Rats
11 min read
What Smell Do Rats Hate? Peppermint and Repellents Checked
No smell drives rats out for long: lab rats avoid peppermint and predator odors only briefly. Sealing gaps and setting rat traps costs about $65–87.
Category
Repellents
What the evidence says about peppermint oil, mothballs, dryer sheets and ultrasonic devices, and what to do instead when pests are already inside.
Mice
10 min read
Do Mothballs Keep Mice Away? What the Label Says
No. Mothballs are labeled for fabric pests in tightly closed containers, not for mice or rats. Why they fail, the health and legal risks, and what works instead.
Cockroaches
10 min read
What Smell Do Roaches Hate? Peppermint Oil and Repellents
Roaches avoid citrus, cinnamon, lavender and peppermint oils in lab tests, but no smell kills the ones already inside. A $10 peppermint spray only repels; about $54 of bait, traps and caulk gets rid of them.
Mice
10 min read
What Smells Do Mice Hate? What the Evidence Says
Mice avoid peppermint and a few other oils in lab tests, but no smell has been shown to clear mice from a home. Sealing gaps and about $60 of traps does.
Mice & rats
9 min read
Do Ultrasonic Pest Repellers Work on Mice and Rats?
No. Mice and rats quickly get used to the sound, and UC IPM says the devices don't work on house mice. If yours is still returnable, spend the money on traps.