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It’s not at all uncommon to discover a pesky bunch of rodents prowling around your garden, and once you do, it’s time to take immediate action, lest you want them to also get into your basement, kitchen, and attic. On top of that, housing rodents also carries other causes for concern, like the exposure to various diseases, and the potential attraction to other predators (like snakes).

But in order to successfully get rid of rodents from your property, you must first understand the reason why they’re attracted to it, in the first place. In this article, we’ll talk about the main things attracting rodents to your garden, and what you can do to stop it.

1.  Avoid corn

Corn is the number one reason why rodents might visit your garden, as it’s considered quite a treat in the rodent universe. Generally, rodents aren’t as interested in your vegetable patch as you might at first think, but corn, they just can’t resist. So if you’re currently sporting corn and wonder why your garden keeps getting bombarded by rodents – this is your sign. We understand that you may simply love corn, but do you really love it enough to invite a hoard of hungry mice into your home?

2.  Avoid sunflowers

Okay, maybe now we’re just being restrictive, but you asked what’s attracting rodents to your home, and we just answered. The truth about rodents is they’re way more into seeds than other edibles like fruit or veggies. And since sunflowers are a great source of seeds, it stands to reason it would also go down as a huge rodent favorite. So while you may be worried about the fruit and veg in your garden patch, in truth, it’s much more likely that your plants are what appeals to rodents. If you are already dealing with a cumbersome rodent invasion, we recommend that you visit controlrodent.com to learn more about what you can do.

3.  Steer clear of attractive plants

Or of plants that are attractive to rodents, anyway. While there are plenty of plants out there that, once firmly rooted in your yard, serve as a potent rodent deterrent (like marigolds, lavender, peppermint, or pepper), there are also, unfortunately, a lot of pretty plants that appeal to them. If there are plants such as aloe vera, wisteria, bamboo, belladonna, mimosa, or Japanese barberry planted in your yard, then those may well be the culprit behind your rodent invasion.

4.  Fence things up

Obviously, one of the things that’s appealing to rodents, in the first place, is the ease of access to your garden patch. If there is no fence around your garden or yard, then you can’t really blame a mouse for trying to secure some edibles, can you? An important step in protecting your property from rodents would be to begin fencing your property. And if it’s already fenced, and you still have trouble with rodents, we recommend checking the perimeter of your fence, to ensure there are no holes or cracks that are enabling rodent entry.

5.  Keep an eye out for water sources

A yard that provides mice with easy food sources is awesome, no doubt, but one that offers a ready source of water is even better. Leaky pipes, birdbaths, ponds, or even pet water bowls left out in the open can only be what’s attracting rodents to your property, since they’ll want something to wash the yummies down with. Inspect the state of your plumbing, venting, water hose, and anything else that might be providing the invaders with a good source of water.

6.  Pick up fallen treats

This one’s important, as fallen fruit and/or seeds in your yard may also be attracting other, larger and more cumbersome invasive animals (like raccoons, or opossums). So check the state of your yard, and make sure you pick up any fallen fruit, nuts, seeds, or other potential edibles from the ground before you go to bed at night. While there’s no 100% surefire way to deter rodents from your garden, sealing entry points, and removing attraction points can  go a long way in deterring this unpleasant wildlife infestation from returning.