Discover 9 Smells That Attract Rats

Source：AZ Animals Time：January 8, 2024

Rats tend to gravitate toward any food source, but their definition of “food” isn’t the same as other animals. They always look for food, and anything that smells like a meal is enough to get their attention. As both omnivores and opportunistic eaters, almost anything is on a rat’s menu. The food waste you leave behind is just as appetizing as your favorite leather belt, so any smell tells them that food is near. Proper storage and disposal of food sources reduces the odds of an infestation. If you want to keep your house as safe from these critters as possible, avoiding the smells that attract rats is necessary.

1. Garbage

Discover 9 Smells That Attract Rats — Store your garbage can somewhere separate from the side of your home.
©Daria Kulkova/iStock via Getty Images

The pungent odor of your garbage can is one of the most likely causes of a rat infestation. While you look at your bags of garbage as waste, a rat smells its scent in the air as his next nutritious meal. As the smell becomes more intoxicating for you, it becomes more inviting for the rats. Keeping your trash can clean and sealed is the easiest way to prevent rats from making their way to your home.

2. Compost Bins

As beneficial as a compost bin is for the environment, it is also a good way to grab a rat’s attention. Just like a trash bin with all of the bits of waste from every meal, a compost bin usually has a much bolder odor. If you don’t want to give up your composting hobby, make sure that it stays covered. Sealing in any smells that attract rats is the only way to keep them from looking for more.

3. Animal Feces

Along with the waste you leave behind after meals, the waste your dog leaves outside is also an attractive odor for rats. All of the feces outside offers compacted nutrients for rats. Since dogs leave behind about 40% of the nutrients from their food during digestion, rats only smell a meal. Rats see animal feces as another opportunity to eat, making this smell very dangerous to leave around.

4. Birdseed

If you make sure your trash is put away, rats should have nothing left to go after, right? Unfortunately, no. If a rat doesn’t see one of these options available, they start going after the food that you intentionally leave out. Birdseed is an easy meal! A bird feeder in your backyard seems like a good idea, but the scent of a promised meal is enough for rats. They seek out the pieces that collect on the ground or near your home. If the birdseed is inside, storing it properly is the only way to keep them from finding it. Their keen sense of smell tells them to keep looking for the source if they think there will be more.

5. Leather

As an animal-based material, rats smell leather and see yet another opportunity to take in a meal. Leather is just one of many non-food materials that rats enjoy chewing through. Leather sofas, shoes, handbags, and other expensive household items are at risk during a rat infestation if this rodent catches wind of their odor.

6. Cat Or Dog Food

Even if your dog or cat regularly clears their bowl after every meal, take a few extra minutes to wash away any residue. The rat’s olfactory senses allow them to smell anything that could be a meal, including dog food or cat food. While it won’t meet all of their dietary needs, that doesn’t matter. The fat and the smell of protein make dog and cat foods one of a rat’s favorite aromas.

7. Peanut Butter

As omnivores, nuts, and seeds are a regular part of a rat’s daily diet. Peanut butter has a bold scent, allowing rats to clearly smell it. If you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, make sure to clean up after to reduce the risk of a rat infestation. Nuts like almonds and hazelnuts also attract their attention as they look for protein to eat. Unfortunately, the sticky texture sometimes gets stuck in their throat as they swallow, which could suffocate them.

8. Rotting Or Dried Fruit

Fruit and nuts are two of a rat’s favorite foods, but they aren’t picky. Some fruits don’t have a strong odor until they start to rot, telling rats nearby that a smelly food source is available. The sweet smell of this fruit invites rats to come and see the other food it touches. Rats don’t care where this fruit comes from, whether it’s in a trash can or somewhere in the home it shouldn’t be.

9. Leftover Meat

While you may think that you’ve cleaned up after dinner in the kitchen, what about the remnants of food left on your outdoor grill? The charred meat is still attractive to rats, and anything with pieces of meat on it is a magnet for a hungry rat. Make sure to clean down outdoor grills and utensils if you want to avoid any smells that attract rats. If you cook indoors, put away cooked or uncooked meat, including bacon and deli meats, to keep the rats away.