UK Gardeners Advised To Place Onions On Their Lawn

Though unwanted garden visitors like slugs and spiders might not make you feel particularly excited, there are plenty of reasons (from biodiversity to pest control) to keep them around. 

That might mean sticking an orange in your lawn to tackle slugs, leaving cobwebs alone, or even creating a mini-pond with an old washing-up bowl to get your backyard population up. 

But according to the gardening experts at Yell, one animal you really do want to keep away from your greenery is rats.

These can “carry disease, making it important to deter them from your garden,” they said. Exposure to rat urine after cuts, abrasions, or ingestion can lead to a type of jaundice called Weil’s disease.

Thankfully, the pros said a simple onion could do the trick. 

Why would an onion help?

“Strong-smelling food items that rats typically avoid include onions, garlic, and vinegar... Onions, in particular, contain sulphur compounds that can irritate a rat’s eyes and nose,” Yell’s experts said.

Pest UK agrees, writing: “Onions can act as a repellent to rats due to their offensive smell.” 

The pros said placing onions in areas of your garden that you most want to protect from rats can be helpful. 

“While it’s unlikely a rat would consume a large amount, large quantities can be toxic if digested, so it’s safest to use small slices around your garden,” the Yelp gardeners added.

Other smells rats hate include essential oils like citronella and eucalyptus, as well as plants like lavender and mint. 

Are there other ways to repel rats? 

Simply keeping your grass short can reduce their hiding spots, though this might not be compatible with no-mow may. 

Another option is to move items in your garden around as rats hate loud, sudden noises and changes to their routine, the RSPCA said.

Removing any food sources and “decluttering” your garden might help too, they added.