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January 9, 2020Wildlife

7 Types of Natural Mouse Repellent

If you’re having a little bit of a house mice issue, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Mice are said to be the most common mammal in the United States infesting roughly 21 million homes in the U.S. per year. While it may provide you some comfort knowing you’re not the only one dealing with pesky mice, nobody likes finding a mouse in their house. To help get rid of your rodent problem, try out one of these 7 types of natural mouse repellent methods.

7 Types of Natural Mouse Repellent 

1. Mothballs: Mothballs contain something called naphthalene which aids as a natural deterrent. When it is ingested or inhaled, blood cells lose their ability to carry oxygen. Most mothballs have a low dose of naphthalene, so using this method would require you to use quite a few mothballs. Just be sure they’re kept somewhere out of reach of children. 

2. Ammonia: Did you know that when animal urine decomposes, it produces ammonia? For this reason, mice avoid anywhere with this scent out of fear that it comes from a larger animal looking to eat them for supper. When using ammonia to repel mice, sprinkle just a few drops of ammonia where the mice are nesting, too much ammonia can be harmful to both pets and humans.

3. Cayenne Pepper: We’re all for a little bit of cayenne pepper to season up our dishes, but mice, on the other hand, aren’t fans of the stinging sensation from ingesting spices. Sprinkle some cayenne pepper anywhere in your house that mice may be hiding. 

4. Tabasco Sauce: Just like cayenne pepper, mice hate hot sauce. While cayenne pepper is easy to sprinkle inside your home, you wouldn’t want to lather up your carpet in hot sauce. Use this method outside around your home’s foundation to deter mice from coming inside. 

5. Soda: Fun fact – mice can’t burp! Because they can’t release their gases that form from the carbonation in soda, they eventually perish. Pour any sugary soda into a dish and leave out for the mice to sip on.

6. Dryer Sheets: The pungent smell of dryer sheets may be pleasant to us, but to mice the smell is overwhelming. Stuff a few dryer sheets in the places around your home where mice like to hide. 

7. Peppermint: Nothing screams, “This is a clean house!” than the smell of peppermint. Using peppermint scented cleaning products not only leaves your home smelling fresh, but it also deters mice from living there. Add a few drops of mint essential oils to your all-purpose cleaner, sprinkle some peppermint Altoids around mice nesting areas, or plant some fresh mint around the foundation of your home to keep the rodents out. 

If none of these natural repellents seem to be working for you, it might be time to call in the professionals. Remember, one little mouse can quickly turn into a massive infestation, so it’s better to nip the problem in the bud before your home gets overtaken by mice!