How to Get Rid of Rats With Black Pepper?

Homeowners and renters alike suffer from rat infestations in their houses and apartments, regardless of how clean they are.

For many, the real issue is that many of the products for dealing with rodents are dangerous for humans and are for killing. 

If this is a concern to you, black pepper is one great, inexpensive and non-toxic home remedy to get rid of the rodents in your home. 

Why Black Pepper?

Why is black pepper a good way to get rid of rats? Scientifically speaking, black pepper contains high quantities of a chemical called Piperin. This chemical is toxic to rats. Also, black pepper irritates the nasal passage and causes discomfort. At any rate, black pepper is a safer pest control option to use than other harmful chemicals. 

It is a natural remedy for getting rid of rodents without hurting the animals. Rats, as highly intelligent as they are, test new foods by ‘nibbling.’ So, in the case of black pepper, the rat would have to consume a large quantity for it to hurt or kill them. And this is something they won’t do.

Once a few of the rats in the pack take a few nibbles they won’t like the taste and they’ll know to stay away from it in the future. All in all? Black pepper is also an inexpensive way to get rid of rats instead of spending money on chemicals or an exterminator, plus they won’t be killed! 

How Exactly Does Black Pepper Work Against Rats?

Black pepper in large quantities is toxic to rodents. But, as mentioned earlier, rodents will only nibble at the black pepper. This is due to it being a foreign food to them and nibbling helps them test the new food for safety. 

Rats also rely heavily on their strong sense of smell. That said, the spiciness of the black pepper is naturally irritating to the rodents. This nasal irritation causes them to flee and avoid areas they encounter black pepper. More or less, the rats see the black pepper as a sort of barrier that they will then try to avoid in the future. 

Humans and rats, however, have drastically different reactions to black pepper. For example, rats do not sneeze when they ingest black pepper through their nasal passages. Humans, on the other hand, almost always instantly sneeze when exposed to enough black pepper. 

Black pepper is proven to work as a better and safer solution to clear out rat infestations in homes and apartments. So, there is no need to worry about hurting the rats if you’re an animal lover, black pepper is a good option! And, if the black pepper alone doesn’t work, there are other home remedies you can use such as baking soda.

Steps to Using Black Pepper for Getting Rid of Rats

The steps to using black pepper to getting rid of rodents are straight forward: 

1. Clean up and preparation

First, you should clean up any trash, food scraps, and possible sources of water. This denies them of sustenance and nourishment and forces them to look elsewhere. Once you’ve properly clean up, check for any visible entry-holes the rats are using and block them.

This could include holes in the foundations of your home, cracks in the floor, broken pipes and more. 

2. Lay down a black pepper barrier

The second step is to create a barrier with black pepper, which you can find in most homes and grocery stores.

You’ll want to spread a good amount of crushed black pepper in areas that have the most rodent traffic. These areas tend to include behind refrigerators, washers and dryers, along walls, near trash cans, and anywhere else the rats go.

3. Seek out nooks and crannies and nests

The third step is crucial to ensuring the success of displacing the entire pack of rats from your home. You will need to find the place where the rodents are hiding and load it down with black pepper.

In most cases, this alone will drive the rodents away to a different location. And, since black pepper isn’t harmful to your pets and family, you won’t have to worry about one of them consuming it! 

4. Repeat until the rats are gone

After you’ve laid down black pepper barriers, sought out the rats hiding places and nests and peppered them as well, be sure that you clean up after yourself.

That said, don’t take all of it up. If the rats come back desperate to find food or water, and grab a little more black pepper, they will eventually get the picture and find a new home to invade. Once you find the right amount that’s enough for the rats to nibble and flee, the rats should be gone.

Final Thoughts

To be fair, black pepper is a much safer and less expensive way to get rid of rodent infestations than many options. There are no harmful chemicals involved and the rats are not actually harmed either.

In most cases, all the rats have to do is nibble or sniff some of it and they will turn their tail and run! Once you find the right amount of black pepper, and applied it in all the right places, the rats infesting your home should be gone.