The first time I saw a rat dart across my garden, it was just a shadow skimming the fence—an elusive blur between the compost heap and the rosemary bush. I paused, watering can in hand, acutely aware of every rustling leaf and hole in the ground.
That evening, I dove deep into forums and pest control websites, convinced I’d need traps, poison, or maybe even a professional. But instead, I stumbled upon an unexpected tip: a simple bathroom product could make all the difference.
The next day, my garden subtly smelled like someone had just taken a shower. And the rats? They never returned.
Why Rats Choose Your Garden for Winter
Rats don’t “visit” your garden—they seek long-term residency.
As soon as temperatures drop, rats are on the lookout for three essentials: food, water, and a safe place to nest. Your tidy raised beds, stacked logs, and cozy shed become prime real estate for these little invaders.
While we often associate rats with dirty, urban corners, they thrive in well-kept suburban and countryside gardens. If your garden provides shelter under a deck, access to bird feeders, and a quiet compost area, rats will consider it a perfect winter home.
Take Claire, for example. She lives on the edge of a small village and began noticing gnawed apples under her tree, small tunnels near the compost, and droppings behind the shed.
At first, she blamed squirrels. But one night, she turned on her phone flashlight and saw two rats boldly running along the fence.
Within a month, Claire was hearing scratching sounds under her decking and discovered chewed bags of grass seed in the garage. When she called a professional, the technician told her bluntly: “They’ve settled in for the winter, this won’t be a quick fix.”
Rats are creatures of stability. When temperatures fluctuate and natural food sources become scarce, they seek safe, undisturbed areas to ride out the cold. A garden that smells neutral, offers dark corners, and remains quiet for days feels like a perfect winter retreat.
That’s why we see more rat activity from October to March, even though they’ve often been lurking nearby for months. They explore, test the environment, and if conditions remain comfortable, they settle in.
The Bathroom Product That Breaks Their Comfort Zone
The hero in this story? Strong menthol toothpaste.
Rats despise intense mint smells. Their sense of smell is highly sensitive, and what feels “fresh” to us can feel like a chemical assault to them. By strategically using menthol, you create a scent barrier that rats will avoid.
You’re not poisoning them—you’re simply making the space uninviting, like living next to a blaring nightclub speaker. So, they move on to quieter places.
Here’s how people are using it: Take a tube of strong mint toothpaste, squeeze small blobs the size of a grape onto pieces of cardboard, cotton pads, or rags. Place them near likely access points—along fences, near gaps under sheds, around compost areas, and at the base of decking or woodpiles.
One woman shared that after doing this, she checked the tracks in the mud. Where she had previously seen clear rat footprints, the paths had simply stopped a few days later.
Let’s be honest: nobody does this every day. But refreshing the mint spots every week, or after heavy rain, sends a persistent “no thanks” signal to the rats.
How to Use Toothpaste to Keep Rats Away
Start with a quick observation walk around your garden. Early morning or late evening works best, when things are quieter. Look for narrow paths along fences, holes under paving, or disturbed soil near sheds and compost areas. These are your “toothpaste zones.”
Now, put on some old gloves, grab a cheap tube of strong mint toothpaste, and squeeze blobs onto cotton pads, rags, or cardboard. Tuck them just inside holes, under steps, along walls, and behind planters. Focus on entry points and hidden corners—not the entire garden.
A quick tip: Don’t smear toothpaste directly on plants you care about, or on soil where you grow food. Use supports like pads or cardboard to place and replace them easily.
Don’t go overboard by squeezing half a tube in one spot. A few small scented areas strategically placed work better than a dramatic mint explosion.
We’ve all been there, making frantic decisions when panic sets in. Take a breath, observe, and make small, consistent changes. That’s the key to long-term success.
Romain, a small-town handyman who helps his neighbors with “rat problems” every winter, shared this simple advice: “Poisons always leave you feeling guilty. With mint, they just decide your place isn’t worth it. It’s like sending them a polite eviction notice.”
Where to Place the Toothpaste
- Along fences, at the base of walls, near holes, behind bins, and around compost areas.
How Often to Renew It
- Every 5–7 days or after heavy rain that washes the smell away.
What to Combine It With
- Tight lids on bins, less fallen bird seed on the ground, and trimmed vegetation near walls.
What to Avoid
- Leaving pet food outside at night, stacking wood directly against the house, and ignoring fresh holes in the garden.
When to Start
- Early autumn is best, but it’s still worth doing anytime you see fresh activity.
Living with Nature—Without Inviting Rats In
There’s a delicate balance to strike. Most of us love having birds, hedgehogs, and a vibrant garden, but we don’t want rats settling in while we sip tea by the window.
A simple bathroom product won’t turn your garden into a fortress, but it can shift the odds in your favor. It offers a way to say “not here” without relying on traps or poisons.
The deeper shift is mental. Once you start thinking like a rat—seeing the garden as routes, shelters, smells, and easy meals—you’ll naturally start making small changes. Sweeping seeds under feeders, lifting the woodpile off the ground, and refreshing the mint pads before the first frost will slowly make your garden less inviting to rats.
And as winter sets in, the outside world will feel wild and alive—without the unwanted shadows running along your fence.
Key Points to Remember
- Mint toothpaste as a repellent: Use strong menthol toothpaste on pads or cardboard near rat routes. This is a low-cost, non-toxic way to discourage rats from settling in.
- Target the right spots: Focus on fences, holes, sheds, compost, and hidden corners to maximize the effect without covering the entire garden.
- Combine smell with habits: Reduce food sources and hiding places, in addition to mint barriers, to turn your garden into an unattractive winter base for rats.
