Baby powder has a lot of uses but can baby powder kill mice? Read on this article to find out the efficacy of baby powder in killing mice.
Rats are like those unwelcome guests you can’t shut the door to. Besides, rats can transmit diseases that are highly lethal to humans. Rats can contaminate the kitchen platforms and even food items and thereby transmit diseases. Furthermore, rats can create a nuisance in the home office and mess around with important papers. There are many ways to exterminate rats from your house but can baby powder kill mice? Keep on reading to find the answer along with a few home remedies.
Can Baby Powder Kill Mice?
Baby powder is not very efficient home remedy to kill mice but it still might work. It is known to be intoxicating for rats and can kill them. But otherwise, you can use it to trap the rodent by dusting some baby powder in the suspected areas and wait for about a day; if the mice have been there, you can note small tracks. Track them down with these foot prints and get rid of them as soon as possible.
Home Remedies to Kill Mice
1. Pepper
Rats have a highly sharp sense of smell and can be used to scurry them away with certain items that have a scent they are averse to. Pepper is one of those ingredients. Sprinkling pepper powder around dark corners or near drain holes through which the rats may find a way in is an effective way to get rid of them. You should continue this routine for at least a week for better results.
2. Onion
Onions appear to have a terrible response in rats. They tend to escape to their burrows due to their aversion to the smell and taste of onions. Put onions near suspected areas to deter the rodents.
3. Peppermint Oil
The scent of peppermint oil, though uplifting for us, has just the opposite response from rats. They have a strong aversion to strong and pungent smells. Thereby when inhaled, it affects the lungs causing them to shrink and killing the rat. If you are not keen to use peppermint essential oils, you can also opt for minty toothpaste or fresh peppermint leaves.
4. Baking Soda
The bicarbonate present in baking soda is fatal for rats. When ingested, it reacts with the stomach acids and creates carbon dioxide. Since rats cannot release gas, it builds up in their abdomen, eventually resulting in a rupture or a blockage.
5. Potato Powder
Instant potato powder also helps to drive rats away. You can sprinkle some of this powder at home for the rats follow to its trail and eat it. After it enters their body, the potato flakes swell up in the digestive system and kill them.
6. Cow Dung
Intake of cow dung by rats is confirmed to inflate the abdominal region leading to their demise. Placing some cow dung near pipelines, the garden, and other possible spots where the rats are wandering has shown excellent results.
7. Bay Leaf
Bay leaves are supposed to be fatal for rats. The aromatic smell of bay leaves attracts them, and when consumed, it leads to metabolic issues resulting in the rodent’s death.
8. Mothballs
In theory, mothballs may be fatal to rats due to traces of naphthalene present in them, but we need to use a generous amount of it for better effect. When consumed or inhaled, it causes the blood cells to lose their capacity to transmit oxygen. Sprinkle mothballs on a piece of food item and place it around the rodent’s hiding place.
9. Ammonia
Ammonia is a super cleaning agent, but it also acts as an excellent repelling product to rodents. It is advisable to mix a spoonful of ammonia and detergent each into a glass of water, and you can soak a piece of cloth or cotton ball in it and leave it near rats’ hiding locations.
Conclusion
We don’t always require rodenticides to get rid of rats which may be harmful to us and our pets if inhaled. It is therefore advised to follow these easy tried and tested home remedies instead.