It is widely thought that onion is a good rat repellent. People will often suggest using putting a chopped onions around where rats are getting in or living to repel them. Is there any scientific evidence for this?

Onions may well repel rats as they have a sensitive sense of smell but there is no strong evidence that they are any better than other strong odours. Rats are intelligent and they can often find a way of getting past a repellent. This means that even strong a sulphurous smell like onion may not be effective at preventing rodent damage.

Despite this, there are a few things that do make onion a good rat repellent compared to others. Onions are cheap, safe, biodegradable and readily available. This compares well to other repellents which can be toxic, expensive and damaging to environment. These may not even get good results.

So if you are wondering 'Is Onion A Good Rat Repellent?' then the answer is that it might work and could be worth a try but if you are suffering significant rodent damage it would be best not to rely on onions alone. Better methods are;

1) Block all holes you can find. It may be obvious where they are getting in and out of your property but it important to block all the holes. This is because otherwise they will simply switch to a different access point.

2) Clean up. The smell of food is enough to draw rodents in and food in accessible places is the worst for encouraging them to set up home.

3) Remove water sources. Dry up puddles, stop leaks and dripping taps. Without water, food and shelter the rodents are more likely to leave.

4) Try RatMat. RatMat is the world's first horizontal electric fence. By creating a perimeter around your car or across the doorway to your factory or garage you will stop rodent damage in its tracks. You can walk over the system with shoes on and drive across but rodents simply will not cross. As they can sense the electric field they avoid the area. If they do try to walk over they will receive a harmless electric shock which is 40 times less powerful than an electric fence in a farmer's field.

RatMat is more effective and more humane than conventional pest control methods. Humans have been trapping and poisoning rodents for a very long time now but the problem is getting worse, rather than better. Poisons and traps both lead to suffering. Conventional rodenticides are often blood thinners called coumarins which cause a long and slow death. Rats and mice die from internal bleeding which is painful.

Traps can also cause suffering because sometimes a leg is caught, leading to pain. Rodents have been known to gnaw a limb off the escape.

Despite the pain and suffering these methods are not effective. This is because if rodents are killed nearby rodents will realise that there is an empty niche with harbourage, food and water and move back in.

RatMat is far more effective as it creates a defended perimeter around the area you are trying to protect. Click on 'Buy Now' to find your nearest distributor.