices like peppermint, cloves, cayenne pepper, and chili.
Rats are afraid of human activity, mostly because humans are so much larger than they are. Rats also fear predators such as hawks, eagles, and other birds of prey. Other animals that rats are afraid of include your cat as well as rat terriers and other dogs that hunt rodents.
On their most basic level, there are two things you can identify that attract rats and mice: food and shelter. And understandably, these two factors become even more critical for rats during winter, a time when it's cold and there may be fewer food sources available.