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**Rats in the Garden: This (Unusual) Bath Product Is Ideal for Scaring Them Away**
It might sound a bit unusual, but the solution lies in **bath soap**—specifically, **bath soap with strong, pungent scents**. This simple household product has been shown to work wonders in deterring rats, thanks to its scent profile, which rats find overwhelming and unpleasant. Here’s how you can use bath soap to keep rats out of your garden and prevent further damage to your outdoor space.
### Why Do Rats Hate Strong Scents?
In fact, many common essential oils used in bath products, such as eucalyptus, peppermint, and citronella, are naturally known to repel rodents. So, by using soap with these fragrances, you’re creating an environment that rats want to avoid.
### How to Use Bath Soap to Repel Rats in Your Garden
#### 1. **Hang Bars of Soap Around the Garden**
**How to do it:**
– **Select a strongly scented soap**: Look for soaps with scents like lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, or citrus. These scents are particularly potent and can irritate rats’ sensitive noses.
– **Use a string or wire**: Take a piece of string or wire and tie it around a bar of soap. Hang the soap from tree branches, fence posts, or around the perimeter of your garden.
– **Place in key areas**: Focus on areas where you’ve noticed rat activity or where they tend to enter your garden (near holes, sheds, or compost bins).
#### 2. **Grate Soap and Spread It Around the Garden**
If you prefer a more direct approach, grating the soap and sprinkling it around your garden can also be effective. The grated soap will act as both a repellent and a deterrent, and it will break down slowly over time, releasing a constant stream of scent.