Having rats in your house is a serious problem, and I am sorry if you are dealing with this situation. The traditional methods for getting rid of rats include the use of highly toxic poisons and extremely powerful traps. Both the traps and poison can be dangerous to pets and children. And, quite frankly, the traps and poisons are a little bit scary to use (at least they were for me). Read on as I discuss the use of pest control and how to get rid of infestations.
Since so many people dislike the use of toxic poisons and dangerous snap traps, they often search for natural ways of getting rid of rats. One technique that gets a regular mention is the use of black pepper. But does this work? How to get rid of rats with black pepper?
While the use of black pepper to wipe out does have some scientific basis, it is unlikely to prove effective. It contains high concentrations of a chemical called piperine which is highly toxic to rats. However, rats are unlikely to eat enough of the pepper to induce the toxic effects of piperine. Black pepper has other compounds which irritate the nasal passages in humans and cause sneezing. It is not clear that the chemicals have the same irritant effects on the nasal passages of rats.
Why Would Black Pepper Get Rid of Rats?
There are two reasons that black pepper is touted as an effective home remedy for dealing with a rat infestation. Some people believe that it acts as a poison and will kill the rats while others believe it acts as an irritant and makes them leave the area.
Black Pepper As a Poison
It contains incredibly high concentrations of a chemical called piperine. The toxicity of piperidine towards rats has been measured with an LD50 of 514 mg/kg being reported. While an LD50 of 514 mg/kg is nowhere near as powerful as the 1-2 mg/kg for commercial rat poisons it is certainly much higher than determined for other homemade rat poisons like baking soda and Plaster of Paris.
The reason that black pepper will not be effective as a poison is that rats are “nibblers.” Rats are very smart and test all new food sources. A rat will nibble at a new food source to see if it is safe to eat or if it makes them sick. Its toxic effects are not strong enough to kill a rat after a few nibbles. As a result, if the pepper does cause the rat discomfort, then it will simply avoid it in the future.
The fact that rats nibble and test new foods is the reason that commercial rat poisons are so toxic and concentrated. They are designed to kill rats when the rat first tests them for safety.
Black Pepper As a Deterrent
There are two reasons to think that it could be used as a deterrent or repellent for rats; nasal irritation and physical discomfort.
Everyone is familiar with the idea that sniffing a little ground-up black pepper irritates your nose and makes you sneeze. Since rats are heavily dependent upon their sense of smell, it makes sense that anything that irritates their nose might make them go away.
Similarly, its spiciness is unpleasant to some people, so it might also be unpleasant for rats.
Unfortunately, rats and people do not react the same to the properties of black pepper. It is uncertain why black pepper causes sneezing in humans and it is not apparent that the same things which irritate our nasal passages irritate those on a rat. Rats also deal with “spicy” very differently from people. Here is a great example showing rats being completely unfazed by the world’s hottest pepper.
What Home Remedies for Getting Rid of Rats Work?
If you cannot use black pepper to wipe out rats, are there any other viable home remedies?
A lot of folks have reported having success killing rats with baking soda or Plaster of Paris. I have not personally tried these homemade options but am skeptical that you could induce a rat to eat enough of them to make them work.
I compiled a full list of Homemade Rat Poisons for you if you want to see them in greater detail.
The BEST home remedy will be an aggressive cat or even a ratting dog like a terrier.
What are the Best Ways to Wipe Out Rats?
So, if black pepper and other homemade solutions are not very effective at getting rid of rats, what should you do?
We are back to the original problem that many people do not want highly toxic poisons in their homes and they don’t want to use those massive snapping rat traps. I get it. I don’t want my dogs to be exposed to the poison accidentally, and those giant rat traps can be scary. If you are not paying attention, then a snapping rat trap can easily break your finger!
Let me offer your two solutions.
Non-Toxic, Eco-friendly, and Pet-Safe Rat Poison
RatX is a non-traditional rat poison that is not toxic to pets or humans. The active ingredients in RatX are all-natural corn gluten and salt. When the corn gluten is ingested, it swells up inside the rat and causes it to die from dehydration. The salt helps with the dehydration process.
RatX does not always work but it is completely safe and stands a much better chance of getting rid of rats than black pepper.
Here is a video from the makers of RatX giving you more information about the product.
Electric Rat Zapper
An electric rat trap is a great device.
Rat zappers are EASY to use, kill rats instantly, and you never have to handle a dead rat.
There are three big advantages of using a zapper instead of poisons.
- You will KNOW if you are killing rats with a zapper instead of wondering if the poison worked.
- You can dispose of the dead rat instantly instead of searching for it a week later when it starts to stink 🙂
- Because they kill rats instantly, these traps are regarded as the most humane option for dealing with rats.
Once you get rid of the rats, it is critical that you practice good sanitation to keep new rats from creating a new infestation. Rats enter your home searching for food. Crumbs, open containers, and overflowing trash are invitations. Always keep food stored properly and take out the trash regularly.
