Rats pose serious health risks and can cause extensive damage to homes. These resilient pests carry diseases, host parasites, and gnaw through everything from drywall to electrical wires. For homeowners dealing with a rat infestation, there are many natural ways that will repel rats and protect your home without resorting to harsh chemicals or inhumane methods. This guide will explore natural rat repellents and offer prevention techniques to keep these pests out of your home.

If you think you’re in over your head, you can always reach out to some of the best professional rat exterminators, and get a quote below to remove your rat infestation.

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Signs of a Rat Infestation

Before implementing rat control measures, you should make sure to distinguish if the pest issue is ras or other rodents, like mice. While similar, rats and mice require different pest management approaches.

Rats are significantly larger than mice, often exceeding a foot in length. They have thick, scaly tails and blunt noses with short whiskers. In contrast, mice are much smaller, with thin, hairy tails and triangular noses. Rats can be brown, gray, or black, while mice are typically brown or gray.

Common signs of a rat infestation include:

  • Live or dead rats
  • Rat droppings around trash, food, or pet food areas
  • Nesting materials in secluded spots
  • Gnaw marks on wood, ductwork, or wiring
  • Footprints or tail marks in dusty areas
  • Scurrying or scratching noises in walls or attics
  • Burrows under buildings or in the yard
  • Gnawed fruit or food items
  • Greasy smudges on walls
  • A strong ammonia odor
  • Pets staring intently at walls
rat inside of a home
Image Source: Canva

Why Rats Invade Homes

Like most pests, rats seek three primary things when choosing a habitat: water, food, and shelter. Unfortunately, these rodents are highly adaptable and can thrive in various environments with minimal resources. This adaptability makes preventative measures crucial in rat control.

Rats reproduce rapidly, reaching sexual maturity at just three months old. Once inside a home, a few rats can quickly establish a large colony—this is why catching a rat problem early on before it gets out of control is important.

Natural DIY Rat Repellents

Several natural repellents can effectively deter rats without the use of harmful chemicals. These options are safe for humans and pets while creating an environment rats find unappealing. You can use natural repellents indoors and outdoors, but these repellents require consistent application for best results.

Essential Oils

Peppermint essential oil is one of the most effective natural rat repellents. Even some commercial pest control companies use it as a non-toxic alternative to rodenticides. The strong scent is unpleasant to rats but harmless to humans.

Mix peppermint essential oil with water in a spray bottle. Then, spray the solution around the home, focusing on entrances, corners, and crevices. You can also soak cotton balls in peppermint oil and place them in affected areas. While peppermint oil is highly effective, it may wash away in rainy conditions, making it less suitable for outdoor use during wet periods. Other essential oils that repel rats include eucalyptus, citronella, lavender, and rosemary oil. 

Spices and Strong Scents

Certain spices and strong-smelling substances, such as pepper flakes, black pepper, ammonia, and vinegar, can also deter rats. You can sprinkle these substances in problem areas or use them to create DIY repellent sprays.

DIY Recipe for Rat Repellent Spray

To make a homemade rat repellent spray using everyday household items, combine two cups of water, one cup of white vinegar, one tablespoon of cayenne pepper, and 10 drops of peppermint or eucalyptus essential oil. Shake well before each use and spray generously around areas frequented by rats.

How To Prevent Rats

The best way to deal with a rat problem is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Here’s how.

Seal Entry Points

Rats can squeeze through holes as small as an inch wide, so look around your home carefully for small cracks and crevices and fill them with caulking. An overlooked gap could be an open invitation for these persistent rodents. If you find larger holes, use an expanding spray foam or patch openings with cement board or other exterior-rated materials to keep pests out. 

Windows and doors are common entry points, so examine them closely for drafts or gaps. Then, fill them with weather stripping and repair broken windowpanes, loose shingles, or warped paneling. Cover attic vents and crawl space openings with hardware cloth. Inspect around utility pipes, cables, and vents, and seal any gaps with steel wool or copper mesh.

Change the Environment

Environmental control involves eliminating potential food and water sources and reducing hiding spots. Implementing these changes helps deter rats and contributes to maintaining a clean and healthy living environment.

You’ll want to tightly seal trash cans, store pet food and birdseed and sealed containers, and clean up dirty dishes and crumbs promptly.

Certain plants and vegetation provide food sources, nesting materials, and shelter for rats. Plants that may attract rats include fruit and nut trees, vegetable gardens, berry patches, and grape vines. Additionally, tall grasses, weeds, and dense shrubbery provide excellent hiding and nesting spots for rats. To deter rats and maintain a tidy outdoor space, promptly removing fallen fruits, nuts, and vegetables is essential. 

Secure compost bins with tight-fitting lids to prevent access. Keep your garden, lawn, and landscaping well-maintained by regularly trimming vegetation and clearing overgrown areas, brush piles, and woodpiles. When planting, space plants and shrubs appropriately to avoid creating a dense cover that rats could use for shelter. Finally, consider using rat-proof fencing around gardens or plant beds for added protection.

Set Rat Traps

rat in a trap outside
Image Source: Canva

Traps can be an effective method for controlling small rat populations. While traps require more hands-on involvement than other methods, they can quickly reduce rat numbers when used correctly.

When setting rat traps, choose snap traps for rats, not mice, and make sure your bait is effective, like peanut butter. Place traps along walls and any areas where you’ve seen rat activity. Check and reset these traps regularly, and if initial attempts are unsuccessful, try different bait options, such as bacon or fruit.

When To Call a Professional

While many natural rat control methods can be effective, there are times when professional help may be necessary. Consider contacting a pest control expert if the rat infestation is extensive or if it is not responding to DIY attempts. The location also impacts how challenging it is to control an infestation. If rats are in walls or attics, we recommend professional intervention, as these infestations are often more extensive and difficult to treat. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What scent will keep rats away?

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.

What are the signs of rats in your walls?

Telltale signs of rats in walls include scratching or scurrying noises coming from the walls (especially at night), smudge marks or rubbing lines along baseboards, and a musky ammonia smell. You may also see rat droppings, nesting materials, or damage from gnawing around the home’s exterior.

What do rats hate the most?

Rats dislike harsh smells like ammonia, peppermint, citrus, and eucalyptus. They also avoid hot spices like cayenne pepper, cloves, and pepper. Rats have an acute sense of smell and taste, so using strong odors and flavors can effectively repel them.

What home remedy kills rats fast?

While not an instantaneous solution, one of the most effective and humane home remedies is to create a natural rat poison using plaster of Paris or clumping cat litter. When mixed with food bait, the plaster or litter causes thirst, and rats will seek out water until they eventually die. Exercise caution using any poison around pets or children.

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Sam Wasson

Staff Writer

Sam Wasson graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Film and Media Arts with an Emphasis in Entertainment Arts and Engineering. Sam brings over four years of content writing and media production experience to the Today’s Homeowner content team. He specializes in the pest control, landscaping, and moving categories. Sam aims to answer homeowners’ difficult questions by providing well-researched, accurate, transparent, and entertaining content to Today’s Homeowner readers.

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Coty Perry

Expert Writer & Reviewer

Coty Perry is a lawn and garden writer for Today’s Homeowner. He focuses on providing homeowners with actionable tips that relate to the “Average Joe” who is looking to achieve a healthier and greener lawn. When he isn’t writing he can almost always be found coaching youth football or on some trail in Pennsylvania in search of the next greatest fishing hole.

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