Since the peels decompose so easily, those of us who are a little lazy can just throw the peels on the dirt. However, whole peels could attract rodents, where chopped or blended peels do not.
But they can't stand banana peels. Chop up a few peels, bury them an inch or two in the soil, and say goodbye to those pests for good. Don't use whole banana peels unless you want rodents, such as squirrels and raccoons, digging in the soil.
The best fruits for them include bananas, apples and pears; veggies like carrots, peas, corn and beans are also popular with rats. Bananas are one of their favourite treats! As far as non-protein snacks are concerned, rats love sweet things — particularly fruit — but they also enjoy salty foods like potato chips.
Interestingly, this chemical is also responsible for giving off the ripe banana smell. The correlation is clear. Rats, at least the males, do not like the smell of a banana.
Basic Rat feeding guide
Some examples of suitable fruit and vegetables are: apples, pears, banana, melons, stone fruits, citrus fruits, broccoli, cabbage (not red cabbage), endive, carrots, Bok choy/other Asian greens, celery, parsley, berries, fresh corn (small amount only) and peas.
Summary: N-pentyl acetate, an odorant responsible for the unique smell of bananas, is released in the urine of pregnant and lactating female mice. The chemical produces a stress response in male mice.
Fruit By the (Mouse) Foot
Most households have some sort of fruit—bananas, apples, oranges—kept openly on counters or even on top of microwaves. Mice will avoid these during the day but get bolder during the late night.
Rats are afraid of human activity, mostly because humans are so much larger than they are. Rats also fear predators such as hawks, eagles, and other birds of prey. Other animals that rats are afraid of include your cat as well as rat terriers and other dogs that hunt rodents. Rats fear becoming a meal for a snake.
Chili Powder – Chili is believed to cause irritation in the nasal passage of rats when inhaled by the rodent. These rodents won't return to the same area where they smelled or ingested chili powder. To keep the rodents out, it's important to sprinkle the chili powder in the rat-infested areas every day.
Fruit and berries — Out of all the foods rodents consume, their top two loves are generally fruits and berries. In the wild, rats and mice consume these foods at every opportunity. Therefore, raspberry and blackberry bushes — as well as apple and pear trees — can serve as magnets for the animals.
A healthy human snack can be a major source of stress for a mouse. Mice can enter your home through open windows and doors in the summer, but you might be able to ward them off with fruit. That's right: a new study from McGill University has found that male mice are scared of bananas.
Food of Any Kind
Of course, rats are most attracted to food. A home with easy access to food of any kind, including scraps and crumbs, virtually asks rodents to invade your home. This is especially true during the winter because rats need to eat twice as much compared to the warmer seasons.
If it looks and smells like food, it will attract rodents. That is one of the reasons it is best to avoid throwing your banana peels in your garden, on the trail, or out the window. You will give pests like mice and squirrel the wrong impression that there is a good source nearby.
Banana peels can be placed directly onto pot plant soil, or around the base of your garden as mulch. As they decompose, they will release nutrients into the soil to feed plants. If using banana peels in your garden, place a single layer straight on top of the soil, being sure not to let them touch the plant stem.
Don't throw away your banana peels – they can be turned into tasty, healthy treats. We typically compost or throw away banana peels and don't consider them edible. But new research shows they're actually a source of antioxidants and vitamins.
Eucalyptus or Peppermint oil can repel rats because they hate the smell. Another way to use a rat's sense of smell against them is to plant peppermint and catnip in strategic places. Diatomaceous earth is non-toxic to humans, but it can dry out rats until they die.
Spread peppermint oil, cayenne pepper, black pepper, or cloves around the home's exterior to prevent the rats from entering the house in the first place. Apply your substance of choice generously along the line between your foundation and the ground.
Baking soda combines with the stomach acids to produce carbon dioxide gas which rats are unable to tolerate. In turn, it builds up within their system and eventually causes internal blockage and rupture. Soon enough, you will have the rat-free environment you always deserved.
Peppermint Oil
On a cotton ball use no more than 5 drops of 100% peppermint essential oil. Spread the oil on areas that you want rats to avoid, in your case, around the garden.
All you need to do is mix 2 – 2 and a half cups of ammonia, 100 – 200 mL of water and a 2-3 spoonful of detergent in a bowl. Then, put it to places where rats are usually seen. The smell of ammonia is very pungent that it instantly kills rats.
to eliminate sources of food, shelter, and water. Denied food, rats will turn to killing and eating each other, further reducing the infestation. Rats cannot live without food, water, or shelter.
The pungent smell of orange peels can help deter some pests and rodents away from the plants,' Kevin explains.
Smells and Odors that attract rats
Odors and smells that come from pet waste, pet food, garbage containers, barbecue grills, birdfeeders, and even from unharvested fruit and nuts from plants can attract rats and mice.