About 21 million US households get invaded by rodents every winter.
Homeowners don’t like rodents because they can damage property and spread different diseases. Fortunately, you can keep rats away with strong common smells.
Rats despise certain smells, such as cinnamon, citronella, peppermint oil, vinegar, ammonia, mothballs, bleach, etc. You can make natural repellents with these natural and chemical smells and keep rats at bay.
In today’s article, I will discuss scents rats hate, so let’s dive right in.
What Keeps Rats Away Naturally?
First, inspect your home for possible entry points; seal holes and gaps. Then, spray any of the following smells rats hate:
Peppermint Oil
Rats can’t stand this oil’s strong smell, so spray a few drops around your property. You can also apply the oil where you’ve seen rats or use a diffuser.
Cinnamon
The potent scent of cinnamon deters rats. These rodents hate strong smells, so sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon around your home.
You can also make a spray with cinnamon oil. Take a spray bottle, add some water and cinnamon oil and spray the areas where you suspect rats in your home./h
Vinegar
Most rats dislike the sharp smell of vinegar. So, you can use apple cider or white vinegar as a natural rat repellent.
You can submerge cotton balls in vinegar and scatter them where you think rats stay in your home. Or you can clean your floors with vinegar. Vinegar will help remove the scent of rats and keep future ones at bay.
Citronella
Citronella repels mosquitoes. You can also use citronella as a rat-repellant because rats hate the lemon-like smell of citronella.
You can either plant citronella plants around your property or purchase citronella oils or candles. You will keep these rodents at bay and make your outdoor area more pleasant and appealing if you plant citronella plants./h
Ammonia
Rats also hate ammonia. They can’t stand the pungent smell of this product.
So, using ammonia around your home can keep rats at bay. You can soak cotton balls in this product and scatter them around your home. Or you can clean your home with ammonia.
Always wear a mask and protective gloves when using this cleaning product because it can damage your skin and lungs if inhaled.
Bleach
Bleach has a strong and unpleasant smell which rats dislike. So, you can use bleach for cleaning your home and deter these rodents naturally.
You can mix bleach with water and use this mixture around your home. Then, watch the area to see if the rats have left your home after a few days.
Always wear a face mask and protective gloves when handling bleach. This product can be toxic if inhaled or ingested.
Mothballs
Mothballs release a strong, unpleasant smell that rats don’t like.
Therefore, you can place mothballs around areas where you’ve seen rats. You can also put mothballs in enclosed spaces where they might be hiding.
Moreover, you can make a rat-repellent spray using mothballs. Add a few mothballs to a water bowl. Once they dissolve, transfer the mixture into a spray bottle.
Open windows and doors for ventilation and mist areas where you think rats stay in your home. However, don’t spray too much of this solution because it’s strong and can cause harm if inhaled.
Clover Plants
Clover plants can successfully deter rats because they’re aromatic.
You can pick flowers and place them around your home. I’m not a fan of this method, as it’s time-consuming; you should replace the flowers every 3-5 days for the best results.
Or you can soak clover plants in water, then transfer the water into a spray bottle. Spray your door frames, drain openings, roofing material, and window sills with this mixture./h
Garlic and Onions
The sharp smell of garlic can repel different pests, including rats, deer, and raccoons.
There’s a molecule in garlic known as allicin which gives this plant a pungent odor. The allicin in garlic acts as a defense mechanism against animals.
Some people use onions for repelling rats because they have sulfur-containing parts, which emit a pungent smell that will deter most pests.
If you have garlic, you can add this versatile plant around vulnerable areas.
However, note that the garlic will spoil. Therefore, you will have to replace garlic cloves regularly for the best results.
You can make a spray if you have onions and garlic at home. Add 4 cups of water to a small pot and bring it to a boil. Then, add one onion and 2-4 cloves of garlic or two tablespoons of garlic powder.
Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes at medium heat. Lastly, strain the water and add it to a glass spray bottle.
Predator Smell
Rats usually leave homes that smell like predators, such as cats, raccoons, and ferrets.
A study in the Journal of Neuroscience says that when rats smell predators, their stress hormones increase. Also, rats exhibit defensive behaviors when they sense a cat.
In short, since the smell of rat predators can cause fear in rats, keeping a cat can help keep your home rat-free.
However, these rodents can become aggressive when trapped and transmit diseases to your pet while fighting back, so keep that in mind.
Conclusion
Inspect your home’s interior and exterior for entry points if you have a rat problem.
Entry points for rats include gaps in doors, drains, cracks, vents, etc. You should seal or repair any holes you think can serve as entry points for these rodents.
Moreover, it would help if you regularly clean your home because rats look for cluttered areas where they can hide. In other words, these pests find dirty homes more appealing than clean ones.
Lastly, you can repel rats with the scents above. Rats hate pungent smells, such as peppermint, citronella, garlic, onions, ammonia, chili powder, essential oils, bleach, predator smell, etc.
If nothing works, you should call pest control professionals. They can quickly and easily find entry points, rat droppings, and nests and solve your rat infestation.
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