Do mothballs or ammonia help repel rats?

People are trying to keep rats away from their home in many ways. Rat repellents are one of those ways, as many believe that these store-bought and homemade installations and products can, indeed, keep rats away from their home. Rat repellents include different light and sound installations, as well as chemicals, that are supposed to repel rats by making the environment less appealing to them. For example, strobing lights are supposed to scare rats and make them feel unsafe, and chemical repellents are supposed to repel rats with their strong, unpleasant smell.



Mothballs are believed to have rat-repellent qualities for a long time, and many people use store-bought or home-made mothballs, hoping to repel rats. The strong smell of mothballs is believed to be very unpleasant to rats, to that extent that they lose the interest to enter that particular location. For this reason, laying out mothballs throughout the house and front yard became the first thing people do, once they notice rats on their property. But, are mothballs as effective as they are believed to be in repelling rats?

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Sadly, mothballs are not at all effective in keeping rats out of your home. Yes, it is true that the smell of mothballs is unappealing to rats. It is also true that the smell is irritating and strong to them, however, not enough to keep them out. The unpleasant smell can not be as unpleasant to a rat as tempting and attractive food they are seeking inside your home is. Rats will quickly learn to ignore most of the repellents, and they will get used to strong and unpleasant smell. Sadly, using mothballs is not something that will help you in keeping your home rat-free.

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Instead, focus your efforts into rat-proofing your home. Fix your fences, get a dog or a cat, and keep the hygiene of your home on a maximum level by not piling garbage in your front or back yard, as well as in your home. Make sure to empty your trash cans regularly, and don’t leave any food out in the open. Also, fix any holes or gaps in your walls, windows and roof. Make sure that rats can’t find a way to enter your home by simply maintaining it. This is the best way to keep rats out of your home.

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