I just learned this rat-proof yard hack for under 50 cents — and I wish I'd known it sooner

There are a lot of creatures I'll tolerate in my yard: butterflies, bees and hedgehogs to name a few. But rats don't make the list. Unfortunately, they didn't get the memo and more than once, I've seen a rat dash across my lawn and disappear under the hedge.

These rodents are particularly drawn to garden buildings and areas where food might be easily available. And since I have both an apple and a pear tree in my yard, there's plenty of fallen fruit they feel duty-bound to help themselves to.

Despite my best efforts to rat-proof my yard, the critters seem determined to come back each year as the trees bear fruit. And having rats in your yard can cause significant damage to plants and stored items. Last year, I found they'd gnawed inside my shed and devoured the extra bird feed I was keeping there. I vowed retribution, but swiftly became aware of another problem.

Laying traps or putting down rat poison can be a solution, but I'm all-too-aware of neighboring cats or other animals in the area. It's not something I feel very comfortable about — not least because you then have a dead rat to dispose of.

However, a bit of researching has thrown up a hack I've never tried before — and it costs less than a dollar.

The 49¢ kitchen staple I'll try using

I never realised it before, but apparently, common household garlic is a savvy way to dissuade rats from making your yard their personal fiefdom.

In fact, we've mentioned this tactic before on Tom's Guide as it also helps keep away other pests like mice and even raccoons. Better yet, if it doesn't work — I won't have invested much. A three-pack of garlic will set you back $1.48 at Walmart at the time of writing. It doesn't exactly break the bank.

Garlic has a number of sulphur compounds that give off a pungent scent that keeps rats away. In a similar vein, if you cut up a raw onion then it emits a smell that irritates rat's eyes. As we've covered before, if the rat ends up eating the garlic, it can cause immediate anaemic symptoms, depriving their cells of oxygen. Long story short: they won't come back.

Want the best tool for the job? I'd recommend picking up a weeding and digging knife. It can pull double-duty, cutting the garlic and helping you out in the yard.

Niskau NJP651 Hori Knife: $32 at Amazon

This multi-purpose garden tool can be used to weed, dig, plant, cut and more. It comes with a durable stainless steel 7.5-inch blade, with a serrated edge and inch measurement marks. It's housed in an premium leather sheath.

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The method

While the lazy part of me would just slice and scatter, there's another way to put this hack in place.

All you need to do is take four or five garlic cloves to make a puree, and add that to a pint of water in a spray bottle. Then, you can spray the solution around areas where rats like to hang out. In my case, that'll be around the fruit trees.

Does it work in practice? I'll be putting it to the test as the weather warms and these rodents start to get bold again. So watch this space!

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