How do you keep the smell down?

So I realize that having a rat colony will smell, but have any of you found a solution to help eliminate the odor? Daily maintenance would be the first answer but how about after that. Do any of you use ozone generators, and are they working for you?

I plan on keeping the colony in a spare room so the smell is defiantly a concern.

Thanks in advance,

Pat

Avoid overcrowding your rodents, use Equine fresh bedding or similar pellets (very absorbent), have your rodents in a well ventilated room, clean your enclosures regularly etc

Thank you.

I think I am more interested to see if any of you have mechanical means of keeping the odors down. For instance; ozone generator, hepa filter, ect.

I don't plan on keeping a colony and failing to maintain good husbandry.

I've got a small breeding colonie so other than good husbandry all I do is put a little vanilla extract in the water bottles. It does seem to help though it might all be in my head, if it is I'm not the only one whos insane cause other people do it to. :D

Could be vanillia chemically changes the scent of urine, could be they drink a lot more so the urine is watered down, or could just be in my head as I said.

ahahaha. Thanks. It works... even if it is just in your head.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by truthsdeceit

I've got a small breeding colonie so other than good husbandry all I do is put a little vanilla extract in the water bottles. It does seem to help though it might all be in my head, if it is I'm not the only one whos insane cause other people do it to. :D

Could be vanillia chemically changes the scent of urine, could be they drink a lot more so the urine is watered down, or could just be in my head as I said.

---

I've used the vanillia trick befor and I also think it helps.

dehumidifier. dry air doesn't carry the smell as well. also cleaning every 3 days.

rat smell sticks to everything so cleaning is very important. i walk into my rat room on a "stinky" day and I come out smelly.

Vanilla extract keeps the smell down? Seriously?! Does anyone have a specific recipe for this or is it just a couple drops in the bottle...?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MonitorLove

Vanilla extract keeps the smell down? Seriously?! Does anyone have a specific recipe for this or is it just a couple drops in the bottle...?

---

Just a couple of drops in each bottle for me.

I'm sure someone can give you some sort of measurement per gallon but since I only have small water bottles I never bothered figuring it out.

I'm actually talking about mice but it works for rats too.

Going off memory I think it was suggested as a tsp per gallon. I didnt find it to help much at all.. I use something similar to equine fresh bedding. keeps the smell down well.