Home remedies to keep and prevent rats away

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A rat infestation is something that can be a real problem for people, and it certainly isn't something that you should ignore, because rats can carry and transmit a range of diseases to people and to pets. There are several different ways to deal with rats, and if you search online you will find plenty of different home remedies that will claim to be able to deal with a rat infestation effectively. These will usually be made with a range of different substances and ingredients that are commonly found in domestic properties, so in terms of expense these will often be quite cheap to make at home.



Chemical Based Rat Repellent Recipes

There are several different chemicals which are found around the home which will feature in the home remedies, and in most cases these will be chemicals that will have a strong artificial scent. In most cases these will be used as an individual ingredient, with one of the most common solutions often being said to be putting down piles of moth balls in the areas where the rats are active, which is said to drive them away. Another claimed remedy is a combination of water, detergent and ammonia, which is then placed in a bowl in the areas where the rats are active, which is also said to drive the animals away.

Natural Rat Repellents

There are also plenty of different natural remedies that are said to drive rats away, and one of the most common here is peppermint oil, which has a very strong smell that is said to be unpleasant for the rats. A similar remedy is said to be crushed pepper, which claims to affect the sinuses of the rat and make it unpleasant for them to remain in that area. There are also several other remedies which are even stranger, but are said to drive rats away, and these include human hair, cow dung and onions, which are all said to drive rats away from the area.

How Effective Are These Home Remedies?

Home remedies are often said to be the traditional ways of dealing with pest animals that have been forgotten in the modern world, but like commercial repellents, these home remedies are not generally that effective at getting rid of rats. There are many factors that will cause rat activity in a particular area, and these can include the presence of food sources for the animals along with suitable nesting spots. Home remedies are generally ineffective when it comes to driving rats away, as the factors attracting them to the area will be stronger than the urge to leave that the repellents will give the rats.

Dealing With A Rat Infestation Effectively

There are several different ways that can be used to deal with a rat infestation, and the most common and still one of the most effective options is to use traps, and these will kill the rats quickly and humanely. These traps will need to be either snap traps or others that kill quickly, as there are also glue traps available, but these will not kill the rat quickly, and you could have to deal with a live rat yourself when you are checking the trap.
You can also look to deal with the factors that are attracting the rats, so this will include dealing with the food sources that attract the rats. Try to remove any easily accessible food sources by putting garbage in sealed garbage cans, and keeping food stores in solid containers, as this will also help to reduce the numbers of rats in the area around your property.
For more information, you may want to click on one of these guides that I wrote:
How much does rat removal cost? - get the lowdown on prices.
How to get rid of rats - my main rat removal info guide.
Example rat trapping photographs - get do-it-yourself ideas.
Rat job blog - learn from great examples of rat jobs I've done.