We once had a rat in our garden. I think it was attracted by the pear 🍐 tree in the shady corner of the lot. In the mornings I would find half eaten pears on the ground. Sometimes I’d even see the portly rat scuttling down the fence line. I tried the ‘live and let live’ approach but over time it started to get bolder and approach the house. It was time for action.

After a lot of googling and experimenting I finally vanquished the rat. A few rat free days later I noticed something new about the garden. It was coming to life in other ways. More birds, squirrels and little field mice were visiting the garden. It was like the villagers were coming out of hiding after the town bully had been run out of town.

Getting rid of the rats gave the rest of the garden the opportunity to flourish and come alive. It reminded me of the saying ‘hard choices, easy life’ and I also wasn’t aware of what lay dormant, just waiting to be unlocked when I made space. What a lovely surprise.

Clear out the rats and squirrels appear.