Drats! Here come the rats!

There is nothing quite as hair-raising as seeing a rat.

They are not the nicest of creatures and nobody ever wants to admit to having a rat problem in their home.

Unfortunately, as South Africa is such a large country with so much open space and animal diversity like no other, rats thrive.

But how do you get rid of the little buggers?

Well, here are a few natural tips to help end your rat problem for good:

NB: None of these tips will kill the rats. We value all living beings, even if they are unwanted.

- Scatter the feathers of owls

This tip works an absolute treat, but it can be difficult to find the feathers for this to work. As rats are the prey of owls, rats aren't huge fans of the birds. Therefore, if they see that an owl has been in an area, they will steer well clear. Sprinkling owl feathers throughout the problem area will ensure the rats turn around and never come back. Owl let you get to it...

- Toy snakes

Just like owls, snakes love a tasty rat snack. Rats know this, and avoid snakes at all costs. By simply placing a few toy snakes in the affected area, the rats will think twice about coming back or making that space their home. This method also works well if you have a problem with monkeys... or your mother-in-law.

- The scent of an onion

While onions make humans cry when sliced open, they make rats run the other way. The odour omitted by onions is something that rats simply cannot handle. By placing a few sliced-in-half onions around the affected area, your rat problem will disappear quicker than you can say "My boerewors roll needs some more onions, please".

- Pepper them with pepper

Crushed pepper has a very similar effect on rats to that of onions. They struggle to breathe when in the presence of crushed pepper, leading them to require a new space to live. Simply scatter the pepper all over the show. This method often requires being repeated as the pepper does not stay in the air for all that long, but the more you do it, the more likely the pesky rats will run for the hills... or someone else's attic.

- Like a moth ball to a rat

'Like a moth to a flame'. Heard that one before? Well, moth balls are very good at doing the complete opposite to that saying where rats are involved. Rats cannot handle the smell of moth balls (nor can we humans, really), so by scattering a few around the problem area, the rats will hit the road just like Jack was asked to. This method is only advisable if the rats are away from humans, as the moth balls are very potent and not very pleasant for us two-legged mammals.

READ: How to get rid of ants naturally

Do you have any home remedies for getting rid of rats? Let us know in the comments section below.