If you’ve ever dealt with rats or mice in your Pacific Northwest home, you know how unnerving it can be. Rodents may be a common pest all year long, but did you know infestations spike during the fall in Portland, Seattle, and Boise?
While there are home remedies that you can use to help repel rodents naturally, you should strongly consider contact pest control professionals instead of DIY pest control practices. Using DIY solutions can seem convenient, but can occasionally cause more harm and only lead to temporary fixes. Not only can some DIY solutions not solve the root of your pest control issue, they can often include chemicals that are harmful. Here are 6 home remedies to repel rodents that steer clear of chemicals, and unsafe practices:
Plants
Plants like lavender, elderberry, daffodils, and any type of mint plants are known to repel mice. You could plant some around your home or keep them in pots inside your home. Bay leaves and oak leaves have also been known to deter rodents. You can leave some around your home or put some in sachets and leave them in closets and drawers. This method not only makes your home look and smell nice, but it can help deter rodents.
This method not only helps deter rodents but it also makes your home smell nice in the process. Essential oils that may be helpful in repelling rats and mice include peppermint oil, lemon oil, citronella oil, and eucalyptus oil. You can make an essential oil spray by mixing 2 teaspoons of oil with 1 cup of water or rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Then spray it anywhere you see traces of rodents. Like the ammonia spray, you can also use cotton balls. If you choose the spray method, you’ll want to reapply in about a week and if you use cotton balls, replace them after two weeks.
Fill in Holes and Use Barricades
If you notice cracks or holes that a mouse or rat may use to gain access into your home, fill them in with caulk. You can also fill in larger gaps with a mix of caulk and steel wool. Steel wool is a harder material to chew through for these rodents.
Rat and Mouse Traps
If you aren’t seeing success with your natural rodent repellants, you may need to resort to mouse and rat traps. There are traditional snap traps, glue traps, and the more humane option, catch-and-release traps. You’ll want to first identify which type of rodent you’re dealing as a mousetrap is too small for a rat.
Professional Pest Control Services
If you are dealing with a much bigger rodent infestation, it may be time to call in the experts. PURCOR has been providing pest control services to the Portland, Seattle, and Boise metro areas, and we provide pest control solutions for all types of pests. So contact us or call us today for fast, effective, and affordable pest control services.
Essential oils that may be helpful in repelling rats and mice include peppermint oil, lemon oil, citronella oil
citronella oil
Citronella oil is an essential oil obtained from the leaves and stems of different species of Cymbopogon (lemongrass). The oil is used extensively as a source of perfumery chemicals such as citronellal, citronellol, and geraniol.
, and eucalyptus oil. You can make an essential oil spray by mixing 2 teaspoons of oil with 1 cup of water or rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Then spray it anywhere you see traces of rodents.
Peppermint oil, cayenne pepper, pepper and cloves.
Mice are said to hate the smell of these. Lightly soak some cotton balls in oils from one or more of these foods and leave the cotton balls in places where you've had problems with mice.
Seal cracks and small holes with caulk or use roofing cement – it's durable and easily applied with a caulking gun. Close gaps under doors with rodent-resistant metal door sweeps. Close window gaps with metal flashing. Put screens on vents, especially on lower floors.
It's possible to repel rats using essential oils such as peppermint oil and other smells that they naturally don't like. Using peppermint oil is one of the easiest ways to keep rats away from your home as long as you aren't giving them an easy food source.
So, we know that vinegar helps repulse other pests, but does vinegar repel mice? Because of its pungent smell, it can help deter mice from infesting and spreading their droppings to certain areas of your home. This scent is often too intense for a rodent's sensitive nose, like peppermint and other essential oils.
In fact, we've since discovered that the very occasional re-application of Vicks is enough to keep the squirrels away. I'm beginning to think that the most effective solution to our squirrel problem is to not see it as a problem at all.
Peppermint oil, cayenne pepper, and cloves – Soak some cotton balls in any of these essential oils. Then place the cotton balls around your house in common hiding spots for mice and rats. Apple cider vinegar and water – Mix these ingredients up in a spray bottle and spritz it around the outside of your house.
So, what is the fastest way to get rid of rats? Pest control is the most efficient method to get rid of rats quickly but the usage of mouse traps, snap traps, chemical baits, and live traps are all effective methods to get rid of rats as quickly and effectively as possible.
Mothballs repelling mice and rats is a common misconception. Mothballs contain a small amount of naphthalene and can be a deterrent in large quantities, however, they aren't powerful enough to get rid of mice and rodents.
Sanitize the area. Part of an effective rodent control strategy involves preventing access to food and water and keeping your structures neat and clean to avoid providing easy shelter. Keep ALL food—especially horse, chicken, pet, and animal feed—in rat-proof buildings, rooms, or containers.
You can also try using peppermint oil to deter rats and other rodents. To create a peppermint oil repellent, mix equal parts peppermint oil and water. Then, spray the mixture around your garden and along the walls, windows, and doorways of your house.
Rats have a strong sense of smell, which makes strong odors effective deterrents. Some scents that rats dislike include peppermint, eucalyptus, citronella, ammonia, and vinegar. Using essential oils, soaking cotton balls, or making spray solutions with these ingredients can help repel rats.
Pour into a spray bottle and shake well to blend the mixture, before spraying in problem areas where you have seen mice activity. Repeat this process every two weeks for a while to help keep mice away from your home in the long term.
Peppermint oil is thought of as an effective method for keeping mice and rats away because they can't stand the smell, which is true. The preferred method is soaking cotton balls with peppermint oil and placing them strategically around common rodent entry points.
In fact, we've since discovered that the very occasional re-application of Vicks is enough to keep the squirrels away. I'm beginning to think that the most effective solution to our squirrel problem is to not see it as a problem at all.
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