Will I get rats?

[VanillaSugar]

I have a courtyard garden with raised beds. I don't like the plants that the previous owner put in so I would like to turn the entire garden over to growing vegetables.

I live within 300 feet of a river. My neighbour has already had a rat in his garage. If I grow courgettes and peas, raspberries, etc, will I just be encouraging rats into my garden?

Please advise!

I would doubt it. Rats are more inclined to visit gardens where there are bird feeders, as they feed on the dropped bird food (we had a problem when my late husband fed the birds, but I stopped that, and no further problem). I don't think they go after fruit and veg, but maybe other posters can advise!

Oh, thank you! Much appreciated

I'm in Australia and live in a house on stumps, have a deck and raised veggie beds. I've only encountered rattiness on a couple of occasions in the veggie patch and set a trap, which worked.

I have no bird feeders in my garden, relying on flowering shrubs and trees to provide the goodness. I see this would be different from the UK, where I would definitely feed birds in winter.

When I gardened in the UK, I never had rat problems, i.e. eating the veggies, but then I had a champion ratting cat, who also like crunchy robin fledglings.

Swings. Roundabouts.