Will bleach kill rats? Yes. However, here is a catch. Read on to find out more about using this household product for rat control.

When rodents infest your property, they create all sorts of problems ranging from property damage to exposing you to diseases.

Their presence is repulsive and requires urgent action.

Bleach Rat Control Option

Every homeowner will want to adopt effective extermination strategies to rid their homes of rats.

Is bleach among those? Can it also repel mice?

This is an important question to ask because there are lots of claims and counterclaims about the efficacy of bleach as a rat extermination product.

Here, we’ll attempt to find out whether you can have any real results with this commonly found cleaning product.

Will Bleach Kill Rats? Potentially, Yes!

Bleach is a household chemical product that aids with laundry. It contains a dilute solution of sodium hypochlorite and is made from caustic soda and chlorine among others.

Obviously, these aren’t designed to be ingested. As such, bleach can kill rats when ingested.

Notice the word “can.” It points to the potential of this cleaning agent to kill but ordinarily, rats won’t ingest bleach voluntarily. This is due to their strong sense of smell.

Bleach too is known to have a strong smell which rats detest.

It then becomes increasingly difficult to have rats killed with bleach. So, is there a way to add some bait to bleach to make it attractive enough for rats to eat?

There are claims about adding peanut butter to bleach. According to such claims, when peanut butter is mixed with bleach, rats find it irresistible.

In practical terms, the possibility of such happening is almost non-existent. No matter what’s added to bleach (to serve as bait), it won’t mask its strong scent enough to attract rats to a feast.

You want to use a method that’s proven to work.

Using Bleach As Rat Repellent

Although bleach has the potential to kill rats, it hardly happens because rats avoid it like a plague. They’re turned off by its strong smell. This makes a strong case for bleach as a repellent.

If you cannot use it to kill rats, at least it can be applied as a repellent to keep them at bay.

When using bleach as a repellent, you aim to locate their nests or hubs. These are areas with the most rat activity. Here, you have multiple options for applying this laundry product.

These include sprinkling, spraying, and soaking cotton balls.

The following are ways to repel rats with bleach;

  • Find Entry Points and Sprinkle Bleach

One of the ways to contain a rodent problem is to have their entry points sprinkled with some bleach. Here, you’re taking advantage of their strong sense of smell to apply a product known for its strong smell.

Rats will exploit the smallest cracks on your walls to gain access to your home.

Such points should be sprinkled with bleach. However, this is only a temporary solution as rats will still use such cracks when bleach smell wanes.

So, it’s best to have cracks sealed up permanently.

  • Get Some Cotton Balls and Soak in Bleach

There are times when finding the exact nesting spots of rats can be difficult. Such situations require applying or placing bleach-soaked cotton balls along paths most commonly used by these rodents.

By dispersing such balls around affected areas, you make them unwelcoming to rats.

How so? The entire area is saturated with the strong smell of bleach. However, this won’t be a good strategy when you have kids and pets around.

  • Spray on Rat Nest

If you’ve stumbled on a rat nest or suspect such nests to be within a certain area, you may have to consider spraying bleach as a control measure. Like all the other methods mentioned above, bleach presence is irritating to rats.

They’ll abandon their nests in search of more favorable spots.

Seek Competent Help

The use of bleach alone to solve rat problems is far from being an effective strategy. Sometimes, this procedure can be overwhelming which ends up providing no real solutions at all.

It’s best to seek competent help when faced with such a situation.

Reputable pest management services are available to handle all sorts of pest issues. You’ll need to find out the more reliable pest control services.

One way to find out is through online reviews from clients who have patronized such service in the past.

Through such, you’ll get a fair idea of what to settle for. When pest control technicians come around, they assess the extent of the problem. Treatment plans are drawn out and eventually administered.

The good thing with this option is that comprehensive treatment is offered.

With rats exterminated or repelled, your home is free of their presence. You may need to request scheduled inspections which will be performed at a frequency advised by the technician.

Rat Prevention

The adoption of a preventive approach is usually the best as it requires proactive action in curtailing the chances of an infestation ever happening.

Actions range from sealing up your home, cleaning your yard, and eliminating outdoor access.

Also consider creating a barrier, removing food sources, improving general hygiene, and growing mint plants around your home. Consider introducing a natural predator as well.

Let’s take a look at some of these preventive measures.

  • Sealing up Your Home

Rats gain access into your home through cracks and openings. You don’t have to wait for that to happen. Have all openings and cracks sealed up to keep these rodents out.

  • Cleaning Your Yard

It’s easy to find clutter and debris lying around yards.

These are easy attractions for rats as they find ample nesting spots. Have all shrubs and bushes cleared as far off from your building as possible?

  • Eliminating Outdoor Access

When there are overhanging trees or shrubs, it becomes easier for rats to gain entry into your home. You’ll have to cut back on such overgrown or overreaching plant branches.

  • Removing Food Sources

If you have a garden, you’ll need to be extra cautious to ensure the falling fruits don’t lie around for too long. Have these cleared or removed as often as possible.

  • Growing Mint Plants

Rats hate the smell of mint plants. Having these plants grown around your yard is a plus as it helps with rodent prevention.

Bleach can kill rats when ingested. However, rats hardly do such. Due to its strong smell, rats get repelled by bleach. As such, you can use several methods to apply this around your home as discussed above.

We’ve also included other reliable extermination measures as well as preventive strategies.

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