Rats are unsightly and cause havoc rummaging through garbage bins, pet food and stored foods. They are noisy while scampering in the attic at night, gnaw on electrical wires posing a fire hazard and carry numerous diseases including Salmonellosis, rat bite fever and leptospirosis among others.

Rat control Toronto is a difficult job even for professionals. If you have no intention of using rat traps or poisons then there are a few suggestions for homemade remedies that may help to take care of your rodent problem.  

Natural Remedies for Getting Rid of Rats in Attic

Some people claim success with homemade or natural remedies for getting rid of rats. Some of the common ones reported on forums and internet articles include;

Castor Oil: it is not clear exactly what it is about castor oil that repels rats but some homeowners claim that sprinkling a few drops of castor oil at rat entry points repels them.

Bay Leaf: rats apparently love the smell of bay leaf which so happens to be toxic to rodents. The claimants assert that bay leaf kills rats once ingested.

Peppermint Oil: just like castor oil, rats are apparently repelled by the smell of peppermint oil. Again, the advice is to apply a few drops where you notice evidence of rat activity or plant peppermint leaves in your yard to keep rats from breaking into your house.

Owl Feathers: if you can get your hands on owl feathers, drop a few where you notice signs of rat activity. Owls are a natural predator of rats and claimants in this case report that rats do not stay where there is clear evidence of the predator.

Plaster of Paris Mixture: users suggest mixing about 100mg of plaster of Paris with equal amount cornmeal. Pour in a cup-and-a-half of milk and knead well making sure that it is the consistency of play dough. Roll small balls and place them where you have evidence of rats. The rodents might eat the mixture which wreaks havoc on their digestive system and kills them.

Home Remedies for Getting Rid of Rats Don’t Work

Unfortunately, these are often speculation and at best, hit-or-miss ways of getting rid of rats. There is no clear evidence that there are home remedies or homemade rat repellents that actually work.

Exterminators and other professionals spend years in training and spend thousands of dollars on equipment and rodenticides to control rats and still find the work difficult and time-consuming. The professionals would jump on the opportunity to minimize costs and labour if these homemade methods actually worked.

The three known ways of effectively dealing with rats are poisoning, trapping and exclusion using one-way doors. There are numerous reasons why you shouldn’t attempt to exterminate rats on your own including;

• Rat traps are not humane if not used properly. A rat might get caught and spend hours and even days slowly dying of dehydration, hunger, exhaustion or a combination of these.
• Rat traps and poisons are dangerous to have around children and pets if ill placed. You may even get charged for animal cruelty for inadvertently injuring pets.
• Make sure you are current or regulation in your area regarding rodenticides use. Some can only be used outdoors. Certain types of traps may also not be used indoors. You may incur fines and other legal consequences for improper use.
• Over-the-counter rodenticides are hardly effective because of strict poison and chemical regulations. Many of the active ingredients are not as potent or as effective as advertised.
• Trapping can be tricky from optimum trap placement and using the right kind of bait. The best type of bait depends on a number of factors including time of year and available food sources in your area.
• Separating nursing mothers from their young causes the litter to die of starvation and dehydration. Locating rotting corpses can prove to be a headache.
• Rat poisons don’t work immediately. The rat may scurry to its hiding place, usually in the attic or inside walls to die. Again, locating the rotting corpse can prove difficult.

Hire a professional attic insulation removal service in Toronto to get rid of your compromised insulation in the attic. The professionals have the expertise to do the job safely and quickly. The experts will also disinfect and sanitize the affected areas to remove harmful bacteria and deodorize to get rid of the distinct rat odour. Finally, the team rodent proofs your home to avoid a future infestation. Hire a company that offers a good warranty for the service.