Rats are highly adaptable creatures that view domestic gardens as an attractive source of shelter, water, and, most importantly, food. These rodents are opportunistic omnivores capable of consuming an extremely wide range of foodstuffs. Understanding their dietary preferences and recognizing the signs of their feeding activity is the first step in protecting cultivated plants and managing potential infestations. Rats require an average of one to two ounces of food daily. The presence of accessible food sources is the primary driver that attracts and sustains a rat population in any outdoor environment.
Preferred Fruits, Vegetables, and Seeds
Rats prefer cultivated plants that are high in water content and sugar. Soft fruits are particularly appealing, often consumed while still on the vine or tree. Roof rats, known for being agile climbers, are especially damaging to tree crops, often hollowing out the fruit while leaving the rind hanging.
- Apples
- Avocados
- Citrus
- Figs
- Grapes
- Melons
- Peaches
- Strawberries
Vegetables offering starches and proteins are also targeted. Common garden plants such as corn, peas, and beans are frequently damaged. Root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and beetroot are vulnerable, particularly where they are accessible near the soil surface or in storage.
Seeds are a fundamental part of the rat diet, providing necessary fats and carbohydrates. This includes planted vegetable seeds, which rats may dig up, as well as nuts and any spilled grain. They also readily consume tender young seedlings and bulbs, making newly planted garden beds susceptible to damage.
Identifying Rat Feeding Patterns
Recognizing the damage left by rats helps distinguish them from other garden pests, such as squirrels or rabbits. The most reliable sign of rat feeding is the presence of parallel, narrow grooves or chiseled marks left by their incisor teeth on food materials or hard surfaces. These marks are typically small and distinct, unlike the broader chew marks left by larger animals.
When feeding on fruit, rats often cause localized injuries, sometimes creating neat, canoe-shaped cavities in the flesh. On larger items like cantaloupe or pumpkin, they may chew a circular hole and hollow out the inside. Rats are known for partial consumption, taking bites from several items and moving on, which results in significant spoilage.
Additional evidence includes small, cylindrical droppings with rounded ends, typically about a half-inch long, found near feeding areas or along habitual travel paths. Rats often create burrows in the soil, especially in rich, friable garden beds, visible as holes approximately one to two inches in diameter. The presence of these burrows, or small chips of the food source on the ground, confirms a rat presence.
Non-Plant Food Sources in the Garden
The rat’s diet extends far beyond cultivated plants, often including common household and yard items. Spilled bird seed is a highly attractive food source, providing a high-energy mix of grains and fats. Rats become regular visitors to feeding stations, consuming seed that has fallen to the ground or accessing poorly secured feeders.
Unsecured pet food left outdoors, such as dog or cat kibble, also serves as a significant attractant, offering protein and fat. Improperly managed compost piles, particularly those containing meat scraps, dairy products, or cooking oils, provide a warm food source. Even animal waste, such as dog feces, can provide sustenance for a rat population.
Rats also require daily access to water, which they often obtain from leaky outdoor faucets, dripping irrigation systems, or standing water in containers. A reliable source of both food and water allows a rat colony to thrive, turning a temporary visit into a sustained infestation. Accessible garbage, especially bags left outside of a securely lidded can, is another major attractant.
Removing Accessible Food Sources
The primary strategy for managing rats in the garden is eliminating the food and water sources that support them. Gardeners should ensure that ripened produce is not left on the ground or on the vine to decay. Fallen fruit from trees must be collected and removed daily, as the fermenting sugars are a powerful attractant.
For those who feed birds, use rat-proof feeders or only put out the amount of seed that will be consumed within a few hours. All pet food should be stored indoors in heavy, airtight containers and never left outside overnight. Securing garbage requires the use of sturdy bins with tightly fitting lids to prevent scavenging.
Composting systems must be tightly managed, avoiding the addition of meat, fish, or dairy scraps, which can draw rodents. Using a sealed, rodent-resistant compost container rather than an open heap is a preventative measure. Finally, address sources of standing water, such as fixing leaky hoses and draining pet bowls.