Rats are among the most frequent nuisances faced by homeowners. These pests are prevalent in cities, the countryside, and virtually all other locations. Consequently, a significant number of individuals choose to engage professional rat control services.

One way to keep them away from your home is to use a smell they don’t like. In this post, we will go over some different smells that may work for you!

Smells to Keep Rats Away

Rats have a very sensitive sense of smell, so any strong smell they hate will keep them away.

Here are some of the most common household scents that rats avoid:

Peppermint oil

One of the most common products that homeowners use to keep rats away is peppermint oil because of its strong scent.

You can place these oils around your home, but make sure to avoid putting them near the house’s foundation because they will absorb into the wood and damage your structure over time.

But keep in mind that rats can sometimes withstand the smell of peppermint oil, so it is best to use this with other remedies to ensure its effectiveness.

Citronella Oil

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Like peppermint oil, citronella oils have a strong smell that is unpleasant for rats. However, you can also use this product to keep away other pests too!

One way to use the scent of citronella is with candles or incense sticks. Y

You can even buy these scented products in packets, so all you have to do is shake them out and place them wherever needed.

Eucalyptus

Aside from peppermint and citronella oil, eucalyptus oils are some of the most common remedies for repelling rodents.

Like citronella and peppermint scents, you can also use these oils in candles or incense sticks to give off a strong scent that rats will avoid.

This is great because it will repel not only small rodents like mice and squirrels but larger ones like rats as well!

Chili powder

This household item is one of the best ways to keep rodents away because it can be used anywhere in your home.

Chili powder has a strong scent that rats despise, so you can sprinkle this on any rat-infested areas around your house or even outside as well!

Another way to use chili powder is by adding some water and making a paste out of it. You can then apply this mixture onto cotton balls and place them wherever they are needed most!

Vinegar

Vinegar is another household product that you can use to keep rodents away.

This common ingredient has a strong scent and taste so that rats will avoid it!

You can place vinegar in small dishes around your home or even outside if needed. This remedy also works on ants too!

Cayenne Pepper

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A great way to deter both mice and rats from entering your house is with the help of cayenne pepper.

Like chili powder, this household item offers a spicy flavor that pests despise because they cannot handle such heat!

One method for using cayenne pepper with other remedies is by combining equal parts water and white vinegar together along with some salt. You can then add teaspoon amounts of these ingredients into small spray bottles and then spritz this mixture into the areas you need most.

Bleach

Aside from vinegar, bleach is another household product that you can use to keep rodents away.

Like its scent, rats will also avoid the strong taste of this common cleaning ingredient!

One method of using bleach as a repellent for mice and rats is by placing small dishes with this solution into areas where they are commonly found or even outside if needed.

In Conclusion

As you can see, there are many different types of smells that may repel rats.

The best way to find out which smell will work the best for your situation is by trying them all!

If none of these options seems like they would be effective in your area or if it’s difficult to identify what type of smell might be most effective, contact us, and we can help figure out a solution tailored just for you.

We have years of experience with rat control solutions so let us know how we can assist you today!