Rats are, unfortunately, highly adaptable pests that can live in any condition as long as they can find or access food. 

Aside from spreading diseases, rats can harm your property, taint food, and leave behind aromas and droppings that alert you to their existence. 

The good news is that there are certain odours you can use to deter rats from entering.

When attempting to keep rats out of your house, the scent is one of the most crucial considerations. This is because rats can alter their environment with their keen sense of smell.

A scent can “drive them away” if it is potent enough. This is because rats are inherently sensitive to specific odours, claim the pest control pros at Forterra.

They claimed that peppermint is “one of the most effective scents for keeping rats away forever”. 

The experts explained: “Peppermint has a strong minty smell that rats dislike because it irritates rats’ nasal cavities.”

You can use peppermint essential oil or crush up peppermint leaves and spread them around where you think rats might enter your home.

The beauty of peppermint is that while it repels rats, it has a pleasant aroma to humans. You can enjoy a fresh, minty scent throughout your home while keeping those pesky rodents at bay.

Alternatively, cayenne pepper is something that can be used to keep rats away as they “don’t like the scent”.

The experts claimed: “The strong smell of cayenne pepper is enough to deter rats from entering an area.”

You can spread crushed cayenne pepper around your home or use cayenne pepper essential oil. 

To make the most of cayenne pepper as a rat deterrent, be generous with your application. Target strategic areas where rats love to roam. The goal is to create a spicy barrier that rats can’t bear to cross.

While the use of peppermint and cayenne pepper is a great preventative measure, it’s important to note that this method alone will not prevent larger infestation cases.