These 3 natural scents will keep them away for good (Image: Getty)
As temperatures begin to rise and the UK finally starts to thaw, it’s not just humans that are coming out of their cosy burrows.
One common animal is all set to make its return to society — and most of us are not big fans.
With April marking the start of peak breeding season for rats, these pesky rodents come out to play between spring and summer, especially in the UK, which (surprisingly) provides optimal climate conditions for these animals, allowing them to thrive and readily find food and shelter.
From homes, garages, barns, rooftops and kitchens to basements, these disease-spreading rodents find their way into all kinds of spaces and cause significant damage.
Although entailing the services of pest control professionals is always the recommended solution when it comes to serious rat or mice infestations, there are a few natural remedies you can deploy in your fight against these pesky rodents.
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It’s a potent natural repellent for rats and mice (Image: Getty)
While rats may have poor eyesight, they have an incredibly keen sense of smell and are highly sensitive to odours. Luckily, this is something you can use to your advantage to equip your rat-fighting arsenal.
For those of us who want to get rid of rats in humane ways, there are three scents that these pests absolutely hate, which can serve as natural repellents against these rodents.
Top 3 natural scents rats ‘hate’
Spice, spice, baby
To say that rats are not fans of spicy scents is putting it mildly. Cayenne pepper powder, chilli pepper flakes, or a strong chilli oil can cause massive irritation to rats’ respiratory systems when inhaled, making these creatures steer clear of spaces with strongs hints of chilli odours.
Using chilli flakes, chilli oil and cayenne powder:
Sprinkle chilli pepper flakes or cayenne powder around potential rat entry points in your home, namely gaps around pipes, damaged air bricks, drains, roof openings, or windows and doors.
For chilli oil — mix it with water in a spray bottle and spray around the areas where rats and mice are active in your infested spaces.
Remember to refresh after spells of heavy rain or damp, and always exercise caution while using chilli-based products around pets and children — they are not your target audience.
It’s undoubtedly the scent rats hate the most (Image: Getty)
Peppermint power
The smell of peppermint can easily be crowned one of the top scents rats hate the most. It’s a popular natural repellent for these creatures, and for good reason.
Its strong and pungent aroma wreaks havoc on a rat’s sensitive sense of smell, causing the rodents difficulties in navigation and finding food.
Rats tend to seek warm, sheltered spaces, so placing cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil in areas prone to rat activity, like under kitchen units, near pipes, or in loft spaces, can be highly effective.
Remember to refresh the oil regularly, as its potency diminishes over time. Be aware that the effectiveness of peppermint can be reduced in very damp conditions, so ensure good ventilation where possible.
Using peppermint:
The best way to deter rats with the use of peppermint is to soak cotton balls in pure peppermint oil and place them in areas that are prone to rat activity such as sheds and garages, under kitchen units, or near pipes.
Place the soaked cotton balls at points you suspect rats and mice are entering from (look for scratch marks, small black fecal droppings, chewed wires or clothes).
Remember to refresh the cotton balls with peppermint oil every couple of days to maintain a strong pungent scent, and if your budget allows, use a peppermint oil spray in areas that are hard to reach, or create your own by mixing the essential oil with water and putting it in a spray bottle.
Rats and mice find the aroma extremely repulsive (Image: Getty)
Citrus, Alt, Delete
Citrus is another natural aroma that rats and mice find extremely repulsive, all thanks to the presence of limonene, a compound found in the peels of lemons, oranges, grapefruits, and other citrus fruits.
Limonene is present not only in flavourings used in food, medicines, perfumes, and cleaning products but also in potent citrus oils such as lemon, orange, and citronella, which experts say are very effective at keeping rats and mice at bay.
However, they caution that, because citrus oils are so potent, it is wise to dilute them with water before applying them.
Using citrus:
Since rats and mice hate the smell of citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, limes, and grapefruit, you can take fresh peels of these fruits and place them in areas of high rat activity.
Do remember that peels are fresh foods at the end of the day, and may in turn attract other animals like slugs, snails and raccoons if their placement is not monitored regularly.
Citrus essential oils are another effective item to deploy in your fight against rats, and as with peppermint oil, soaking cotton balls in citrus-based essential oils and placing them in high-activity areas is a good way to repel these rodents.
Another effective method is mixing citrus essential oils with water in a spray bottle and spraying affected or hard to reach areas.
