Rats are obnoxious rodents because they are filthy themselves, while also acting as carriers for several diseases and disease-causing germs like rat bite fever, salmonellosis, leptospirosis to name a few. Rats and mice need to be killed and/or driven away from your home for your health. Rats and mice are attracted to your house due to open refuse pits, poorly maintained pipes, dank basements, which they call their home. It’s mainly food, water, and shelter that draws these rodents to your home. So you need to get rid of these pests as quickly as possible.
Rats and mice leave several telltale signs for you to figure out if you have a rodent infestation – their droppings, several unidentifiable gnawing marks on wall corners and furniture, unexplained fabric tears. If you’ve noticed these signs, then you most probably have a rodent infestation on hand.
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Home remedies to get rid of rats
But how do you get rid these pests from your home? By following any of these effective home remedies to get rid of rats.
1. Ammonia
Ammonia is an amazing cleaning agent, which is also an excellent rodent repellent.
Remedy
- Mix 2 cups of ammonia with 100ml of water and 2 teaspoons of detergent. Place this in a bowl where rats are known to appear. The strong smell from this concoction will help repel rats away from your home.
2. Baby powder
Baby powder has a distinct smell that is repellent to rats. Although not a very effective remedy, it does work from time to time.
Remedy
- Sprinkle some baby powder around corners and angles where you’ve seen rat activity or at least suspect it. Baby powder acts as an intoxicant for the rats, which will help you to trap them physically and get rid of them successfully.
3. Baking soda
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Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which is repellent to rats and mice. The smell and the caustic nature of baking soda are helpful in keeping these rodents away.
Remedies
- Sprinkle some baking soda around holes, nooks, and corners where you suspect rodent activity to drive these pests away from your home.
- In a big bowl, mix equal amounts of baking soda, sugar, and flour. Transfer these into small, disposable cups and place them around your home at suspected rodent entry points. The rats are lured by the sugar, while the sodium bicarbonate reacts with their stomach acids, causing severe bloating. This causes the rats to die of internal organ system rupture.
4. Bay leaf
Bay leaf has an aroma that is alluring to rats. However, it contains secondary metabolites, which are quite toxic to them.
Remedy
- Place bay leaves around corners and holes you suspect of rodent activity. This will give you a permanent solution to your rodent problem.
5. Black pepper
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Black pepper has a very strong smell, which is again an excellent repellent for rats. Rats cannot tolerate the smell of ground pepper, making them flee your home quickly.
Remedy
- Sprinkle some ground black pepper around the corners and holes through which rats are known to enter your home. Do this continuously for a few weeks to get rid of all rats and mice from your home.
6. Castor oil
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Castor oil is again an amazing natural way of getting rid of rats and mice from your home.
Remedy
- Place a few drops of castor oil around your home in places where you’ve seen rat activity.
Pro tip: Citronella oil works to drive away the rodents too.
7. Cat urine
Collecting cat urine is sure to gross you out completely. But it works amazingly well in getting rid of rats and mice.
Remedy
- Cat urine has a distinct, pungent odor, which is hard to tolerate for people, let alone rats. Rats usually get as far away from cats and their bodily fluids as possible.
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8. Cloves
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Cloves have a strong odor and taste, which rats and mice find intolerable.
Remedy
- Put about 25 drops of clove essential oil on cotton balls and place them strategically around your home where there are holes, nooks, and cracks for these rats to hole up.
9. Cow dung
Cow dung is an excellent home remedy for getting rid of rodents, because it causes their stomachs to bloat, driving them away from your home.
Remedy
- Get some cow dung cakes and place them around your home in your attic, basement, and garden. The rodents consume this and die eventually due to bloating, and the resultant rupture of their internal system.
10. Human hair
Believe it or not, human hair is repellent to rats and mice. They apparently can’t bear the sight of it.
Remedy
- Snip a few strands of your hair and place them near holes and/or cracks in your home, or at places they tend to frequent. Once they consume the hair, they will die.
11. Mothballs
Mothballs are amazingly effective in repelling rats and mice.
Remedy
- Place mothballs in deserted areas and holes where you suspect rodent activity to help drive them away from your home.
12. Onions
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Onions again possess a pungent smell and taste, which is intolerable for rats and mice. They flee away from it. This is one of the most efficient home remedies to get rid of rats and mice naturally.
Remedy
- Place onion slices around areas where you’ve noticed rats scurrying, or inside their nests, if you can locate them.
13. Peppermint oil
Peppermint oil has a distinctive, pungent smell that is repellent to rats and mice.
Remedies
- Plant peppermint plants around your property to deter rats from entering your home.
- Place a few drops of pure peppermint oil around your home where you suspect rat activity to drive them away quickly and successfully.
14. Plaster of Paris
Plaster of Paris is useful in making homemade rat poison that is quite effective in getting rid of these rodents.
Remedy
- Mix 100g of Plaster of Paris with about the same amount of cornmeal and 1.5 cups of milk. Knead it to make it as even as possible, finally tearing them into small balls. Leave these small balls around your home, where you suspect rat activity. The rodents are lured by the cornmeal and the milk, but eventually die of the hardening Plaster of Paris in their systems.
Pro tip: You might have to replace these homemade rat poison balls because Plaster of Paris tends to harden over time.
15. Rat repellent spray
This homemade spray will help repel the rats and mice away from your home very effectively.
Remedy
- In a large pan, bring 16 cups of water to a boil. In a food processor, roughly chop up half a cup of habaneros and 2 tablespoons of hot pepper flakes. Put this pepper blend into a large bucket and pour the boiling hot water over it. Cover it with a lid and let it sit for 24 hours. Using a strainer, get the pepper bits out and pour this into a spray bottle. Spray this pepper-based rat repellent around the holes and entries where you suspect rodent activity.
Pro tip: Use protective gloves and goggles while preparing this homemade rat repellent.
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Additional points to note
- Rats and mice are attracted to garbage, compost bins, food spillages, fruits, vines, and pet food. Store these properly so that they are not out in the open.
- Attics, basements, and porches are some of these rodents’ favorite places to gain entry into your home.
- Keep the grounds of your yard clean and well-maintained, so that you can easily notice if any rodent has been digging in it.
- Keep foods, fruits, and vegetables in well-sealed containers.
- Get rid of any stagnant water puddles immediately.
These are all the effective home remedies to get rid of rats from your home successfully. For more updates on home remedies, health tips, and fitness secrets, subscribe to our newsletter today!
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