So, while it's possible to keep rats away with peppermint oil for a while, the strong scent of peppermint oil will slowly fade away. If you're looking for a natural method to deter rats, consider taking advantage of the powerful scent of citronella. Its strong scent interrupts rats' ability to navigate thanks to their keen sense of smell. Natural ways to get rid of rats once they have moved to your garden include several measures.
The more you can use, the more effective they will be. Rats have a very keen sense of smell and hate strong odors. Powerful essential oils such as peppermint, eucalyptus and citronella are effective. Pepper and cayenne also deter rats.
Physical barriers, such as the use of metal wire to block all access points, are also effective. Sonic deterrents also work, as do natural predators, such as cats and foxes. Not only does this method help deter rodents, it also makes your home smell good in the process. Essential oils that may be useful for repelling rats and mice include peppermint oil, lemon oil, citronella oil, and oil of eucalyptus.
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 ammonia spray, you can also use cotton balls. If you choose the spray method, you'll need to reapply it in about a week, and if you use cotton balls, change them after two weeks.
Since rats groom themselves, they are likely to be deterred by having to remove their hot chili powder over and over again. Plant lots of plants that ward off rats everywhere you think rats could use to enter your garden (see above). Rats are considered vermin and transmit many potentially serious diseases, such as leptospirosis (which can cause Weil's disease), murine typhus (through bites) and salmonella, among others. Let all ingredients sit in an airtight container and then spray freely on any area that you think rats are visiting.
If you're not having success with your natural rodent repellents, you may need to resort to traps for mice and rats. If you haven't seen any rats but suspect their presence, clues include finding clear 10 cm wide trails (rat pens) between the cover and potential feeding areas. If rats are already carving out a hole in your garden, the experts who offer pest control services at Dan's Carpet Care have some natural remedies up their sleeves. If you have fruit trees in your garden, pick ripe fruit from the trees, prune branches and remove excess leaves to keep rats away. Do a meticulous search around the pipes and cables to detect any openings that could serve as an entry point for rats.
Like all living things, rats need food, water and shelter to survive, and so gardens suitable for wildlife tend to attract them. If rats have moved to your garden because you're feeding the birds, the surest way to deter them is to stop taking out the food for up to 6 weeks. City councils across the UK have a responsibility to keep areas rat-free and can alert homeowners and land owners to take steps to destroy them. However, by eliminating or restricting access to any of these, as well as taking preventive measures, rats will be less likely to stay in your garden.
They grow well only at the edges, but you can deter rats by squashing them as you walk and dropping cuttings in rats' pens and holes. Essential vegetable oils such as peppermint, rosemary, citronella, sage and lavender have strong botanical scents that rats don't like.
