How To Scare A Rat Away

Alongside humans, rats are among the most successful species in the world, as they are found on almost every continent around the world, and can adapt their diet to suit almost any terrain or surroundings. Although rats will often depend on people for the food sources that they will use, they are also very cautious creatures so in most cases will try to avoid coming into direct contact with people, in case they become a threat. Rats are certainly not the best neighbors to people though, and from causing damage to property through to transmitting disease and contaminating food, being able to scare them away is certainly an attractive prospect.

The Rat’s Instinct To Flee

Anyone who has actually found a rat in or around their home will be able to tell you that they are rarely seen for very long, and in most cases all you will see of the rat is a gray-brown blur disappearing into a hole or a dark corner with cover. This is due to the natural instinct that the rat will have to flee, and generally when they hear or see a person coming into their vicinity, they will look to get away and find cover before they are spotted. This means that as an immediate response, all most people will need to do to scare the rat away temporarily is to actually find the rat and walk towards it.

Will Encountering People Scare Rats Away Permanently?

While rats will usually look to flee when they encounter people, unfortunately it doesn’t mean that rats will always look to vacate the area permanently after they have had an encounter with a person. If they have an area where they are scavenging food, then they are likely to return here when you are not around, and even being spotted by people several times is unlikely to scare the rats off permanently. Even more direct predators such as cats and dogs are unlikely to scare rats away permanently, so if you do spot a rat, you will need to take action to try and make sure that a rat infestation doesn’t take hold in your property.

Rat Repellents

Another option that many people will consider when they are planning what to do with a rat infestation is repellents, and there are plenty of commercial products that are said to get rid of rats, along with home remedies said to have a similar effect. Some will claim to work by scent, while there are other audio repellents, with both said to make the conditions for the rats around your property to be unbearable for the animals, thus driving them away. Unfortunately, there is little evidence to support the use of repellents, and both types are rarely successful at dealing with rats around the property, as the attraction of food sources and nesting spots will be greater than the repellent effect.

Dealing With A Rat Infestation

If you have spotted rats, or even the signs of rat activity around a property it is important not to ignore this as rats breed quickly, and this can soon mean you have a greater problem that you will need to deal with. Trapping is the best and most effective way to deal with a rat infestation, and while there are various types of traps available, the traditional snap traps with a wooden base are still a very effective method of dealing with rats. Place several of these in the areas where you can find signs of rat activity, and use a bait such as peanut butter or soft cheese. Make sure you check these traps regularly and continue to trap rats until you no longer spot rats or see fresh signs of rat activity.


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