One of the most commons mammals in cities are mice. They live near houses, in parks, abandoned buildings, and so on. However, when they have a water or food nearby, they will do their best to get it, sometimes getting inside homes and messing up your peace. Having these rodents as guests is not nice, especially when you have children, as mice spread numerous diseases.
Knowing how bad they can be, you must find a way to deter them from your home. One thing that you can do is to play with one of their best senses, which is their smell. Sometimes they will go away if they find a smell that they don’t like, and it can be your best defence against them.
There are different smells that really disgust them, so here are some of the main ones:
Peppermint oil
This is probably the most hated smell of mice. This has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to repel mice. Remember that they are not fond of minty smell, so pouring some peppermint oil in different places of your house, with a high concentration of it, will get into mice’s nose and force them to retreat if they want to go inside because all they will think of is on how to avoid that scent and make them less interested into living there.
Ammonia
Although this is not as easy to find and as easy to use as peppermint oil, this can work wonders. Remember that chemicals are dangerous to use, and ammonia is one of them, as it is a compound that has hydrogen and nitrogen as base. It can be found in fertilizers and for water purification. Its strong smell seems to be an excellent mice repellent. However, this hasn’t been proven fully. If you intend to use it, get the right equipment, and try to apply it. We do not encourage the use of this product without having professional help.
Eucalyptus
This plant has many medicinal uses and as it is used for syrups and other things. However, it is known to be a special deterrent for mice. Its powerful smell can be quite effective if mixed with a special solution of water, a few drops of liquid detergent and two spoonfuls of eucalyptus oil. You must spread this all around the areas of your home, especially the places that you know are more prone to be violated by these terrible rodents. Drains, cracks, holes in walls are places that they might use, so try to spray some there. You don’t need to do this every day but try to keep it active doing it once a week, and you’ll see that you won’t get any mice guests.
Lavender
Lavender has a wonderful smell for us humans, but for mice it might seem to be the opposite as when they smell its scent, they start running. It does not only help you with anxiety, relaxation, but also to deter disgusting animals like mice. One of the best ways to do this, is to find some lavender oil and apply it to various cotton balls. Just a few drops will suffice. Put each of the cotton balls in places where there might be easy access for the mice. Be sure to change them periodically or when you feel that the scent has worn off. You’ll all the positive effects that lavender has without any mice to bother you.
Cedarwood oil
Aside from being a good deterrent for mice, it is also deadly to them. As we use cedar as a natural deodorizer, we can also put it to work and make rodents stay away. The best thing to do so is to spread some cedar chips all around your rubbish and places prone to be infested by these animals. In that way, you’ll deodorize the smell and keep mice away.
Chili powder or oil
Chili powder tends to irritate nostrils when it is inhaled, and that is why for mice, it turns out to be one of the best deterrents. Using cayenne pepper around the places you have seen them or are most likely to gain entry can solve this problem and make them stay away. Try to use a lot of it, as the more concentrated the smell is, the better it is to repel them.
Lastly, it is not safe to say that using these smells can save you from having mice at home. Pests generally find a way, so if they have done it, do not hesitate and call a professional, so they’re able to give you the best possible solution for this problem. Having them at home is not recommended as they can spread terrible diseases.
