Warmer weather might be welcomed by most but it comes with an additional potential problem. While late summer and early autumn are the worst time to get rats and mice inside your house those open windows and doors can also give them easy access.
Paying to remove an infestation once they are inside can cost around £240. However one expert has explained a simple and inexpensive way of putting them off
Glen Peskett, DIY expert from Saxton Blades , says the job can be done using a kitchen staple – garlic – which cost just 89p for a pack of four in Aldi. This make them less than 23p each.
He says: “Garlic is a favourite all around the world, it smells amazing, has health benefits and transforms any dish you put it in. But for rats? That strong, pungent smell is their absolute nightmare.
“Rats rely heavily on their sense of smell to navigate and find food. Garlic, with its strong sulfur compounds, overwhelms their sense of smell and makes them feel disoriented. These compounds are also something rats associate with toxic substances, naturally deterring them from entering your home.”
Glen advises: “Place garlic cloves around entry points in your home, where rodents are likely to poke their nose in. Remember, they’re most attracted to areas like your basements, garages, kitchens and even the loft, so ensure to place them near any cracks and doorways around the outside of your home.”
If you don’t want to try garlic – or looking like you are trying to keep vampires away – there are other things you can try. Glen advises:
Beyond these tips, there are other things you can do to ensure rats don’t look twice at your home. Glen recommends:
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.