What are rats afraid of and what folk remedies are most effective against them?

Next you will learn:

• What are rats and mice really afraid of and how can it be used in practice;
• What is useful to know about ultrasonic rodent repellers and what you should pay attention to when choosing them;
• In what cases can even the smell of a cat scare away rats for a long time and what is observed in situations where the cat itself is more afraid of rodents than they are of it;
• Are rats afraid of light and loud sounds and should you count on this when fighting rodents?
• Is it possible to somehow use rats’ own danger signals by recording them once, for example, on a phone;
• What insulation materials do not like and are not chewed by rats and mice;
• Is it possible to reliably scare away rats using some odorous herb or household chemicals...

The idea of ​​scaring rats out of the house or basement appeals to many. At a minimum, this seems simpler, safer and more humane than fiddling with rat poison or rat traps, then removing caught rodents (and sometimes still alive) from traps.

Meanwhile, many people are skeptical about attempts to scare away rats - some are convinced that these animals are too smart to be afraid of repellents, and some even proudly claim that our “domestic” rats are practically not afraid of anything at all, and means that are confidently used abroad simply do not work in Russia.

In fact, rodents can indeed be quite effectively repelled, and problems in fighting them in practice are often associated either with the fact that people do not know what rats are afraid of, or do not use the appropriate means correctly. For example, many folk remedies do not work at all and do not allow you to get rid of rodents, although myths about the effectiveness of a number of recipes that are simply copied from site to site without any checks are actively circulating on the Internet.

Also, many ultrasonic rat and mouse repellers, especially the cheapest ones, suffer from ineffectiveness or complete uselessness in the fight against rodents (especially the so-called “electromagnetic” and “magnetic resonance” repellers). At the same time, there are quite effective devices on the market that, when used correctly, in many cases really help get rid of rodents in the house.

On a note

Even if you know exactly what smell rats and mice don’t like, this cannot always be used in practice to remove pests from the house. For example, rodents definitely do not like the smell of cat urine and ammonia (ammonia). But if this kind of smell is frantically used to repel pests, then you can bring your own home to such a state that it will be impossible to stay in it. And it is still unknown who will be able to scare off first - rats, or people who decide to come to visit you...

Therefore, it may be advisable to use against rats, first of all, those means and methods that really frighten them, but which are quite normal for humans. By the way, there are not so many such means that “terrify rats.”

What rats are really afraid of and don't like

Perhaps the main problem of repelling rats is that, with rare exceptions, these animals are afraid of the same smells and sounds that are unpleasant to humans. To get rid of rodents without disturbing your comfortable living indoors, you should use means that are familiar to humans or completely invisible, but which rats cannot tolerate.

Among them:

1. Ultrasonic rodent repellers (high-quality, not Chinese tweeters) - people do not hear ultrasound, but rats perceive it and at a certain frequency and intensity - they are afraid (more precisely, they experience discomfort);
2. Cats (and to a lesser extent, their smell);
3. Bright light (provided that the animals are not used to it);
4. Loud sounds;
5. Sounds with which rats themselves transmit danger signals to each other.

A common disadvantage of such influences is that rats can get used to them, and the longer a particular sound or smell affects rats, the less they can be afraid of it. This means that when using one or another option, you should always take into account the likelihood of rodents developing individual immunity to deterrents.

Fortunately, addiction in animals does not develop very quickly, and it is often possible to drive them away long before they become immune to one or another influence.

On a note

To effectively fight rodents in a private home, it is also useful to know which insulation is not chewed by rats and mice, since the wrong choice of insulation can create ideal conditions for rodents to live in the walls of the house and in the attic. We’ll talk about this in more detail below, but for now we’ll just note that, contrary to popular belief, glass wool in most cases is not able to scare away rats - rodents can easily make their moves in it.

The effectiveness of the repellent method

The scaring method has both adherents and opponents. The first believe that the use of natural remedies and improvised materials is a fairly effective method of controlling rodents in the house. The latter argue that rats are smart animals that can quickly adapt to any conditions, so the likelihood that you can scare them away with grass or vinegar is very low.

Every opinion has the right to exist. There are a lot of methods of repelling rodents, each of which has its own character, life experience, habits, and degree of susceptibility. There is only one way to check how effective a particular method is - try to put it into practice and evaluate the result. The main thing is to act wisely, without going too far. Otherwise, it may happen that the house smells of essential oils or vinegar, the residents will suffer from headaches, and the rats will run around as if nothing had happened.

Ultrasound and methods of its application

Rats and mice hear sound with a frequency of up to 80-100 kHz, while humans are no longer practically unable to perceive vibrations with a frequency above 20 kHz. Sound with a frequency above 20 kHz is called ultrasound, and it meets one of the requirements for rodent repellents - to affect rats and mice without affecting humans.

It has been verified that devices that emit sound waves with frequencies from 20 kHz to 70 kHz can indeed repel rats quite effectively. In this case, an effective repeller must not only generate ultrasound, but also have a number of other important characteristics.

Here are the most significant of them:

1. High sound pressure (a parameter similar to volume, but in the ultrasonic range). The higher the sound pressure, the higher the likelihood that rats will not tolerate the sounds produced by the device and will leave the area;
2. The wide directional pattern of emitted ultrasound determines in which direction and how widely the sound travels. Ideally, it should approach 360°, that is, in fact, ultrasound in this case will spread evenly around the entire repeller. Most devices claim this angle, but in fact their ultrasonic radiation pattern barely reaches 50°;
3. Automatically changing ultrasonic frequency. It is important to understand that not all ultrasound scares rats. Just as not every sound causes discomfort in humans, not every ultrasound repels rodents. But if the device constantly changes the frequency of the emitted ultrasound, then periodic discomfort will not be avoided for rodents.

The most effective ultrasonic repellers against rats today include Biostrazh, Chiston 2, Chiston 2 PRO, Tornado 800, TM-315 and some others. They are also one of the most expensive. More affordable devices are not as powerful, and some of the cheapest ones are outright junk, useless and not at all capable of scaring rats.

In addition, rats can get used to ultrasound, just like any other sounds. This, although rare, does happen. In this situation, pests may leave the room at first when the device is turned on, but then they will return again.

It is also useful to read: Using electric rat traps to control rodents

Ultrasonic repellers, when used correctly, do not have a negative effect on people, but may cause headaches for some. It should also be taken into account that cats and dogs hear ultrasound well, especially domestic mice, rats and hamsters, and therefore if there are pets in the house, such a device may not be able to be used.

At the same time, a cat itself, and sometimes a dog, is often a much more effective “repellent” of rats and mice...

Is ultrasound effective?

Specialized stores offer ultrasonic devices that, according to manufacturers, repel rodents. Indeed, rats and mice perceive ultrasound, and certain frequencies cause anxiety and even panic in them. This option is considered by many to be the most acceptable, but to ensure results, several factors must be taken into account:

• purchase high-quality and powerful devices, avoid useless counterfeits;
• the device must distribute sound evenly in all directions;
• It is desirable that the ultrasound frequency changes automatically, so it will be more difficult for rodents to get used to it.

You should also remember the disadvantages.

• Firstly, despite the fact that people do not hear high-frequency sounds, prolonged exposure to radiation can cause deterioration of health and headaches for some.
• Secondly, ultrasound is heard by hamsters, dogs and cats, so the device can both scare away rats and cause discomfort to pets.

Cats and their smell in the house

Everything is simple here: cats are the natural enemies of rats and mice, and therefore rodents avoid places where there are fresh traces of cat activity. Even if a cat does not hunt pests in the house (which often happens with pampered pets), rats are afraid of their smell, which reduces the likelihood of rodents, but does not guarantee their complete absence.

It should be noted that although we are talking about the smell of a cat, this does not mean that all the walls and furniture in the apartment should be thoroughly saturated with the pungent aroma of cat urine. Rats have a keener sense of smell than humans, and they are afraid to enter rooms with a cat, where a person may not feel any odors at all. And if the owners of the house forget to change the litter in the tray from time to time, the corresponding aroma will literally “hit the rats’ nose”, and they will prefer not to run into the room again.

If a cat does not catch rats, they can get used to its smell over time and calmly tolerate such proximity. In this case, rats usually simply live in the same house as the cat, but avoid direct encounters. Particularly impudent rodents can demonstratively go about their business in full view of the cat, and sometimes even attack it.

Here, by the way, a lot depends both on the character of the rat itself and on the experience of the cat. It happens that cats are afraid of rats because they have never met them in their lives and do not know how (and most importantly, why) to catch these neighbors in their housing. Pets who grew up in apartments and have never obtained natural prey behave this way especially often. Even experienced, but lazy and always well-fed cats do not hunt rodents simply out of laziness, and if rats behave particularly impudently, they may even be afraid of them. It is in such cases that various comical situations arise when a rat can scare cats or even drive them away from food.

Normally, cats are not afraid of rats, and if you do not overfeed them, they actively hunt them for fun and fresh meat. In rural areas, cats are specially fed only from time to time so that they switch to pasture and feed on pests in the house and garden.

From all of the above, we can conclude: rats are afraid of cats when they hunt them. The cat itself and its smell can scare off pests at first, but once the rats understand that the cat poses no danger to them, it’s just a matter of time before the rodents move into the house.

On a note

Generally speaking, rats are afraid of people, dogs and any other large animals (including birds - turkeys, geese, guinea fowl and chickens) that they see for the first time. If animals meet people somewhere over and over again and get used to the fact that they are not hunted, then they stop being afraid and often become very arrogant. There are known cases when rats stole food from the table right in front of people, or from a dog’s bowl - from under the nose of the dog himself.

It is also interesting that mice are afraid of rats, since rats, as larger predators, pose an immediate danger to them. However, this fact is not useful in practice in the fight against rodents.

Tips and tricks

For a long time, people have been fighting rats using a variety of methods and methods. Fighting with odors is very popular because it has proven reliability and effectiveness; in addition, the products used are low in price, and the procedures are easy and simple. You should adhere to preventive measures that will prevent rodents from settling and breeding.

Prevention includes:

• In places where food supplies are stored, you can place bags of dry aromatic herbs.
• Blackroot seeds are placed in corners and on baseboards.
• Place elderberry branches near the harvested crop.
• You can protect the cellars with the help of juniper branches, which are laid out and suspended.

Light

Rats are nocturnal animals, and other things being equal, they prefer to be in dark places and go out in search of food at dusk and in the dark. However, they easily and quickly adapt to light, and if they do not encounter any dangers in illuminated places and in bright rooms, they quickly cease to be afraid of light. Often, rats become diurnal and forage in daylight.

This means that although in general rats are afraid of light, it will not be possible to use this as a permanent repellent. If you leave the light on in the room, then after a few days the animals will stop paying attention to it.

On a note

Interestingly, due to the specific nature of their vision, rats do not perceive infrared light. In zoos, this is used to switch nocturnal rodents to daytime mode: during the day a red light is on in the enclosure, and the animals believe that they are in the dark, and at night a regular incandescent lamp is turned on, and the rodents go to sleep. As a result, visitors during the day can observe animals that lead a nocturnal lifestyle.

Rat briquette

It is also characterized by high efficiency. When exposed, rodents begin to die within a couple of days. A similar substance is used as bait.

The advantages include the following points:

• Has a suffocating effect. In this case, the rats escape into the open air and do not die indoors. A relatively small number of drugs have this property.
• The possibility of a cadaveric odor is eliminated, since the rats leave it before the moment of death.
• Long lasting use. The drug is effective for several months.
• The price of the drug is slightly higher than others, but this is due to its effectiveness.

Loud sounds

This factor is very specific: rats are really afraid of loud sounds, but it is inconvenient to use them in a living room. As an exception - loud music, in which pests will not dare to get out of their hiding places, but it is impossible to listen to it around the clock, and at night, in silence, the animals will calmly rule in the kitchen or basement.

On the other hand, rats are afraid of noise only until it becomes familiar to them. And they get used to different sounds quite quickly, especially if you try to scare rats often and regularly. Therefore, to scare away rodents, it is irrational to use ordinary sounds audible to humans.

On a note

Like most wild animals, rats, even indoors, are also afraid of quiet sounds - various rustles and creaks. This is understandable: in the wild, a predator always creeps up on its prey quietly, trying to make a minimum of sounds, and therefore the quiet crack of a broken twig under its paw or the rustling of leaves foreshadows great dangers for the rat.

At the same time, at large industrial enterprises - grain warehouses, transshipment depots, ports - rats calmly collect grain under trucks with running engines, run under rumbling conveyors with vegetables and nuts, and do not pay attention to noisy presses at oil extraction plants. They know that these particular noises do not pose any danger to them.

All about pet rats

Decorative rats do not need special care or special expensive food. They are well trained, love to communicate with their owner, frolic, and are very trusting of a loved one. This breed is distinguished by high intelligence, they are quite cunning.

There are many varieties of domestic rats

Note! Among the household members, the rat often has a favorite. During communication, they make funny faces, move their small ears, and are ticklish

Rodent behavior

Before you get such a pet, you should learn everything about pet rats. The domestic rodent is very inquisitive. If you let him walk freely around the apartment, he will explore every corner of it. Therefore, for safety reasons, it is better to remove all dangerous objects, collect wires and cables in a box, the rat can chew them. An animal in your arms may begin to grind its teeth or lick its fingers. This means that it loves its owner very much and thus shows its affection.

Rat is quite easy to tame

If the animal begins to squeal or squeak, it means that it is dissatisfied and indignant. A long sound may indicate that the pet is experiencing pain.

The most active time of day for a rat is night. At this time, she can play with rattles and rattle the feeder. In addition, it can make supplies from plastic pieces, sawdust, pieces of wood, and paper pieces, collecting them in the corner of the cage.

Note! Males can box, thus establishing which of them is dominant. Your pet can make a hole in the litter

Dimensions

Domestic rodents grow a little larger than their wild relatives. Being in comfortable conditions, without the need to get their own food, they often suffer from excess body weight. Almost all varieties have the same weight and size.

Adult boys weigh on average 500 g, but there are also individuals that gain up to 900 g. The weight of females varies from 250 to 500 g. The body length of animals reaches about 25 cm.

The small size of rodents makes them easy to keep

Do they stink or not?

A clean and healthy rat does not smell repulsive. However, to get rid of the unpleasant smell of the cage, you will have to try. It is better not to skimp on the litter, change it constantly, clean the cage weekly and disinfect it with special means. Do not leave pieces of food in the rodent's home.

Rat "screams of terror"

Like some other animals, rats can be repelled by playing their own danger signals. This method is sometimes used to scare away birds and to control monkeys on tropical farms. Once a recorded cry of danger is enough to use it almost constantly and effectively.

It is also useful to read: Poison for rats and mice Storm (manufactured by BASF) and reviews of its use

However, some rules must be followed:

• The sound should not be played regularly so that the animals do not get used to it;
• The sound should be clearly audible throughout the room;
• The actual cries of danger must be recorded, and not just squeaks;
• Recording and reproducing equipment must capture the ultrasonic frequency range.

In domestic conditions, the implementation of this method will in most cases be ineffective. Firstly, using a smartphone or computer microphone to record rat squeals is not the best option, since the ultrasonic component will not be recorded at all (even vibrations above 15-17 kHz will be recorded with distortion). Secondly, reproduction will also require emitters (speakers) capable of reproducing ultrasonic vibrations without significant distortion. Well, and thirdly, few people would want to live in a house where a loud rat squeal is constantly suddenly heard.

The use of ultrasonic rat and mouse repellers in this regard would be more justified.

On a note

People know the harsh old-fashioned way of scaring away rats: they used to simply catch a live rat and nail it to the wall. While the animal was dying, its relatives heard the terrible screams of its agonizing fellow. However, for humane reasons, such a method should in no case be considered for practical implementation.

Folk recipes

There are various traditional methods of getting rid of rats and mice. The simplest solution is to get a rat-catcher cat. If you have a garden plot, vegetable garden, pigsty or chicken coop, this is the best way to fight rats. An alternative to a cat can be dogs - fox terriers or dachshunds. If this is not possible, you can use simple folk recipes.

Gypsum

Gypsum is added to the milk until it reaches the consistency of a batter. When it enters the stomach of a rodent, the gypsum thickens and clogs the intestines, causing obstruction. Because of this, the animal will die after some time.

Wine cork

Cork powder mixed with flour or any cereal swells in the rodent's stomach and clogs the intestines. This leads to obstruction of the digestive tract and death of the rodent.

Quicklime

Quicklime mixed with sugar or ground cat food. It is mistakenly believed that the rodent dies from an increase in temperature when slaking lime in the stomach. In fact, quicklime corrodes its walls. This leads to inevitable death. However, due to the characteristic taste, pests often avoid such bait.

Baking soda

A mixture of baking soda with flour and sugar, diluted to a dough-like state with water, is readily eaten by rodents. In the body of rodents, soda causes a burn to the mucous membranes and produces a gas that poisons the body from the inside.

Crushed glass

Finely crushed glass is mixed with butter dough and baked. Broken glass damages the gastrointestinal tract, causing rodents to soon die.

What insulation materials do not like and are not chewed by rats and mice?

There are several types of insulation that are a fairly reliable barrier to rats and mice in private homes. It would not be entirely correct to say that pests do not like them or are afraid of them - rather, they simply cannot gnaw through such materials, and if they can, they usually do not do it.

Among them:

1. Foam glass is insulation that rats do not chew due to its hardness;

2. Expanded clay of different fractions - for the same reasons. Although, the smallest expanded clay used for dry screed is not always a reliable barrier for rats and mice - although they do not like such insulation, they are able to rake and make their way through its layer to the floor covering;

3. Foam concrete - it lends itself to rat teeth, but due to the presence of cement in the composition, animals do not like it and do not gnaw it;

4. Ecowool is an insulation material that, due to the toxicity of the impregnation components (boric acid), is unattractive to rats and mice.

But rats are not afraid of the notorious glass wool. Even more than that, they willingly make nests and shelters in it, easily make passages here, and the crushed glass in the material does not seem to bother them at all. Other mineral insulation materials are similar to glass wool, including those made from basalt fiber, as well as polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam and penoizol - animals willingly live in them and raise their offspring.

Traditional methods

Folk remedies have certain advantages: they are time-tested, do not require large financial costs and demonstrate excellent results. Such methods are often not humane, but they make it possible to deal with rodents.

It is necessary to pour a small amount of vegetable oil into a bottle with a large neck and twist the container so that the product spreads along the walls. Next, the bottle is placed at a slight slope. The neck should point up. The next morning you will find live mice in the container that were unable to get out through the slippery glass.

A bottle with oil spilled on the inside is an effective means of fighting mice

You need to pour half a bucket of water, placing a board with any delicacy in the middle. Next, the vessel is positioned so that pests can easily fall into it. Trying to reach the tasty morsel, the mice will drown.

You can purchase special glue and treat any surface with it, not forgetting the pieces of bait. When running over greased plywood or cardboard, pests will certainly stick. The only drawback is that the product dries quickly. It needs to be lubricated from time to time. The recommended layer thickness is 2-3 mm.

A solution of potassium permanganate in water will help remove the smell left behind by mice

Vinegar is no worse at neutralizing odors. It is a natural antiseptic that destroys toxic fumes and kills pathogens. 50 g of vinegar should be diluted in 0.5 liters of liquid. The solution is sprayed with a spray bottle or used to wash floors.

Herbs used to repel rats

A big temptation for many people is the idea that you can take some kind of herb against mice and rats, which supposedly just needs to be laid out in different places in the room to forget about these pests once and for all.

Among folk remedies for rodents, it is recipes with certain herbs that can be found most often. Thus, it is believed that mice and rats are afraid of:

• Mint, fresh or dried;
• Beans (especially roasted seeds);
• Blackroot - any parts of the plant;
• Elderberry, mostly bunches of its berries;
• Hot pepper, both in pods and ground;
• Chamomile flowers;
• Tansy - its inflorescences, maybe in bunches with grass;
• Wormwood is also mostly a dry herb.

However, the main drawback of the herbs recommended to repel rats and mice is that the animals very quickly get used to their smell, or, in the case of poisonous plants, stop gnawing the grass. Even if one or two animals are poisoned by the same blackroot, the rest of their relatives will not leave the room, but will simply avoid the suspicious bait.

Mint against mice

The safe and even pleasant scent of mint can be an excellent solution when you need to repel mice. This plant can be used fresh, as a tincture or essential oil.

Regardless of the chosen method of application, the effectiveness is not lost.

Peppermint

One of the most effective plants against rodents is peppermint. Freshly picked mint leaves are laid out around the perimeter of the room.

Some also practice using the dried plant. Place the mint in bags and hang it around the house near vent holes or other places where a rodent is likely to get into.

Peppermint tincture

Some housewives also actively use peppermint tincture to treat the room. They dilute it with water (1:1) and place it in a spray bottle.

They use this mint spray to treat cabinets and surfaces where rodents are most often found.

Peppermint oil

If there are a lot of mice, some try to create an aura of a persistent mint smell using essential oil. Drop mint oil into the aroma lamp and light the candle.

The aroma, pleasant to humans and unpleasant to mice, will hang in the air for a long time. And the second option is to drip 2-3 drops of oil onto a piece of cotton wool and place them in different corners of the room.

Folk remedies whose repellent abilities are questionable

Folk art is replete with ideas and recipes for remedies that rats should supposedly avoid, but in practice this often does not happen.

Here are just the most famous of them:

1. Vinegar - It is believed that rats are afraid of it due to its strong, unpleasant odor. Some even try to use vinegar essence, which is unsafe to use, for this purpose. At the same time, however, it is silent that not only rodents, but also the residents of the premises will have to inhale the aroma of vinegar;
2. Essential oils and perfumes. It is highly doubtful that the animals that have conquered the whole world from India to the USA would shy away from the exquisite aromas of world-famous perfume houses or the smells of essential oils. Such means can alert them, but are not able to drive them out of the house;
3. Bleach - Rats actually avoid places that smell too strongly of bleach (bleach releases small amounts of chlorine gas into the air, a very caustic, poisonous gas). However, the active use of bleach in an apartment or house is a dubious idea, since the residents themselves will have to inhale such an aroma. In addition, the duration of action of the product is short, since bleach quickly loses its activity in the air;
4. Naphthalene - rats are not always afraid of it, and, moreover, this same product is recognized as a carcinogen and is prohibited for use in residential premises;
5. Ash. The use of ash to repel rats is a typical folk myth, since it does not cause any fear or particular discomfort in rodents;
6. Broken glass falling asleep in rodent passages is also a kind of unfounded legend;
7. The smell of burnt rubber and burnt fur - such folk remedies may indeed frighten rats once, but they are not capable of becoming a reliable permanent means of fighting them;
8. Turpentine, kerosene and gasoline - the same applies to them as to vinegar. And in addition, they are also fire hazardous;
9. Burdock thorns, which supposedly frighten animals by clinging to their fur. Actually ineffective;
10. Tobacco or cigarettes - despite their strong smell, they practically do not repel rodents.

On a note

In general, rats are not afraid of water (moisture) and cold. They feel great in damp basements, can swim for a long time (in nature they are known to catch ducklings and frogs in the water), and can easily tolerate the cold if they have access to food sources. Situations have been described in which rats lived for several generations in freezers at an air temperature of -18°C, breeding inside frozen pork carcasses. Therefore, airing a house or apartment in winter will not help get rid of rats.

Interesting video: how to remove rodents that are not affected by poison and are afraid of public utilities

Causes of rats

Free access to products is a sure way to attract pests

The appearance of rats in an apartment or private house may be due to the following reasons:

• Excess of individuals at the previous place of residence: the more rats live in one territory, the more food they consume. If there is no longer enough food, some of the animals go in search of it.
• Accessible food and water: If you leave leftover food on the table, don't pick up trash, and don't wipe up crumbs, rats will quickly realize that there is money to be made here.
• Rodents are poisoned in their previous place, for example, in the basement: this forces them to urgently run and look for a suitable place.
• Ability to enter the house: If there are cracks in the corners and walls, it will be easier for rats to get inside.

Important! Most often, rats come from neighbors or from the street - when one batch is destroyed, another may come in its place from the same place

How to recognize fear in a pet

When a cat is afraid, he reacts like this:

• runs away;
• hiding;
• shows aggression;
• freezes in place;
• cries (meows pitifully);
• lick themselves too actively;
• curl up into a ball, pretending to be asleep.

If he doesn't like the smell (eg aerosol/perfume with citrus scent), he may shit in the wrong place, including. into the owner's slippers. Your task is to correctly understand the signals of what the cat is most afraid of, find and eliminate the irritant.

The magical power of nature

There are a huge number of plants that effectively fight against mice. What aroma do they not tolerate?

• Blackroot is a poisonous perennial that not only repels mice, but also kills them. In its thickets, the pest quickly dies, for which it does not even need to taste the grass. Thanks to the large amount of poisonous alkaloids, the rodent simply goes crazy. It is not surprising that mice sense a threat and avoid the blackroot.
• Elderberry root, which produces poisonous hydrocyanic acid.
• Swamp wild rosemary, the smell of which rodents cannot stand.

Remember that these three plants are poisonous, so they are not recommended for use in a home where there are small children, cats and dogs. There is a chance that they will not resist the temptation to try interesting twigs for their teeth. Don’t forget about personal safety measures and use gloves.

In residential areas, it is better to use herbs that will definitely not cause problems. The aroma will help drive out pests:

• wormwood with a characteristic bitter scent;
• hazel grouse bulbs with a sharp garlic amber;
• peppermint, the smell of which is pleasant to humans, but “deadly” to rodents;
• tansy, feverfew and regular chamomile;
• aboveground parts of beans, tomatoes and potatoes.

Using the contents of the kitchen cabinet

If you don’t have a cat and don’t want to spend money on purchasing plant extracts, ordinary spices available in the arsenal of any housewife will help. The smell will help save supplies from the invasion of gray guests:

• carnations;
• coriander or cilantro;
• red pepper;
• sage;

It is allowed to use powder or seeds of these seasonings. Dry sage leaves, which are best burned, are also suitable. The strong aroma of coffee will also help repel rodents; freshly roasted beans work best.

Also, pests do not like the scent of vinegar, which can be poured into small containers and placed around the room. Although this option is more suitable for protecting cottages from rodents in the winter, since constantly inhaling a pungent odor is not only unpleasant, but also unsafe. The aroma of bleach scattered in the corners is also suitable for the same purpose.

How to use scents correctly

In order for aromatic substances to have the desired effect, they must be used correctly. There are a number of rules that should be followed:

1. Essential oils are placed in close proximity to animal burrows. The liquid must be applied to a cotton pad or napkin. You can smear the corners of the room. In apartments, it is recommended to add oils to the water for washing floors.
2. Dried herbs will smell longer if they are placed in cloth bags and tied.
3. Fresh plants quickly lose their aroma, so they need to be replaced periodically.
4. Rodents quickly get used to some smells. It is worth alternating scents.
5. For maximum effectiveness, several different herbs can be used together.

It is dangerous to use plants that are toxic and allergenic at home. It is better to give preference to herbs such as chamomile, mint, lemon balm.

Expulsion of pests from non-residential premises

If in an apartment or house, when choosing products, you have to take into account the composition of the family, including pets, then you can get rid of mice in non-residential premises using more extreme methods.

The smell of burning smoke bombs and feed sulfur, which emit choking fumes, will help force pests to leave the barn, garage and basement. They lead to rapid poisoning of animals, so the latter prefer a swift escape.

No less effective is the deadly smell of burnt wool, rubber, fluff, felt, kerosene, mothballs, cheap air freshener or cologne.

Please note that treatment with these substances should only be done in a respirator or gas mask, otherwise you risk serious poisoning. After performing the “gas attack” manipulations, you should close the doors and windows tightly and leave the room closed for several days. As a rule, this is enough for rodents to leave your legal territory.

Before using your garage or shed again, be sure to ventilate it well to eliminate any remaining dangerous odors.

As you can see, there are many aromas that can save you from an unpleasant neighborhood forever. The main thing is to choose them taking into account the composition of the family and the purpose of the room. We also must not forget about preventive measures: maintaining the cleanliness and integrity of the home, storing food in airtight containers, as well as timely removal and removal of garbage.

In most cases, many rodents begin to seek close proximity to humans when cold weather sets in. At night, we can wake up from strange extraneous sounds in the apartment made by these creatures. They run around, chew something or drag it to a secluded place, squeak, and various infections can stick to them, which they then transmit to people. For some, such company does not cause any inconvenience until the animals begin to become downright impudent: spoil food, chew wiring, crap, and leave an unpleasant odor in the room after their stay. Open war is already being declared here.

Many people who care about their health are supporters of folk remedies; the main emphasis in the fight against pests is on repellent odors.

Sedatives for cats

If the cat has a lot of phobias, talk to a veterinarian who will advise how to prevent the cat from being afraid and prescribe sedatives. They contain herbs that have a sedative effect on pets, relieve tension and fear (extracts of valerian, catnip, motherwort, hops). They are usually released in the form of capsules or solution.

Drugs can enhance the effect of tranquilizers, antipsychotics and anticonvulsants. But before combining them with other medications, be sure to ask your doctor. The drops have an attractive aroma for cats, so they should be stored in an inaccessible place.

Buy cat sedatives only from certified pet stores. It is dangerous to take medicines at the market, since you can buy a counterfeit or expired product, which will negatively affect the health of your pet.

Using the scents of natural enemies

It's no secret that rodents are afraid of cats, which are considered their main “thunderstorm.” However, this trend is more true for village cats than for pets living in comfortable apartments.

But should you be upset if your purr runs away in fear from one type of mouse, and you can’t rely on his hunting instincts? No, because you can drive out uninvited gray guests using the smell of a cat, or rather its urine. To do this, you can place used cat litter near the holes or soak rags with urine. Inhalation of ammonia vapor leads to a sharp decrease in the number of mouse offspring, causing the population to die out faster.

However, even more than cats, small rodents are afraid of snakes and rats. For the former, they act as natural food, while the latter fight with them for the same food sources and destroy their burrows. Therefore, mice can smell the excrement of their enemies a mile away and avoid them. You can easily become the owner of this “wealth” in any pet store.

Using these methods in an apartment is not very pleasant, but they are quite suitable for dachas, vegetable gardens and non-residential premises.

What harm do rats cause?

Of course, there are also cute animals among rats. These are specially raised species that do not have any aggression. They differ in breed, color and characteristics. And due to their curiosity, intelligence and charisma, they become the pets of many.

In the article at the link you can read about what diseases rats can be carriers of.

Rats in the city.

However, in most cases, rats are harmful. They:

• they dig tunnels in vegetable gardens and orchards;
• spoil the bulbs and roots;
• gnaw the bark of young trees;
• steal eggs from a chicken coop;
• carry various diseases.

Rats are dexterous and cunning. They have a well-developed sense of smell and live in packs. Because of this, the harm they cause is many times greater. It's interesting to read how rats steal eggs.

Why “aromatherapy”?

Because it is a cheap, accessible, humane and safe way to get rid of rodents. Whichever other method you choose, you will have to face certain difficulties.

For example, the use of chemicals, despite their high efficiency, is not always possible. If there are children, allergy sufferers or pets in the apartment, the use of poisons can result in tragedy. In addition, this method, like the use of mousetraps, forces one to deal with the need to dispose of corpses, which is extremely unpleasant. Add to this the deadly smell if the rodent that has eaten the chemicals manages to hide securely before dying.

As for the ultrasonic device, it is not affordable for everyone. In addition, it works over a certain area, so on a large scale it requires knowledge of approximate mouse routes.

Against this background, phytoprotection recipes are an excellent alternative to getting rid of uninvited guests. Aromas that mice do not like cause the latter to hastily leave the premises and prevent them from repopulating.

Who are pests afraid of?

Not all rodents are afraid of cats. The exception in this case is large pasyuki or gray rats. Many of them are able to move freely in broad daylight, without paying much attention to the mustachioed pet sitting next to them. However, there are also brave cats who are not afraid to attack uninvited guests. The dog easily attacks a large rat.

Rats versus mice are also a common occurrence in nature. Where large rodents have settled, small ones will never appear. After all, a hungry rat poses a serious danger to a little mouse. Rodents are also afraid of people, but in some cases rats can attack humans.

Plague bacteria in cats

Some rodents carry plague, an infection caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. 4 These are essentially the same bacteria that caused the infamous “Black Plague” of the Middle Ages. Plague is often spread by fleas, but cats can become infected by eating the meat of infected animals (often small mammals).

Cats infected with Yersinia pestis may experience lethargy, depression, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, muscle soreness, and fever. The cat may develop swollen lymph nodes, lesions in the mouth, and weight loss.

Treatment includes the use of antibiotics and supportive care. The sooner treatment can be started, the higher the chances of survival.

People rarely become infected with the plague. When they do become infected, it is usually through a flea bite. Symptoms and treatment are relatively similar to those in cats.