Keep rats out of your house with one item placed in corners

In general, people don't like rats. In 2016, YouGov asked Brits which animal they would fear confronting the most in an 'I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here'-style trial, and rats came in third behind spiders and snakes, ahead of cockroaches and eels.

Despite people's obvious dislike of them, the pesky rodents have a habit of popping up in people's gardens and, even worse, in homes. If you are in the unfortunate position of finding a rat in your kitchen, you find yourself thinking 'what am I going to do?'. You'll do well to catch, but there are ways to put the rat off from coming back.

One trick that experts at recommend is putting mothballs in areas rats like to mill about in in your home. According to the pest control company, rats will typically be found in wall voids, wardrobes, storage boxes, kitchen cupboards, garages, attics and basements.

So, to ensure the long-tailed creatures don't stick around in house, make sure to put one or two mothballs in each of these areas. The only thing the experts noted was to make sure the mothballs are placed out of reach of children and pets. But why mothballs?

The answer: "Rodents don't like the smell of them."

Other remedies that can stop rats from lingering inside your property are: apple cider vinegar and water mixed and sprayed around the outside of your house, ammonia because it has a similar smell to predators, and essential oils (like peppermint oil) soaked in cotton balls and placed around your home.

Another tip to prevent rats from being attracted to your house is to make sure there aren't areas that they will find comfortable.

The experts explaine: "Mice and rats like to scavenge for fluffy materials or paper to make a nest. It's important to prevent them from accessing these types of materials. Store any possible rodent nest materials or foods in metal containers."