Rodent infestations are surprisingly preventable, which is why it is a little alarming when our customers immediately resort to the most toxic methods of killing and repelling mice and rats. There are several highly effective natural rodent repellents, but even without them, you can easily stop rodents from setting up shelters in your home. All it needs is a little proactivity.
Why You Have a Rodent Problem in the First Place
Rats and mice come into our homes looking for three things: food, shelter, and warmth. If you can deprive them of all three, then you won’t have to resort to repelling them; they will automatically relocate to greener pastures. Here is how you can keep your home rodent-free.
- Eliminate all food sources that they can survive off of; that means every last crumb. Rodents are incredibly resourceful animals that can make do with tiny morsels of food. Wipe down all counters that come in contact with food, vacuum your carpets, and store pet food far from their reach.
- Keep all your food in tightly lidded containers. Accidental spills should be cleaned up immediately.
- Sweep the floors for food crumbs and mop them with disinfectant whenever possible to create a sanitary environment.
- Take the trash out regularly and avoid collecting too much at a time. If you can’t dispose of food waste immediately, put it in a lidded container, and get it out of your home as soon as possible.
- Rid your home of materials in which rodent’s nest. These include newspapers, wood chippings, linen, blankets, rugs, and fabrics.
- Get rid of wood pilings that are around your home. These create an ideal nesting environment for mice and rats. Consider moving them out of your property if you’re not going to use them.
- Plug all the holes and cracks through which rodents can enter your home. These creatures are incredibly agile and can fit in holes much smaller than their bodies. Steel wool is the best material to use in this case, because rodents can chew through/consume newspaper and wood chippings.
The Best Natural Rodent Repellents to Use
At Command Pest Control, we strongly believe in exhausting all the non-toxic extermination methods and only resorting to more extreme methods help when they don’t work. To that effect, we’ve created a list of natural rodent repellents you can attempt before giving us a call.
- Predators
If there’s one thing mice and rats will never mess with, it is their natural predators. Rodents will always run away if there is even the slightest chance that they may come across a cat, an owl, a falcon, or a snake. So, the best way to keep your home rodent-free is to get a pet, preferably one that is the natural enemy of rats and mice.
- Kitty Litter
If you can’t entertain the idea of a living pest control device, your next best option is to use kitty litter. Ask for some from your cat-loving neighbors, preferably litter that has a little bit of cat urine. Sprinkle this around your home’s foundation as well as at the spots where mice and rats sneak into your home. One sniff of this and they will turn on their heels and seek shelter elsewhere.
- Ammonia
Most rodent repellents can be found in the average household; ammonia is one of them. The reason why it’s useful is that it has an overpowering smell, plus it reminds rats and mice of cat urine. Therefore, as a deterrent, it works a treat when it comes to keeping mice away from your home. Soak a few cotton balls in ammonia and place them low along the floor and in corners.
- Cinnamon
Cinnamon’s overpowering smell is very powerful for rodents, which have 100 times more odor receptors than humans. The scent of cinnamon is quite overwhelming for their acute senses, and it can serve as a decent repellent that will force them to give your home a wide berth. You can either sprinkle some cinnamon around the areas where you’ve spotted mice or put it in sachets and distribute these around the house.
- Camphor
Camphor’s strong smell dictates that it should be placed outside away from humans. Still, it is much safer to put around kids and pets than the toxic chemicals in rat poison and other chemically manufactured rodent repellents. Use this to chase them away from hiding spots in the basement or the attic. Use it in small doses in the holes that rodents sneak into.
- Cloves
Cloves have a similarly strong smell that rodents can’t stand. Crush them and place them in sachets then place them where mice and rats might show up, to discourage them.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar can be sprayed or soaked into a piece of cotton, cloth, or sponge. Make sure that these soaked items are close to the floor where rats and mice cannot escape the smell. Alternatively, you can spray it in musty or closed off areas where rodents could set up a nest
- Castor Oil
Castor oil has a terrible smell and an even worse taste. Use this to deter mice and rats from chewing things like old rugs and fabrics that are stored in the basement or the attic. The smell alone is enough to stop them from hanging around your house too often.
- Cayenne Pepper
As far as natural rodent repellents goes, cayenne pepper elicits an almost explosive reaction from rodents. It burns their sensory organs and because it can last a long time, serves as an ideal long term natural repellent for small rodents.
- Rotting Onions
The smell of rotting onions is unbearable, even for rats and mice. Place little bits of rotten onions in and around places where mice might hide. You can also rub it into corners or place pieces of rotten onions around your home to create an impenetrable smell barrier.
Here’s a Rodent Repellent Recipe You Can Try
In case you need something more powerful than individual ingredients, here’s a powerful concoction you can give a whirl.
You will need some garlic, hot sauce, jalapeno peppers, castor oil, water, and dish detergent. Mince the garlic and chop up the jalapeno peppers cross-wise. Mix these with the rest of the ingredients. Finally, combine this with dishwashing detergent and water. The reason you should use dish detergent is to help the other ingredients mix with the water. You can play around with the proportions depending on how strong you want your homemade repellent to be.
Finally, pour all this into a spray bottle. This mixture should be sprayed onto locations that mice frequent. Please don’t use too much of it at a time but spray it regularly until your rodent problem goes away.
Another homemade rodent repellent you can try is this: take some ground corn cobs (the type that makes pet bedding) and soak them in a strong-smelling essential oil. Afterward, take small handfuls of the soaked material and sew it into a pouch. Repeat this until the material is all used up.
Place these pouches in places you think mice might be and let them stay. The good thing about using this as a rodent repellent is that it lasts a very long time. Consider going with pouches if you’re afraid of staining your carpets and fabrics.
Don’t Let Rodents Take over Your Home
If there’s one thing you should take away from this reading, it is that rodent infestations are highly preventable. Keeping your house clean and storing away all food items, as well as materials like paper and non-varnished wood, will go a long way in preventing rats and mice from taking refuge in your home.
However, in the unfortunate event that you do find yourself in the middle of a rodent infestation, your best course of action is to summon the professionals at Command Pest Control. We specialize in highly effective but safe pest clearance using advanced equipment and techniques. We’ve been in the business for two and a half decades, so we know a thing or two about getting rid of rats and mice permanently.
Of course, using highly toxic extermination methods should only be a last resort when you fear that your home is at risk of being overrun. Nevertheless, don’t just sit back and let those pesky mice destroy your food supply, clothes, furniture, and reading material. Reach out to us and let us handle the problem once and for all.
