Essential oil uses as rat repellent

Essential oil uses as rat repellent is one alternative to reduce the negative impact of the use of chemicals in controlling them. They are one of the major pests in agricultural activities. Damage caused by this pest can occur ranging from field to storage. In addition, the mice often carry a wide range of pathogens that can be transmitted to humans, i.e. Yersiniosis, Leptospirosis, Salmonellosis and Lymphochytis choriomeningitis.
In the effort to overcome that obstacles, the various alternative control of mouse have been performed, both technical culture, physical, mechanical, and chemical. Chemical rat repellent is the most common alternative to be compared with other control method. This is understandable because the results of toxic chemicals uses can be immediately visible and can be easily applied to large areas.
However, the continuously use of chemicals to control various pests and diseases have led to many new problems, especially for the environment. The use of rat poison in storage areas or in homes have a greater risk, because of its toxic substances have a greater likelihood of contact with humans, pets and livestock, both directly and indirectly. It was reported also that the use of synthetic rodenticide has caused the rat to become more resistant. The use of materials that can resist the presence of the rodents or which is known as mice repellent is one way to control rats that are relatively more secure, because in general those materials are not toxic, but it works by affecting the their extra sensitive sense of smell.
The essential oil uses as rat repellent has been widely studied and researched in several laboratories and universities. Cahyani (2002) from Padjadjaran University of Indonesia, who tested several plant-based repellent materials, which include dragon wood (kayu naga), pandan leaves, jengkol or jering (Dogfruit or Archidendron pauciflorum or A. jiringa, Pithecellobium jiringa, P. Lobatum) and sandalwood oil (cendana oil) concluded that the treatment using sandalwood oil has the ability to reject the highest presence of the rat on a single treatment. The scent of sandalwood essential oil is appeared to affect the mind and behavior of rat. When inhaled, the aroma can provide a strong stimulus to the senses of smell. Because of the sandalwood oil scent, their very active behavior becomes calm or even reverse.
There are linkages between the specific scent of sandalwood with the mouse that have a very sensitive sense of smell. This indicates that certain scents can be used to get rid of rat. In addition to sandalwood oil, there are several other types that are commonly used in society, namely, among others, patchouli and vetiver essential oil. In a study conducted by Mardiningsih et al. (1995) from the Research Center of Spices and Medicinal Plants from Bogor Indonesia, a mixture of patchouli essential oil with naphthalene or with naphthalene and camphor in the form of solids and liquids which was absorbed on filter paper showed the repulsion against certain insects (Sitophilus zeamais and Carpophilus sp. In the results of this study also informed that its scent is a repellent of ants, cockroaches, moths cloth (Thysanura), Crocidolomia binotalis and Spodoptera litura.
Other type of essential oil aroma that is thought to have repellent power on rat is the vetiver. It is informed that from the vetiver essential oil refining area in Garut (West Java – Indonesia), in the vicinity of sewage treatment there were lots of mice population reduced after the introduction of sewage effluent treatment. So, it is suspected that its smell has the ability to repel rat.
The smell of patchouli essential oil has been shown in some studies may reject the presence of several types of insects, which include Sitophilus zeamay, Carpophilus sp. and Stegobium paniceum. Its content of patchouli alcohol compound acts as a repellent. It contains vetivone and vetivene, which are known to drive out to some of insects and antrophoda. Some products from the raw materials of vetiver plant part such as vetiver mats and tablecloths in the community are known to have the ability as a mosquito repellent and some other insect.
Based on the research of Natawigena et.al from Padjadjaran University (Indonesia), the scent of sandalwood, patchouli and vetiver essential oil absorbed on filter paper with a size 3 cm x 5 cm by 1 ml can repel the presence of mice in the experiments that have been conducted in the laboratory. The smell of vetiver essential oil is the aroma of the least preferred by rat in comparison with the others through the same way of application. It is one type of volatile substances which are difficult to evaporate and be able to retain its aroma longer. In addition, the essential oil uses as rat repellent also have other benefit as air freshener.

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