No one wants to deal with a rat infestation in their home. If you can keep them from getting into your home in the first place, you won’t have to deal with baiting, trapping and getting rid of dead rodents.
But not all repellents are effective. It’s important to choose the right method and the right products to send rats running the other way. We’re going to share our top eight rat repellents to keep your home rodent-free.
Table of Contents
Our Top Pick: Exterminator’s Choice Rodent Repellent
A potent spray that uses a blend of essential oils and other natural ingredients to keep rodents away. This natural spray can be used on vehicle wiring and even around the perimeter of your home. With ingredients like peppermint oil, garlic oil and rosemary oil, you can feel comfortable spraying this product around your family.
Features
- Contains natural essential oils
- Comes with sprayer attachment
- Safe for use on vehicle wiring
8 Best Rat Repellent Sprays and Deterrents
1. Best Rat Spray: Exterminator’s Choice Rodent Defense
Worried about rats destroying your car’s wiring or building a nest under the hood? Rodent Defense is designed to protect your vehicle by deterring rats and other rodents.
Safe, effective and long-lasting, this deterrent spray can save you hundreds of dollars in vehicle repairs.
Rodent Defense uses natural ingredients and unpleasant scents to keep rodents away, including:
- Peppermint oil
- Rosemary oil
- Garlic oil
- White pepper
- Water and vinegar
Rats hate these pungent smells, so they’ll go running for the hills instead of chewing through your car’s electrical wires.
You can use this spray to protect your car, truck, RV, boat, ATV, farm equipment, or any other type of vehicle that rodents may nest in and destroy.
Rodent Defense is easy to apply, and because it uses natural ingredients, it’s safe to use around kids and pets.
- Natural spray
- Safe to use around kids and pets
- Can be used on all types of vehicles
- Long-lasting
- Can only be used on vehicles
If you’re having trouble keeping rats from nesting in your car’s engine compartment, this spray is a great deterrent. But to keep rats away from your home, you’ll need to try another product on our list. You can probably use this spray around the perimeter of your home (some people do), but that’s not what this product was designed for.
2. Essentially KateS Peppermint Oil
When people recommend rat repellents, peppermint oil is usually the first thing they mention. Rats hate the strong smell of the plant, so they’ll stay away from it.
Essentially KateS peppermint oil is one of the best-rated by customers, and each bottle comes with a detailed guide on how to use the oil to keep pests away (plus other uses).
What’s nice about this product is that it comes with a convenient glass dropper. The dropper ensures that you use just the right amount of peppermint. Just add some oil to cotton balls, and place them around entryways and other areas where you think rats may get in.
Essentially KateS offers premium essential oils, and their peppermint is a favorite among campers and homeowners with rat problems.
- Natural essential oil
- Safe to use around kids and pets
- Convenient dropper for precise placement
- Premium quality
- Smell can be strong
If you don’t like the smell of peppermint, this repellent may not be a good fit for you. Peppermint essential oil is potent, which is why rats stay away from it. Most people find that the mint gives their home a fresh smell and keeps pesky rodents at bay.
3. BRISON Ultrasonic Repellent
Looking for a repellent that’s ultra-safe for use around pets and kids? An ultrasonic device is a great option. BRISON’s ultrasonic plug-in comes with four devices, and it can be used either indoors or outdoors.
This repeller uses a combination of ultrasonic, optical and electromagnetic waves to repel rats. Each device covers 1,100 square feet of space, and can even penetrate through walls.
BRISON’s device is so easy to use. Just plug it in, hold the button for three seconds, and it will start emitting ultrasonic waves that only pests can hear.
Don’t worry – your pets won’t be bothered by the device. It’s fully safe to use around children and pets, and it has a flame-retardant body that’s environmentally-friendly.
Another perk to using this ultrasonic device: it repels other pests, too, including mosquitoes and cockroaches.
- Safe to use around kids and pets
- Can be used indoors or outdoors
- Also repels other pests
- Covers a large area
- Comes in a pack of four
- Easy to use
- Won’t work in areas without a power socket
What if you have a rat problem out in the fields of your farm or a shed far away from your house? If it’s too far away from the other units and there are no other electrical sockets to use, the device won’t repel the rats. This is an uncommon situation.
For most people, BRISON’s ultrasonic repellent will get the job done. Just plug it in, and let the device do the work of scaring away pests.
4. Fresh Cab
People have been using Fresh Cab for decades to keep rodents away. Just place a pre-filled pouch every 125 square feet, and rats will stay far away.
Fresh Cab uses botanical ingredients to repel rats and other rodents. Their product is EPA-registered, too.
Here’s what Fresh Cab uses to keep rats out of your home:
- Balsam fir oil (2%)
- Fragrance oil
- Plant fibers
Their ingredients are grown on family farms, and their product is manufactured in the U.S.
What’s great about this product is that it comes in pre-filled pouches. There’s no mess to clean up, and it’s easy to keep kids and pets away from this product. You can place this product all over your home, including the basement, pantry, garage, attic, storage unit, vehicle, RV, boat or anywhere else. The scent lasts up to 90 days, but for best results, the product should be replaced every 30 days.
- Safe to use around kids and pets
- Can be used in most areas of the home
- Scent lasts three months
- Natural repellent
- Easy to use
- Needs to be replaced often
People have been using Fresh Cab for decades to repel rats and other rodents. It’s trusted by homeowners and farm owners alike. The product is the only botanical repellent to be effective enough to meet the EPA’s standards.
5. VENSMILE Solar Powered Repeller
An environmentally-friendly rat repellent, VENSMILE’s solar-powered device emits a 400 Hz – 1,000 Hz sonic frequency every 10 seconds to keep rodents away.
Because it uses solar power, you don’t have to worry about changing batteries or using electricity. Just place it where you think rats may be, and let it work its magic. There is the option of using battery backup for cloudy and rainy days, and VENSMILE even includes a pair of batteries for this purpose.
VENSMILE’s device has an effective range of 8,000 square feet, and it radiates in all directions to cover the entire area. It may take 2-3 weeks to drive all of the rodents away, but you don’t have to worry about cleaning up dead rat bodies or having to use toxic poisons.
The solar-powered repellent is weatherproof, too. Just place it in an area that receives a decent amount of sunlight, and it will start emitting sonic frequencies that will send rats and other rodents running the other way.
For best results, install two units 60 feet apart. Simply dig a hole in the ground, insert the stake, and place soil around the stake to secure it in the ground.
- Solar-powered with battery backup
- Uses vibration and sonic frequency to repel rats
- Covers a large area
- Easy to use
- Weatherproof
- Needs sunlight to work
The VENSMILE repellent does need sunlight to work, so if your yard is completely shaded, you may not be able to use this device. Most yards get at least a little sunlight, so this really shouldn’t be a common problem.
VENSMILE’s solar-powered repellent is easy to use. Just set it and forget it. The sonic frequencies will drive the rodents away.
6. Ultrawave Ultrasonic Pest Repeller
Ultrawave’s device uses ultrasonic waves to drive rats and other pests away. Just plug it into the wall, and let the repeller take care of the rest.
Like other ultrasonic devices, this one takes 2-3 weeks to completely drive the pests away. You might see an increase in rat activity for a few days before they disappear completely. But this is a humane way to keep rats away.
Ultrawave covers 1,100 square feet. You can use it in your garage, living room, home office, warehouse or wherever else there’s an electrical socket. It won’t hurt your pets, kids or other wildlife.
To give you peace of mind, Ultrawave also offers a 100% satisfaction policy. If you’re not happy, they will give you a full refund.
- Emits ultrasonic waves
- Safe for use around kids and pets
- Covers a large area
- Easy to use
- Can only be used indoors
Ultrawave’s ultrasonic repellent cannot be used outdoors, but it covers a large area that may extend outside of your home’s walls.
The repellent may take a few weeks to work, but it’s a humane way to keep pests out of your home.
7. Mouse Blocker Insulated Tape
Mouse Blocker’s insulated tape is a low-tech way to keep rats from entering your home, garage, basement, vehicle, or any other area.
This special insulated tape contains encapsulated Capsaicin from hot chile peppers. Yes, this tape contains spicy pepper, which has a strong scent that rats and other rodents hate. This tape is especially useful in vehicles. Wrap it around wiring to keep rats from gnawing on them.
One roll is 64’ long, and you can use this tape indoors or outdoors. While it’s ideal for use on vehicle wiring, you can use this tape anywhere. It’s simple to use, easy to apply and won’t hurt the environment. Rats, like other pests and wildlife, don’t like the smell or taste of chile peppers.
- Uses hot chile peppers to repel rats
- Can be used on wiring to keep rats from gnawing
- Easy to apply
- Environmentally-friendly
- Tape needs to be reapplied every few weeks
If you’re having problems with rats chewing your vehicle’s wiring or you just want an environmentally-friendly, easy way to keep rats out of your home, Mouse Blocker’s insulated tape is a great option.
8. VENSMILE Ultrasonic Repellent
VENSMILE’s ultrasonic repellent uses a transducer and dual speakers to emit ultrasonic waves at 25KHz-60KHz and high impact pressure waves. With a large effective range of 5,000-6,000 unobstructed square feet, this repellent will keep rodents far away from your home.
VENSMILE’s device has three settings:
- ULTRA: Emits ultrasonic sound that repels roaches, mice, fleas, ants, crickets, etc.
- TRANS: Emits pressure waves that repel squirrels.
- DUO: Emits pressure waves and ultrasonic sound to repel rats, mice, crickets and other pests.
Like other ultrasonic devices, this one is safe to use around kids and pets. You don’t have to worry about using toxic chemicals or poisons to keep rats away from your property.
- Uses ultrasonic sound and pressure waves to repel rats
- Easy to plug in and use
- Has a large range
- Environmentally-friendly
- For indoor use only
The ultrasonic repellent from VENSMILE is a safe, humane way to repel rats. It may take a few weeks to drive all of the rodents away, but you can combine this product with one of the rat sprays on our list for more immediate results.
Rat Repellent FAQs
Conclusion
No one wants rats anywhere near their homes, but not everyone wants to deal with dead rats either. Repellents can keep rodents away without killing them, so you can tackle your rat problem without putting your family at risk.