Scents to Repel Rats

Considerations

• Scents that repel rats can work for days, but you should use baits and traps to kill rats, plug holes in your residence and clean your house regularly for a permanent solution. Rats are opportunistic animals that rapidly adapt to their environment, which means they will grow accustomed to scents they initially dislike as they become familiar with a living environment.

Human

• Most individuals do not notice they have a rat problem unless they hear these pests at night or find rat droppings. Rats are more fearful than mice and try to avoid humans at all costs, preferring to live in dark places and remaining active at night when humans sleep. If rats become accustomed to human activity, they will venture inside a house. The more human activity in your house, the less likely a rat will set up shop.

Pets

• Since cats and dogs leave more scent markers than humans and these pets have been predators of rats for centuries, rats stay away from the smell of large predator animals. If you have a cat or dog, spread their hair around the areas that rats inhabit. To prevent rats from coming into your house, let these pets outside to go to the bathroom so that they can spread their urine scent around your property.

Ammonia

• Both animal and human urine contain low concentrations of ammonia, but pure ammonia works better than animal urine. Spray the living area of rats or holes leading into your house with ammonia, which tricks rats into thinking they smell a large predator. You may have difficulty purchasing it pure due to the health risks of undiluted ammonia, but most household cleaners contain concentrations of ammonia sufficient to repel rats.

Herbs

• While rats grow more quickly accustomed to the smell of herbs than other scents, you can use garlic, peppermint, mint, cloves and cedarleaf to keep them away from your house. Spread fresh herbs around areas of the house where rats enter; soak mothballs in liquid extracts of these herbs for the best results. Strong fragrances and perfumes will have a limited effect in repelling rats.