‘A good solution for those who want to remove the issue without being hands-on, and for those wanting a humane solution too,’ one reviewer saidThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Rats and mice can come into homes when temperatures plummet outside(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
With January bringing freezing winter weather to the UK, many households are facing the problem of uninvited visitors coming indoors. Rats and mice can often give people a fright at this time of year as they scurry into sheds, garages and attics or under floorboards to escape the cold temperatures.
There are various ways that people choose to rid their homes of rodents, from calling in professional pest control to deploying their own traps or poison. But for those seeking a budget-friendly and more humane solution to keeping rats and mice at bay, one solution on sale at Amazon has been branded a “game changer” by shoppers.
The QYLOXU Rodent Repellent is a pack of eight balls infused with essential oils that can be placed in any problem areas without the need for electricity unlike repellents that use sound. Rats and mice are said to dislike strong smells such as the peppermint included in these balls, meaning that some strategic placement around indoor spaces can help to put them off visiting.
According to the brand, the scent of these repellent balls “creates a powerful and strong barrier that keeps rodents away from your property for months”, with similar products available at the likes of Lakeland, where Peppermint Granules are on sale for £6.99, and B&Q, where a Peppermint Spray can be bought for 13.99. But how truly effective can smell be at rodent-proofing a home?
Priced at £21.99 for a pack of eight, the QYLOXU Rodent Repellent balls earned a rating of 4.6 out of five stars based on more than 400 reviews on Amazon, making it one of the top-rated choices on the site when it comes to mouse and rat repellents. However, pest control experts suggest that results from using natural repellent may be short-lived.
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Rentokil explains: “It’s possible you might notice a short term, temporary effect – seeing less rodents around, but these methods will not permanently eliminate mice from your home or business premises.
“Mice need only a little food and nesting material to make themselves at home. Once they’ve found a safe, warm place away from predators, they will not move out, putting up with ultrasonic sound waves or mothballs rather than risk leaving,” the experts added.
And Pest Defence echoes that while rodents can be put off by strong smells such as peppermint, “this alone may not be enough, and we recommend sealing gaps and holes as well as ensuring you aren’t leaving any food in the open that would attract them.”
Despite this, one Amazon shopper who bought the QYLOXU Rodent Repellent said: “I liked the fact that these balls can be used instantly. No set up, simply place in room, area where you have rodent activity. These smell strong but is not an unpleasant smell. Since I have used these there has been no further activity from the mice, no more mouse droppings so I am very pleased.”
Another reviewer echoed: “My partner and I discovered that we had a rodent problem when we heard some scratching and scuttling in the night, and subsequently found that a large hole had been chewed through our wall. […] We’ve given this product a go and so far we’ve heard no more noises and seen no further activity. A good solution for those who want to remove the issue without being hands-on, and for those wanting a humane solution too.”
A third person praised: “As a landlord, I had complaints from tenants about mice in the storage area. I placed these mice repellents along the baseboards and in crawlspaces. Within days, the tenants noticed a difference. It’s been two months and still no signs of return. Cheap, effective, and it keeps the tenants happy.”
And someone else wrote: “I got a notification from my loft camera showing a rat visiting four nights in a row, with sonar repellent having zero effect. I’ve put four of these peppermint balls in my loft, one in each corner near entry points, and they really seem to be working – zero camera trips for over a week.”
However, not everyone found them effective, with one customer complaining: “The smell only lasted a few days and didn’t deter rats.”
And a different reviewer remarked: “This didn’t work for us. My camera caught a rat sitting six inches away from one of these balls, happily eating away at something.”