Totally grossed out, I walked out the front door and there was a dead rat! It seems the rat population is growing, I saw a live rat on outside my neighbors and in the last month, I have seen 3 dead rats by the storm drains. So how to get rid of them in an safe and non-toxic way?
First, it is important to get rid of them, they carry disease (think Black Plaque), they chew through wiring, eat up food and even more important to get rid of them in an eco friendly way, where it does not harm your pets, children, yourself and the environment.
I Just Gotta Tell Ya
- The number of rats are on the increase, due in part to littering, illegal dumping and in-correct and non-sealed garbage bins.
- Young rats can squeeze through holes as small as 1 cm in diameter.
Seal the House
The number one thing you can do is seal up the house or garage. Check those holes, tighten up the windows, seal the doors. If you have an old house like mine, you can use steel wood to block up holes.
Put Garbage as Far away from the house as possible
Trim back Trees so they are not touching the house. Rats climb trees and onto the roof, once on the roof, there are hundreds of ways for them to get into the house.
Peppermint Oil
Rats hate peppermint oil (not extract). Soak rags, or cotton balls and put in areas where you might have holes, around holes in the ground. Best yet, get some peppermint plants and plant around the house.
Eco Friendly Rodent Repellant
There are many of these products on the market, try Fresh Cab Rodent Repellent (4 Pouch Box)
Kitty Litter
This I am not going to do, as I just got rid of the neighborhood cats doing their business in my yard (cut up lemons and sprinkled around the yard- all vermin gone!) But cats v.s mice (rats) Rats dislike cat urine, just sprinkle it around and rats begone! Lots of Rats add a little ammonia.
Electronic Rat Repellant
Creating a pulsating electric current around your house or even in your house will detract rats. From Amazon Agri Zap RZU001 Rat Zapper Ultra
Traps
There are all sorts of rat traps, catch and release gizmos’ that you can place around to capture. But the problem remains on transporting the rat at least 2 miles from your home to release it. Or if you have a friend that has snakes, perhaps they will take it.
Get a Cat
This is not working for me, as we have lots of neighborhood cats and dogs and obviously the rats don’t mind!
Next stop- Grocery Store for Pepppemint Oil.