Imbibing cotton balls with vinegar is one of the most effective ways to use vinegar as a repellent. Simply place a handful of cotton balls in white vinegar, let them soak, and then place them wherever you've noticed rat droppings, smear marks or activity.
Vinegar has an unpleasant smell and if used in the pipes and u-bend it may temporarily keep them away. It can sting and would be unpleasant for the rat. Any strong smell may be enough to deter a rodent as it will make them wary that something has changed in the environment.
An apple cider vinegar and water mixture sprinkled around your house is said to keep rats and mice away.
The smell of white vinegar is a natural repellent for mice. It will make them leave your home or office. Mice have a strong sense of smell and they will avoid areas where there is white vinegar sprayed or soaked cotton balls in it. It is important to note that white vinegar will not work on all mice.
The pungent smell of vinegar is also a natural way to repel mice and rats. These pests cannot stand the sharp scent of vinegar, which means it can be used as an effective rodent repellent. You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar for this purpose.
Some of the most effective household cleaners aren't meant to be mixed. You probably already know never to combine harsh chemicals like bleach and ammonia (or really, bleach and anything). But common pantry essentials that are often used for cleaning — like baking soda and vinegar — shouldn't be mixed either.
Another effective way to remove rat urine is to use white vinegar. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and will also help to neutralize any odors. Simply soak a cloth in vinegar and then apply it to the affected area. Let it sit for several minutes before wiping it away with a clean cloth.
This makes peppermint oil, chili powder, citronella, and eucalyptus the most common natural rodent repellents. Chemical smells, such as ammonia, bleach, and mothballs also work as mice deterrents.
Less is more with any cleaning product, including vinegar. Use the least amount of vinegar you can get away with to minimize smells. If you use a light hand with the vinegar, the aroma will go away on its own in 30 to 60 minutes, particularly on solid surfaces. If it's on a soft surface, it may take a day or so.
Perform a thorough exclusion and pest-proofing service on your home, sealing off all possible entry points. Set up live active traps in strategic locations where rat activity has been observed, such as near food sources and nesting sites. Monitor the traps regularly and promptly remove any captured rats.
So, after ingesting baking soda, this product reacts with the acids in the rat's stomach and creates carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide then builds within the rat and causes a rupture or blockage that eventually kills the rat.
However, vinegar will not physically harm a mouse, so you can't use it to kill them. Another thing to consider is that many types of vinegar exist. You'll want to opt for the most pungent of them if you're trying to repel mice.
Ammonia. Ammonia is one of the top-recommended options for deterring rats with smell alone, but there are some potential risks for humans and pets. The smell is quite strong and has been shown to turn rats around in their tracks. It can even kill rats and mice when they inhale too much in a confined space.
You can repel rats from your home and garden with scents they dislike, such as clover, garlic, onion, hot peppers containing capsaicin, house ammonia, used coffee grounds, peppermint, eucalyptus, predator (cat) scent, white vinegar, and citronella oil.
Some people have found that they can deter rats from coming onto their property by using certain smells and aromas. The most effective smells are essential oils, specifically; peppermint, castor, and citronella. These are good choices because while their smell is powerful, many people also find the aromas pleasant.
By mixing vinegar and baking soda you can actually create a poison that will kill rats. As with any poison however, you have to be careful when you handle it, and when you apply it.
When disinfecting, use gloves, and don't sweep the area you just cleaned since you'll only spread bacteria all over the place. The pungent odour of bleach will deter rats, but if you want to entice them and poison them with bleach, mix a tablespoon of bleach with two tablespoons of peanut butter.
It's also important to mix vinegar with other ingredients carefully. “Never mix vinegar with other cleaning products like bleach or ammonia or those 'blue' window cleaning products [like Windex], because they can create dangerous chlorine gas,” Gayman says.
Vinegar is acidic and basic soda is basic, so the by-products are sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water that are not toxic. The mixing reaction causes the baking soda to foam up and produce carbon dioxide gas.