The Relaxing Scent That Can Help Keep Rats Out Of Your Yard

Although many types of pests can infiltrate your yard and home, rats can be one of the most disconcerting. House rats are bigger, stronger, and often more aggressive than mice. They also bite. Like mice, however, they track down any food source they can and may carry diseases into your home if left unchecked. Needless to say, if you have rats in your yard or home, you need to take steps to get rid of them immediately. 

Although there are other ways to banish rats from your home with items you have on hand, a simple option that you may not have considered is eucalyptus oil. Because they have such a great sense of smell, rats are naturally repelled by the eucalyptus scent. When rats smell it, they reduce their food intake and become less active. Ideally, use a concentration of 5% to 10% eucalyptus oil to get rats out of any specific areas where you notice them. There are several ways to use eucalyptus oil to repel rats and doing so can go a long way toward protecting your yard and your home.

One of the best ways to use eucalyptus oil to repel rats is to create an essential oil spray. Simply create a mixture by combining two drops of eucalyptus essential oil with one cup of water. Then, add a couple of drops of dish detergent to help mix the ingredients. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and use it to spray areas where you want to deter rats or where you have noticed recent rat activity. 

Essential oils can keep various pests at bay, so you may want to use a mix — after all, rats presumably aren't the only unwanted visitors you want to keep away. Blend peppermint oil, lemon oil, citronella oil, and eucalyptus oil for a powerful combination that works wonders. Aim for a ratio of 2 teaspoons of essential oils to 1 cup of water for best results. As an alternative to water, you can also use rubbing alcohol. Once you've sprayed an area, you'll want to repeat the process once a week to ensure that it keeps getting results. However, spraying it daily is even better.

In addition to using a spray, you can also put a couple of drops of eucalyptus oil on some cotton balls to deter rats. Place them anywhere you have noticed rat activity or around entry points to your house to discourage rats from coming inside. Repeat this process every two weeks to ensure that rats continue staying away.

Although eucalyptus oil can be a great tool for keeping rats out of your yard, remember that it works best in combination with other rat-repellent methods. Many beautiful plants can keep rats out of the garden, including daffodils, crown of thorns, and chrysanthemums. Wind chimes can also help keep rats and rodents away from the yard.

Additionally, be sure that you're sealing all entry points to your home and aren't leaving food or crumbs lying around, either inside or outside. Take steps to protect garbage and prevent access since garbage attracts rats. Pools of water around the yard can also attract rats since they prefer to be close to a water source. If you have an extreme rat problem, you may need to resort to humane lethal methods to get rid of them. You may even need to call a pest control professional if you're having a difficult time dealing with a large rat population.