There is an old Irish method of dealing with certain pests in your home. If you find you have rodents, such as mice or rats, you can leave them a note. An example of one message is this, “Dear rats (or mice), we have enjoyed your visit but think you might have a more enjoyable time if you go to 123 Main Street (or some other address).” You can try that, if you like or if you have someone you do not like and would like to bother with the pests but there are some things you can do at home to discourage them from hanging around.
- Get a cat. It is a very well known fact that cats love to chase and catch all sorts of animals such as rodents. If you have mice or rats, having a cat or two live with you is one way to drive them out. If you do not like cats or are allergic, you can still trick the rats or mice into thinking you have one and chasing them off. Buy yourself a bag of cheap cat litter and open it. If you put this in the areas where the rats are getting into your home, they will smell the litter and leave.
- Get some moth balls. These are cheap and available all over the place. If you know the creatures are getting into your home through your attic or your basement, sprinkle a few around there and the pests will look for another place to hang out. Make sure you wear gloves when dealing with moth balls and do not put them where children may be playing.
- Try an ammonia and detergent mix. Take about two scoops of detergent and mix it with two cups of basic ammonia. Take this and put it in a bowl. If you know how and where the mice or rats are getting into your home, place it there. Rodents cannot stand the way ammonia smells and this will deter them from making your home theirs.
- Get some essential oils. There are a few essential oils that can do a lot around your home. Peppermint oil is one of them. Because of its pungent odor, it can keep a number of pests such as mice and rats, away from your place. Take a cotton puff and soak it with the peppermint, Leave that in the areas that attract the mice and rats. The other good news about peppermint oil is that it smells nice and fresh.
- Scare ’em away with owl feathers. Owls are scary birds. They are known for swooping down and carrying off mice and rats. If you see holes where the pests are getting into your home, out a few owl feathers in them and you will scare the pests away.
- Get some plastic snakes. Most animals are hard wired to be afraid of snakes. You can get inflatable snakes at your local garden store or you can get them online. If you place these around your home, you can scare a host of creatures away, including mice and rats. Be careful as these will scare your cats or dogs, too.
- Pour some pepper around your home. If you do not like the smell of peppermint and pepper does not make you sneeze, this also works as a great repellent for mice and rats. They cannot stand the smell and will leave and not come back if you have this around your home.
- Block their entry with hair or steel wool. if you see holes where the rats and mice and getting into your home, stop them up with human hair or steel wool. Rats really do not like human hair and they both have a hard time getting through steel wool.
No one ever wants pests in their home. These things can help make your home much less appealing but you can also have a rodent control service come out to your home to help you determine how bad of a problem you actually have. All of these remedies can be done in conjunction with the methods they will use to get rid of a host of pests such as rodents, roaches and bed bugs.
