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.
Winter in Arizona brings good weather, beautiful outdoors and ripe, delicious citrus. But that citrus can attract some ugly visitors: Rodents.
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.
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.
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.
Roof rats prefer citrus and avocados, but they also eat pomegranates, peaches and who knows what else.
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.
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.
Sheets of metal can be wrapped around the trunks of the fruit trees to keep rats from climbing into the tree from the ground. This should only be used after trimming. Branches that are touching wires, the home or other trees will allow the rats to travel in that way instead.
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.
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.
Fruits: Mice enjoy and can eat a variety of different fruits. Some mice will develop preferences to certain items, but you can offer your mouse apples, pears, bananas, melons, peaches, plums, oranges, and berries just to name a few.
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.
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.
However, cats have an extremely sensitive sense of smell and as citrus fruits are very aromatic, what smells heavenly to us is way too over the top for cats. This dislike of citrusy scents can be turned to an owner's advantage.
Cats really don't like citrus, whether oranges, lemon, grapefruit, etc. When you're trying to train your cat away from a certain spot in your house, citrus is often the recommended deterrent.
When rats and mice are looking for a home, they look for nest-building materials and food. Trees and fruit provide just that. And if you have ripened fruit littered across your property, rodents will not only be attracted to it, they'll return for more.
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.
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.
While this Irish Spring soap experiment may have temporarily worked for some, it's not a reliable solution for pest control. Not only are there a number of possible outcomes, but it also is not effective in the long term.
Do Dryer Sheets Keep Mice Out? Don't expect your box of Bounce to work any pest-control miracles. Dryer sheets don't deter mice. Baited traps won't solve a mouse problem, either.
In addition to plants, rats also dislike certain spices like peppermint, cloves, cayenne pepper, and chili.
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.
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.