UK households urged to sprinkle black pepper in garden in March

March comes with a whole host of gardening jobs, and it turns out there are a few things you need to be adding to your garden in time for spring. According to three pest control specialists, sprinkling black pepper in your garden will help deter pesky rodents like rats and mice and keep them away.

This should be done before spring to avoid your prized plants from getting destroyed. Plus, you don't have to wait for the mice or rats to arrive to start exploring ways to make them disappear. Oftentimes, the best form of treatment is prevention before a problem arises.

Black pepper contains piperine, which researchers have proven lethal for rodents. Piperine acts as an antibacterial agent and gives pepper its distinctive flavour

That substance may also reduce appetite in female rats, reducing their desire to mate and the number of offspring they bring into the world.

Rats also find black pepper and stronger pepper aromas like cayenne unappealing, according to Ricky Young, a pest control expert and owner of Young's Pest Control.

He said, "Rats dislike the strong scent of black pepper, so sprinkling black pepper around areas where rats are can help to keep rats away."

Pest control experts at Buzz Boss hailed black pepper as a "potent rat repellent" that stimulates the pain receptors of rats and other mammals, "causing them to sneeze, cough, and scurry away."

Experts at Bioactive Pest Control said the same thing: "Black pepper has a strong, pungent smell that can deter rats."

They instructed: "Scatter ground black pepper near suspected rat activity zones to disrupt their sense of smell and encourage them to leave."

You can use black pepper alone or mix it with cayenne pepper for a more potent effect.

The downside of using the deterrent method is that the small pepper flakes are easily wiped, kicked, or washed away, especially when placed outdoors.

You can use larger peppercorn pieces to create piles or fill corners if you want to try this approach.