How to Get Rid of Rats and Mice: 16 Best Home Remedies
How to get rid of rats — this has been one of the most searched keywords on google. The reason is apparent — rats and mice are making a mess in your home. You are noticing damages in your property caused by rodents.
That’s not all. You are also getting sleepless nights because of the scurrying and squeaking of these small creatures. Besides, you cannot tolerate the musky strange smell all over the place. There are many things that make you intolerable to the presence of rats and mice in your home. Gnawed books and carpets are just the beginning.
Rats, unusual guests, are like mini hurricanes that leave everything messed up in their wake. They don’t only make things ugly and damaged but also carry harmful germs and bacteria to your home. Things won’t get right until they are shown the way outside.
You might be looking for some ways to get rid of rats and rodents from your home. For that, you can adapt traditional, natural home remedies to get rid of rats, or call a professional rat control company. In any case, you need to get rid of them and get them out of your home fast.
Many people look for natural ways to get rid of rats and other pests. It is an excellent idea, indeed, until the problem is severe. This is not only a reliable method but also eco-friendly and cost-effective.
The interesting thing is that you can use some of the things available in your kitchen to terrify rodents and expel them from your home. Also, you can make your home smell pleasant by using kitchen ingredients to keep mice at bay.
16 Ways to Get Rid of Rats and Mice: Home Remedies and Traps
Rats are important to maintain ecosystem balance. But sometimes they become a nuisance and make life difficult for people. Hence, it is crucial to get rid of them without hurting them before they become problems for you.
Getting rid of rats and mice without killing them can be a tricky and challenging task for you. Luckily, you have some natural elements that might help you keep them at bay. Try to use those methods that cannot kill the rats.
Here, I will tell you how you can get rid of rodents by using some ingredients that you already have in your home.
1. Cloves or Clove Oil: An Effective Mice Deterrent
Cloves are common culinary ingredients in most homes. It is most likely that you have cloves in your kitchen. If you don’t have them buy them from your local grocery store. Alternatively, you can also use clove oil for the same purpose.
Clove oil, extracted from the flower buds, is highly effective in getting rid of rats and other pests. If you are looking for the best natural way to eliminate rodents from your house without killing them, use clove oil for an effective result.
Ways to Get Rid of Rats Using Cloves
First, identify the hiding spots for rats, including their holes. Pour a few drops of oil into the holes. Also, sprinkle the oil in their hiding spots. Another way to use clove oil to keep rats at bay is placing a cotton cloth wet in clove oil here and there. The smell will repel them.
If you don’t have clove oil, you need not worry. Take a handful of dried cloves and crush them. Place the crushed cloves in the holes and hide areas of rodents.
Sources say that the smell of cloves or clove oil creates a numbing sensation in rats. Hence, you will see the desired result. Rats and other rodents will run away quickly due to the smell.
Cloves are equally effective in getting rid of ants and other insects from home.
2. Garlic Cloves: Natural Rat Repellent
Garlic is a pungent and strong-tasting bulb. It is an important kitchen ingredient that is used for flavoring cuisines. It is also used in many herbal medicines.
Growing for more than five thousand years, garlic has been considered to be an important ingredient in cooking. Some people like its taste while others do not.
Probably, you like the taste of garlic in your daily cuisine. Hence, it is likely that you have garlic in your kitchen. You can use the cloves of garlic in keeping rats and mice at bay. Let’s understand how it works.
Rodents do not like the strong smell of garlic. To drive the unwanted guests (rats & mice) away from your home, you can use it as an anti-mice solution.
How to Prepare Rat Repellent Solution Using Garlic
Here is the step-by-step guide to preparing the anti-mice solution using garlic cloves.
First, make the paste of a handful of garlic cloves.
Then, add 5 drops of detergent liquid.
Mix the solution well.
After that, dilute the solution by adding water.
Strain it through a muslin cloth twice. This prevents the nozzle of the spray from getting clogged.
Fill the solution in a spray bottle.
Method to Use Garlic to Repel Rats and Mice
Your anti-mice spray is ready to use. Spray the solution at the hiding spots of rodents. Rats will run away from your home due to the strong smell of garlic.
3. Red Chilli or Chilli Flakes: Get Rid of Rats Fast
Another important culinary ingredient that you can use to say bye-bye to rats and mice is chilli flakes. I am pretty sure that you have hot chilli flakes in your kitchen. Simply spreading the flakes won’t work. You need to prepare a concoction that can be used easily and effectively.
How to Use Chilli Flakes to Get Rid of Rats and Mice from Home
Here is a step-by-step guide to preparing the concoction of chilli flakes to get rid of rats and mice from your home.
Blend chilli paper or pepper flakes thoroughly and add 2 gallons of water.
Separately, boil water in a large container and pour it over the pepper mixture.
Close it and allow it to cool down completely.
Strain the pepper bits out using a strainer or cheesecloth.
Voila! Your anti-rodent spray is ready. Once the spray is ready, pour it along the perimeter after running a patch test. The solution may leave a stain on the wall or floors. Mind it well. Also, the pepper solution could give you a severe burning sensation. So, take care of yourself while using it. Keep away your kids and pets as chilli solution could harm them.
4. Onions: Get Rid of Rats Without Killing
Onion is one of the most important kitchen ingredients. This is used in several culinary preparations. It is most likely that you have onions in your home. Like garlic, onions are also known for a pungent strong taste. Onion is equally effective in getting rid of rodents as garlic.
Method to Use Onions to Repel Rats from Your Home
Simply, place onions around small holes and openings where rodents might reside. Replace the onion bulbs every second day. Rats and mice cannot tolerate the strong smell of onions. Hence, they will soon run away from your home.
5. Peppermint Oil
Rats and rodents do not like the pungent smell of garlic, cloves, and onions. Hence, it is clear that they have aversion to the strong smell. Peppermint is one such ingredient that also has a strong smell that can drive away rodents from your home.
Just dab cotton balls in peppermint oil and place them in entry points, nooks, and corners. You can also place them in the garden where they have their holes. Replace peppermint oil-dipped cotton balls every second day for the best result. This will not only get your house rid of rats but also keep your house smelling fresh. In addition, the smell of peppermint essential oil will help you get rid of cockroaches, ants, bed bugs, and other insects.
6. Potato Powder or Flakes: Get Rid of Rats Permanently
Potato is one of the most used vegetables in most Indian households. It is most likely that you will have potatoes in your home. But you may not have potato powder or flakes. If you don’t have potato flakes or powder then buy them from your local grocery store.
Although, this is a natural method it can kill the rats. In general, this is not the method to get rid of rodents without killing them. If you don’t want to kill rats and mice, then avoid this method.
How to Use Potato Powder or Flakes to Get Rid of Mice and Rats Permanently
Here is how instant potato powder works in getting rid of vermins. Simply sprinkle the powder everywhere at your home. The rats and mice will follow the trail and eat the flakes. The flakes will swell up in the intestines of the rodents and kill them eventually.
Warning: Keep potato powder away from the pets and kids as it could have the same effect on them.
7. Bay Leaves: No More Rats in Your Home
The bay leaf is an aromatic leaf that is commonly used for flavoring cuisines. The whole bay leaves have a sharp, bitter taste. You will be amazed to know that the aroma of bay leaves can help you drive away rats and rodents from your home.
The herbal, slightly flora aroma of the bay leaves will attract rats. Rats will think that there is a food source for them. When they consume the bay leaves as their food, they choke themselves and then end up dying.
Method to Use Bay Leaves to Keep Rats at Bay
Therefore, put some bay leaves around the places where rats are mostly active. Rats will eat the bay leaves and eventually die. If you are looking for a way to get rid of rats from home without killing them, then this is not the right method for it. Avoid it.
8. Cocoa Powder and Plaster of Paris: Effective Rat Control
Sometimes it becomes difficult to get rid of rodents using garlic, bay leaves, and peppermint oil. In this case, you would want to take strict action to kill them.
Cocoa powder is a very useful kitchen ingredient that can serve your purpose. It is known to dehydrate then suffocate rats and rodents. All you need to do is to prepare a mixture of Plaster of Paris and cocoa powder.
How to Use POP and Cocoa Powder to Get Rid of Rats Permanently
The mixture of Plaster of Paris (POP) and cocoa powder is an effective method to get rid of vermins — rats and mice. Spread the mixture in the areas where rats are creating problems.
Once the rodents will eat up the mixture, they will feel thirsty, dehydrated, and suffocated. Then, they will rush out of your homes to drink water and die eventually. You can also mix baking soda and cocoa powder for the same purpose.
9. Ammonia Spray: Best Rat Repellent
By now you must be aware that rats cannot tolerate strong odors. They just hate the powerful smells of garlic, clove, onion, and peppermint. Likewise, they cannot tolerate the strong smells of ammonia and will leave the place.
Way to Use Ammonia Spray to Eliminate Rats from Home
All you need to do is to prepare an easy-use ammonia spray. Take one-fourth of water, 2 cups of regular ammonia, and two teaspoons of detergent. Stir the solution well. Then, fill the solution in a spray bottle. Spray the concoction everywhere rats visit frequently.
You can also dip cotton bolls in the solution and keep them near rats’ favorite spots. The pungent smell of ammonia will make rodents feel suffocated. Due to suffocation, they will run away from your home to save their lives.
Rat traps or mouse traps are traps designed to catch rats and get rid of them. There are many types of rat traps or mouse traps available in the market that you can use. Commonly used types of traps are as follows:
10. Cage Traps
A rat cage trap is made of metal and is shaped like a box-shaped cage. The idea behind it is to capture the rodents without killing them.
Using a rat cage trap is an age-old method for getting rid of rats. I have seen this method being used in villages. You can also use this method to remove unwanted guests from your home.
How to Use Rat Cage Trap
All you need to do is put foot bait (not poisoned) in the cage trap. When a rat or mouse enters the cage to eat food, the door of the cage closes. In this way, you have caught the rats alive. Now can leave it far away from your house.
11. Glue Traps
Glue traps are non-toxic glue spread over cardboard sheets. Using these traps is an effective way to get rid of rodents.
How to Use Glue Traps to Get Rid of Rodents
Simply, place the glue traps where rats frequently roam around. When the rats cross through the sheet of glue traps, they will get stuck due to the glue. They will suffer from dehydration and suffocation and die subsequently.
Some other popular rat traps are electronic traps, bucket traps, and spring traps.
Preventive Measures to Keep Rats & Mice at Bay
Other than using above mentioned natural methods, you can also use traps, baits, or chemical repellents to get rid of rats. There are many lethal and nonlethal products available to send the rats away.
Whichever way you get them out still, take some preventive measures. Rats will not come back into the house.
Here are a few preventive measures to keep rats and mice away from your home.
12. Clear the Clutter
Making your home mess-free and clean is one of the best things you need to do to keep away any sorts of pests. You need to understand that pests and bugs are attracted to dirt, dust, and mess. So, it is crucial to clear the clutter to make your home pest-free. A clean and mess-free home will not attract rodents and keep them at bay.
13. Look for Warning Signs
Once rats enter your house, the first thing you will discover is the dirty smell associated with them. Then come droppings, scurrying sounds among others.
With the first of signs, you must prepare to send them away or these could develop into gnawing of the goods and leaving burrows in the carpets. You may also find dead rats in hidden places occasionally.
14. Invest in Home Maintenance
Treatment and prevention go hand in hand. Home repair should take place from time to time. Sealing off all the exterior as well as interior flooring and walls is one way of preventing the rats from getting inside your house.
Repair all cracks and leaking pipes which can lessen the threat of rats invading your house. Remember dirty surrounding is like an invitation to these unwelcome guests.
15. Treat Bushes and Climbers
Rats are excellent climbers. If they find a bush or climber on the wall, they may make way for it. One slight chance of entrance, and they can attack your house and make a mess of it. Bushes can be a breeding place for these rats as well. So, trim them in between and fill up the holes underneath.
16. Store Food Properly
Most of the time, rats come into your house in search of food. If you keep your kitchen secured and food in tight containers, there is very little chance of rat infestation.
Keep the lid on the garbage bin at all times. Discard its items properly so that these creatures don’t find their way back to your place.
The Bottom Line
If you cannot control rats and mice by yourself, it is better to call a professional pest control company. Professionals will help you in catching and setting up traps for rats. Most pest control companies offer services for rodent or rat control in India. For the best result, use the services of a reliable pest control agency at least once a year. This will make your home free from any sort of pests including rats and mice.
