How to Get Rid of Rats in the House – Quick Natural Deterrent Methods

How to get rid of rats in the house? The question is incredibly difficult. Experience has shown that not all means are good in this struggle.

Rats are dangerous neighbors for humans. Unlike ants, they are omnivorous mammals that adapt well to any living conditions. They multiply rapidly and conquer new territories. Having settled in a private house, they spoil food, furniture, etc. Let’s figure out how to get rid of rats once and for all.

What are the Signs of a Rat Infestation in Your Home?

Determining that uninvited neighbors have appeared is quite simple. The first signs of a rat infestation are:

• Unpleasant odors
• The appearance of incomprehensible sounds: beeping, scratching, rustling.
• Damaged property. It can be food, furniture, partitions, clothes and even electrical cords.
• The appearance of rat droppings.

The worst thing is that rats are natural carriers of diseases dangerous for people and animals. When the first signs of infestation appear, you need to think about how to get rid of rats in the house.

This is not always easy to do. Rats are very smart and learn by adapting to any situation. Therefore, once poisoned baits have worked, they become useless. Animals just bypass them. In addition, the animals are very hardy, strong, and highly adaptable. They tolerate cold and heat equally well.

How to Get Rid of Rats in the House Without Chemicals?

Obviously, pesticides and traps are popular methods to get rid of rats, but if you prefer natural recipes for rodent control, here are some ideas for you. Many people prefer to get rid of rats in the house with alternative methods because they are relatively safe for others. They are used when children, pets or allergy sufferers live in the house. Let’s list several ways.

Natural Deterrent Methods to Get Rid of Rats

Rats have a powerful sense of smell and this is an important fact if you want to know how to get rid of rats in the house. You’d want to create an unwelcoming environment that will make rats get away. Strong-smelling substances will do the trick as there are some that work as natural repellents and force rats to leave the house. What scents will keep rats away from your home?

Garlic and Onion Repel Rats

Garlic and Onion have a very strong scent. Garlic contains allicin which works as a natural repellent for animals. Onion also contains compounds similar to allicin which give off a strong which is hugely unpleasant to rats. How to use garlic and onion repel rats? You can use entire cloves and place them in strategic spots or make a homemade spray. Here is the recipe:

• Bring 4 cups water to a boil
• Add 1 onion, chopped, and 2-4 cloves of garlic
• Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes
• Turn heat off and let the mixture cool completely
• Strain mixture and place remaining water in a glass spray bottle

White Vinegar

White vinegar is one of the most universal ingredients and it is practically versatile. It is often used for cleaning – the microwave, the refrigerator, and yes, it has a strong smell that rats hate.

Soak cotton balls in white vinegar or make a spray by mixing water and vinegar. Spray around the house, but make sure that you are able to ventilate the place as the smell is overwhelming.

Used Coffee Grounds as a Natural Rat Deterrent

Coffee grounds have a strong scent and a bitter flavor and great repellent for rats. Simply place Used Coffee Grounds in an open container and place them around the house.

Cloves

Rats hate the smell of cloves. Using cloves is especially suitable for indoors as the scent is not so overwhelming as white vinegar. Wrap cloves in a piece of cloth and place them in around the house to get rid of rats. Optionally, you can soak cotton balls with clove oil.

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne Pepper contains a compound called capsaicin. You can sprinkle crushed pepper or make a pepper spray.

• 4 cups water
• 2 oz. hot sauce
• 1 tsp dish soap

Combine all the ingredients into a glass spray bottle. The dish soap is used to make the mix stick to the surface. Spray in areas where you want to repel rats.

Essential oils

Essential oils are another option to get rid of rats in the house. For example, Peppermint, eucalyptus, castor oil, Citronella Oil repel rats. The strong smelling oils scare rats away.

Citronella oil is especially effective when you want to get rid of rats in the house. It is strong smelling and the scent overwhelms a rat’s senses and not being able to smell will make them feel unsafe.

Soak cotton balls in the essential oil and place them wherever you are having the rat problem.

Add 10-15 drops of essential oil to 1 cup of water and placed in a spray bottle. Spray in areas where you notice rat damage.