DIY Builds
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How do I rat proof my shed?

Rodents hate the smell of mothballs, peppermint, cayenne pepper, cloves, citronella and ammonia. Putting these smells nearby can deter the rodents from making a visit to your shed.

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Unfortunately, all of our garden sheds are at risk from rats and other rodents. Rats are annoying and unsanitary, and love your shed for the shelter and possible food sources it provides.

So how do you get rid of them once they’ve invaded your garden shed?

Setting Traps

If your shed isn’t properly maintained, it can be a magnet for rodents. You need to come up with a long term plan to prevent mice and rats from invading your shed on a regular basis. Once you have a rodent problem, it’s very difficult to get rid of it. This is why prevention is the best form of pest control. Using poison and traps is your best bet for getting rid of rats. There are also natural ways of getting rid of them, but it’s best to get in there and get rid of them immediately. If you do use traps, you need to make sure to dispose of any rats you’ve caught pretty sharpish. You also need to make sure you move the traps around frequently, as the rodents will remember where they were the last time and avoid those areas.

Humane Methods of Rat Control

If you prefer not to kill the rodents, you can relocate them. But make sure you send them far, far away! Using live capture traps snares the animal, but keeps it alive and ready for relocation. Electronic rodent repellents are now becoming more popular. If you only have a small problem these will probably work in the short-term. However, if you have a large infestation on your hands, you need to call in the experts to get the job done properly.

Call In the Cat Brigade

Cats love to chase mice and rats, so will definitely keep them out of the shed. Plus, an animal is a great addition to your family!

Natural Rodent Solutions

Rodents hate the smell of mothballs, peppermint, cayenne pepper, cloves, citronella and ammonia. Putting these smells nearby can deter the rodents from making a visit to your shed.

Make Sure They Don’t Return

Once your problem is taken care of, you need to make sure it never happens again in the future.

Seal up any holes in your shed.

Don’t leave food out.

Don’t leave nesting materials lying around.

For more great advice on pest prevention, contact Pest Exterminators because we have expert rat control teams in your area, right the way across the whole of London.

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How do you fasten metal to concrete?

Simply drill a hole into the concrete, hold the fixture you're fastening over the hole, then use a hammer to tap the anchor into the hole. As you drive in the pin, the sleeve expands outward, trapping the anchor in the hole.

There are many home-improvement projects that require you to screw or nail into concrete, such as when affixing shelf brackets to a concrete basement wall, screwing down a 2x4 sole plate to a concrete floor, fastening metal conduit to concrete surfaces, or securing steel post anchors to a concrete patio. Unfortunately for many DIYers, using concrete screws or fasterners can be a frustratingly difficult and almost impossible task. But when armed with the correct tools and a few specialized fasteners, anyone can learn to fasten almost anything to concrete.

Get more exclusive, in-depth projects by signing up for Pop Mech Pro!

Here, we’ll explain four different techniques and types of concrete screws and fasteners specifically designed for attaching to concrete, and most can also be used to fasten into brick, stone, and concrete block as well. Note that before installing most concrete fasteners, you must first drill a hole with a carbide-tipped masonry bit. The quickest, easiest way to drill into concrete is with a hammer drill, which uses both bit rotation and concussive blows to bore the holes. If you don’t own a hammer drill you can use a standard corded electric drill or cordless battery-powered drill, but it’ll take at least twice as long to drill each hole. It’s also important to always blow or vacuum out the concrete dust from the hole before inserting the fastener. That’s because concrete fasteners grip much more securely in clean, dust-free holes.

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