28 October 2023 , 15:01
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It's relatively safe to assume that pretty much nobody wants rats in their home or garden. The pests can carry diseases - including an infection called Weil's disease, which can make you feverish and causes some people to get seriously unwell, according to the NHS. It's not just health concerns that make most people keen to keep their properties rodent free - rats can also cause a huge amount of damage to your home: chewing through pipes, electrical wires, furniture and even drywall.
This type of damage can become really expensive to fix, and things like holes in pipes can create damp and exposed wires are a fire hazard. If you've spotted signs of rats in your property or want to be prepared in case you in the future, this expert tip could help you get rid of the rodents at super-speed.
Before they make their way indoors, rats are most likely to be found in your green space, but this DIY rodent repellant should put them off entering your garden altogether. Founder of Indoor Plants - Ash Reed - explained to The Express that rats can turn your beloved and "tranquil spot into a nightmare".
However, there is an incredibly easy fix: a peppermint oil spray. "Peppermint isn't just great for tea, its robust aroma sends rats sprinting in the opposite direction," explains Reed. This is very easy to make yourself, all that is required is a spray bottle, some water and a few drops of peppermint essential oil. The most important places to spray the peppermint infused water is around doorways, fences and gates where the rats could burrow their way into your garden. Equally if you have any prized plants that your keen to protect from the rodents, make sure to spray some there too.
Peppermint isn't the only scent that will send rats scurrying away: they also don't like the smell of lavender or rosemary plants, claims the expert, and the same applies to marigolds and chrysanthemums. Reed advises you go for a lavender plant, because that's her favourite, "it's a love-hate relationship, we love it and rats hate it."
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While peppermint oil comes with a really strong smell that rats won't appreciate - because they are known to have incredibly sensitive sense of smell - the effectiveness of your DIY spray will weaken over time as the scent dissipates, so you'll need to top up any problem areas regularly with this deterrent.
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