At least once in a lifetime, you have crossed your paths with a mouse. Now, you all know about some “inhuman” and natural ways of dealing with mice infestation, but what if I tell you that there are certain smells that will simply make mice run for its life?
Yes, there are some smells that mice can’t simply bear! For example, peppermint oil. If they sense the smell of peppermint, you can be sure that you won’t spot a single mouse anywhere near your house for a while!
Furthermore, any odor with strong ammonia or chemical smell will do the job. The goal is simple- prevent the mice infestation just by using strong smelling items on critical areas (those areas where they are entering your home, for example).
However, bear in mind that using these “smelly” methods won’t be so effective if there is a mice infestation already in your house. These methods only work as a preventive.
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So, Which Smells Repel Mice!?
Here are some common, preventive solutions for you on how to prevent mice from taking up residence in your home.
Mothballs are pretty effective
So, as you imagined, I have encountered the same problem with mice as the one you are probably having. Luckily, I’ve managed to deal with the infestation, and afterward, I noticed quite an effective method- using mothballs.
Now, I had this problem once I moved into my old village house. Traps were great, don’t get me wrong, they were being quite effective. I kept killing them, and some of the mice liberating to the fields, but it seemed like they were easily finding their way back to the home.
Once I used these mothballs on the different corners of the house, and close to any crevice where a mouse could possibly sneak through, my problem surprisingly disappeared.
It was 4 months later when I realized that these mothballs were a true reason why mice kept their noses far away from the house. How did I realize that? Well, the smell dissipated and these little creatures came back.
Bottom line: these mothballs worked as a great mouse deterrent. If you want this method to be successful, you will probably need to replace old mothballs with the “fresh” ones every 3-4 months.
Note: Keep in mind that moth balls can be toxic. If you have kids, or pets that would eat these balls, either put them somewhere out of their reach or don’t use them at all. For example, mothballs can be a great solution for attic or basement that are out of pets and children’s reach.
Also, be sure to read instructions about precautions as moth balls can consist some toxic substances.
Ammonia is a powerful mouse repellent
The second on our list is ammonia. This smell has shown as a great repellent that makes mice run in the opposite direction. The reason behind ammonia working this great is that the mouse interprets it like the predator’s smell (urine).
As scared of predators unlike anything else, they will run and avoid areas that smell on ammonia.
The procedure is quite the same as with mothballs. You need to build a “smell” blockage near the places where a mouse is invading your home. Any crevice up to ¼ inches is dangerous and mice can easily sneak through it.
Therefore, use the small amount of ammonia, place it on some glass or jar and make such path blockage. The same problem with mothballs troubles this solution- it’s not safe for children and pets at all.
Moreover, you can use ammonia to clean up the spaces and areas where mice have been living. Ammonia is quite an effective solution that removes unpleasant mice (infestation) smells and stains. This is, certainly, one of the most effective ways of cleaning mouse droppings.
If nothing else, you can use it to remove and mask pheromone trails left in the areas of mice pathing.
Again, cleaning with ammonia requires certain precautions. Make sure to clean in a room with a proper ventilation system, open everything you can (doors, windows), put some gloves on, and keep your kids and pets away from the working area.
Mice can’t stand dryer sheets!
Who knew that dryer sheets could be so effective! If you have troubles standing the smell of mothballs of ammonia yourself, then consider using fabric softener sheets. Well, sometimes, you just have no choice. Namely, cleaning the kitchen with ammonia is just not a good idea.
So, these sheets are quite a good investment and solution. Dryer sheets won’t kill mice, but they’ll successfully repel them.
Just place some unused sheets along their path. Rub a dryer sheet around your kitchen cabinets, kitchen baseboards and corners, and in the crevices of your pantry.
There are a lot of good sides of these sheets, such as effectiveness, easiness of use, and the price.
However, there are some bad sides worth considering. Mice may get used to the smell and adapt to it over time. Needless to say, sheets’ effectiveness will drop over time. You won’t be able to install them into tight spaces where only mice can pass through.
It’s useless to use them for larger infestations.
Peppermint Oil
Now, in order for this method to work, you need to make sure that you are using the right stuff. Namely, you need 100% peppermint oil or some product that is especially designed to repel mice (based on peppermint).
Once you are sure that you’ve got the right product, make sure to know the doze! The scent needs to be quite strong to repel mice. So, in this case- the more, the better. I have been using 5 drops on a cotton ball, and it works pretty fine.
Again, keep in mind that the location makes 80% of your success. You want to block their pathing with these smells. So use it on the way they are coming to your home. Simply, you want a mouse to smell the peppermint BEFORE it enters your house. Afterward, it might be useless, as they will find some spot in your house without the scent of it.
Use it to mask pheromone trail that mice leave on their travel. The most important tip that I can give you- replace these balls every 20-30 days. If the fragrance wears off, you are doomed. Keep the dose of peppermint scent constant!
If you are dealing with a recurring problem, change them out every 2 weeks.
Use repellent granules
Of course, there are some products especially designed to repel mice. There are granules that are 100% organic mice repellent. Unlike other solutions, these granules work in a combination of natural oils that directly attack a mouse’s nervous system.
We are not just speaking about mice here, but about rodents in general. These granules are so powerful that will repel moles, shrews, chipmunks, squirrels & more.
These granules you want to use outdoors. No need to worry, in most of the cases granules are a completely natural rodent repellent that is safe to use around your pets.
Final Word
As we have seen, there are methods worth trying that will keep the mice infestation away from your warm home. However, these repellent smells won’t be much of a help if things have already gone bad.
The procedure is quite similar with each of these methods- simply apply these strong smells to the mice path, or areas that they visit often, and be sure to naturally prevent them from coming back again.
Hopefully, this article helped you find out about the ways of dealing with mice just by using the smells that they can’t bear.
