As January marks the beginning of rodent season, Britons are being offered guidance on preventing rats and mice from infiltrating their homes.
The appearance of rats and mice tends to be at its highest in January as the four-legged rodents are often looking to seek shelter from the cold winter weather.
Leaving them to fester in homes can result in chewed electrical wires, property damage and an increased chance of catching any diseases they carry.
Other signs of rats in the home include grease marks, rat droppings and foul smells.
Nic Shacklock, from Online-Bedrooms.co.uk, noted that peppermint oil, cinnamon oil and garlic cloves are just a few items that can “prevent their presence without causing the pests any harm”.
He said: “The last thing anybody wants to do is wake up in the morning and spot a long-tailed rat scurrying across the floor.
“January and early February is when prime rodent season is in full effect, which is why we wanted to offer eight effective, yet harm-free ways to prevent their presence.
“Staple household items like garlic and peppermint are some of the ways to prevent the four-legged rodents.
“Sealing entry points and keeping all sugary items tightly sealed is also effective in deterring them from entering the home.”
How to prevent rats and mice from entering homes
Peppermint oil
Rats and mice “hate the smell” of fresh peppermint so households should dab peppermint oil on a cotton pad and wipe it across any entry points from doors to windows to “deter them from entering”.
Garlic
The strong garlic smell will help to “repel rats and mice” so it’s worth placing garlic cloves around entryways for households dealing with an “infestation”.
Garlic is something most households will already have in their fridge. If not, they can be picked up for just 24p at Sainsbury’s.
Cinnamon oil
Cinnamon is another one of those scents that the rodents “can’t stand to be around”.
Use the same method with the cotton pad or spray the fragrance around any possible entry points.
Seal entry points
A small hole in the wall can become “much greater very quickly” if a rodent is lurking nearby.
It’s advised to seal them up with steel wool to “prevent them from climbing through”.
Clear up crumbs and make sure sugary items are sealed
Keep on top of tying up bin bags and hoovering the floors to prevent the rodents from going after food crumbs as the more crumbs there are, the “more likely they are to appear”.
Rats love sugary foods and will be “instantly attracted” to any sweet items lying around the house so make sure sugar pots are firmly sealed and no sugary food is left to fester.
