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Does oil of peppermint keep mice away


Here’s How to Keep Mice Out of Your Kitchen

Now that the mouse is out of your kitchen, how do you keep it out for good? These tips will help you keep those pesky rodents out.

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I had just returned from a glorious 12-day vacation, feeling relaxed and surprisingly ready to get back to work the next day. I was cooking something easy for dinner that night—sloppy joes, I believe—with some fries roasting in the oven. As I went to grab my oven mitt to take the fries out, my hand ended up cupping a tiny, little mouse. I was confused at first, but when the little fur ball started to move, I let out what I think anyone could describe as a blood-curdling scream.

After catching the mouse and putting it outside, I referred back to some of my former research on mice, like this surprising hack that will keep mice away for good. Although it’s a solid tip, I was determined to make sure that nothing like this would ever happen to me again.

In attempt to make my kitchen a rodent-free zone, I came across a few tricks that can assist in making my kitchen—and my oven mitts—an even less attractive place to make a home.

Eliminate all entry points

Did you know that mice can be master contortionists? These suckers can actually fit inside holes that are less than an inch wide. There are even YouTube videos that prove this theory. Mice can squeeze their way into tiny holes, especially if there’s food to entice them. It’s one of the many things that mice don’t want you to know.

The first thing to do is go through your entire kitchen and find any entry points that could possibly have enticed the mouse to your kitchen. Look for holes next (or even inside) your cabinets, all of your shelves, behind or under the stove (or even the refrigerator), and much more.

Seal all of your food

No wonder the little mouse liked my kitchen—there’s food there! I admit that I’m not the best at properly sealing all of my food—like dried goods such as crackers or pasta­—and I could do a much better job at keeping these things sealed tight.

After this incident, I decided to grab some seal-tight containers and jars to store all of my food. That way there’s no reason for the mouse to be enticed to my food. With sealed containers, there won’t be anything available to snack on.

Keep the kitchen swept and tidy

Mice can be sustained on very small amounts of food a day. They only need about 3 to 5 grams of food a day, so yeah, your crumbs are the perfect snack for these little guys. They may not seem like a big deal on the floor, but trust me, it’s enough for the little mice to come swooping.

It may seem obnoxious, but one of the best ways to keep mice out is to keep the kitchen tidy—not just once a week, but every day. After cooking that meal, give your kitchen floors a quick sweep and those counters (and stovetops) a good wipe.

Eliminate “nesting” places

Of course, the mouse liked my oven mitt, it was a cozy and warm little home for it! My oven mitts were hanging in a spot close to my kitchen counters for easy access. Which, of course, meant the opening for the mitt was out in the open and perfect for a nesting little mouse.

After realizing this, I evaluated all of the “nesting” places inside of my kitchen that would seem cozy for a rodent. This also can help eliminate places where mice can poop…which yes, can host a variety of poisoning diseases, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention.

Try using peppermint

Again, this is a part of the surprising little hack to avoid mice that I discovered a few months back. Some people have reported that peppermint plants or essential oils are a great way to keep mice out. They repel at the smell of it. Although I don’t have personal experience with this theory, I went out to buy a candle with mint as a prominent scent. Burning this after cooking a meal not only makes my clean kitchen smell fresh, but will keep that mouse’s little rodent friends away (I hope).

Now that you have mice safely out of your kitchen, here’s how you can keep mice out of the rest of the house.

Popular Videos

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Using fewer chemicals around the home and replacing them with more natural options, like essential oils, is a trend worth following. Here are 12 ways to use essential oils around your home.

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Sampler

Essential oils are so popular that many grocery and discount stores now stock them! If you’re new to essential oils, a “starter kit” like this is a good idea.

Buy it now on Amazon.

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Lemon

Use several drops of pure lemon essential oil on a rag to remove permanent marker from surfaces around the house. You may need to apply a little pressure while rubbing out the mark. As always, it’s a good idea to test a small, inconspicuous area first.  Here’s a list of 10 more ways to remove accidental permanent marker.

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Orange

Add a few drops of sweet orange essential oil to remove gum from carpet and hair. This can also be used to get rid of stubborn sticky residue left over from labels.

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Peppermint

Many people have a problem with mice trying to come in and make themselves at home when temperatures begin to drop. To discourage mice from entering your home, apply several drops of straight, undiluted peppermint oil to cotton balls and place them where you suspect the critters are entering your home. They do not like the smell and this simple solution will usually keep them from entering. If mice have already entered your house, here are the all-time best ways to trap them.

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More Lemon

Do you love to cook fish, but hate the smell? Get rid of lingering fish odor by diffusing lemon essential oil or add several drops to a sprayer filled with water and spray throughout the kitchen after cooking.  Here’s more on how to banish odors in your house.

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Lavender

Many people suffer from bouts of insomnia. When this happens, try placing a drop or two of lavender essential oil on the underside or in the corners of your pillow to help promote a sound night’s sleep. Here are seven things that can happen if you sleep on an old mattress.

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More Lavender

You can also use essential oil to help keep carpet and rugs smelling clean and fresh. Add 12 drops of lavender essential oil to one ounce of baking soda. Simply mix and sprinkle on the carpet, let sit for 30 minutes, then vacuum up! Make your carpet last longer with these cleaning tips.

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Tea Tree and Lavender

To keep germs and odors off of household surfaces, yoga mats or gym bags, fill a small spray bottle with water and add a few drops of tea tree and lavender essential oils. Simply spray down and let dry! You should probably check out this list of the 22 germiest things in your home.

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Fresh Footwear

Are stinky shoes, boots or hockey skates smelling up your entryway? Place a couple drops of your favorite essential oil on two cotton balls. Place one in each shoe, boot or skate and leave overnight. The smell will be gone! Check out this clever shoe organizer you can make.

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Fresh Filters

When you change the furnace filters in your home, place a few drops of your favorite scented essential oil on the new filter. It will kill microbes within the ducts as well as deliver a great smell throughout the whole house.

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First Aid

Keep essential oils in your first aid kit! Birch, eucalyptus and peppermint can all be used as a local anesthetic. Also, tea tree oil can sterilize cuts, soothe poison ivy and take the itch out of bug bites. Do you know about this plant that is so much worse than poison ivy?

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Fend Off Fruit Flies

Persistent little fruit flies can be a huge pain, but getting rid of them doesn’t have to be! Fruit flies strongly dislike the smell of many essential oils. Peppermint, eucalyptus, lemongrass and lavender oils can all be used to deter these annoying creatures. Place several drops of one of these essential oils on a cotton ball and hide in any room where you’ve seen the bugs. You can also dip tea bags in the essential oils and hang them throughout your kitchen. It will keep the fruit flies away and make your kitchen smell great! Here are more tips on getting rid of fruit flies.

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Exercise Caution

Keep in mind that not all essential oils are safe for everyone to use. If you are pregnant or nursing or have a health condition, be cautious and check with your heath care provider before using essential oils.

Safety is important with all DIY endeavors. Here are 12 pieces of safety gear every DIYer should own.

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by The Family Handyman editors, who aim to highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We welcome your feedback. Have something you think we should know about? Contact us, here.

Originally Published: March 03, 2021

The most pleasant and easy way to get rid of mice

Contents

What smells repel mice in the house?

Therefore, they must be quickly disposed of. Let's figure out what smell in the house the mice are so afraid of that they leave and never appear again.
…
Plants

Mice are frightened by a wide range of odors, including the following:

black root (the most deadly remedy for mice)

wild rosemary (used to protect linen from rodents)

tansy

wormwood

black currant non-residential premises, for example, in basements)

hazel grouse

What oils do mice dislike?

To scare away mice…

They don't like tansy, chamomile, wild rosemary, thyme, black root. In essential oils, the power of plants is multiplied. These are highly concentrated essences with a rich aroma, more persistent than dried twigs. "Twigs" still need to be grown or obtained somewhere, and oils are sold in any pharmacy.

Knowing what smells mice don't like, you can, if not get rid of them forever, then scare them away for a long time. Many herbs also contain essential oils, but their concentration in dry mixes is not so high, so the smell is rather weak. The most effective essential oil with a sharp and persistent aroma that rodents don't like is peppermint oil.

How to get rid of mice with vinegar?

Vinegar Wet a cloth with vinegar and work on various furniture surfaces, floors. The acid in the vinegar will kill rodent marks. And at least partly drown out the unpleasant smell in the apartment.

Vinegar. Step 1. Rid your home of any food available to mice. Remove all crumbs, grains, etc. from pantries, closets, attics or basements where mice appear most often. Check every nook and cranny of your home and treat those areas with a 1:1 solution of vinegar and water. Vacuum the floor thoroughly and do a damp mop to remove any food available to rodents.

How to make mice go away?

To repel rodents, formalin or kerosene has long been successfully used, the smell of which is so disliked by mice and rats. But these liquids can only be used to protect non-residential premises. I recommend that you spray the corners of the cellar or basement with formalin or kerosene and the rodents will immediately leave from there.

What are rats afraid of?

Rats are afraid of the following smells: Peppermint. Fresh or dry, essential oil, extract or concentrated solution. Sprigs of the plant or cloth impregnated with the substance should be left near the rat holes.

Rats and mice in the modern world are afraid of not so many repellers. From folk remedies, smells and herbs can be mentioned: peppermint, wild rosemary, elderberry, tansy, chamomile, the smell of Vishnevsky's ointment, the smell of singed wool - rats and mice cannot stand all this.

What are mice most afraid of?

What are mice afraid of?

Rodents are afraid of the smell of a large number of plants (mint, wormwood, tansy, hazel grouse, black horse), they are laid out along the perimeter of the building, near the passages, in cabinets.

What smell repels mice and rats?

Flowers - daffodils, calendula. Decoctions from fresh parts of the plant or pharmacy herbal collection should be applied to cotton swabs, left near the rat holes. Peppermint. The pungent odor has a deterrent effect against rats and mice.

The smells that mice and rats are afraid of are different, but peppermint and Japanese mint are considered the most effective. The following recipes will help: Vegetable oil (50 ml) is mixed with peppermint (20 drops).

How to clean the house from mice?

Buy mint, lemon balm or citrus essential oil at the pharmacy. Moisten cotton balls with oil and place them where mice appear most often and from where you think they get into the room (vents, cracks in baseboards, front door, etc.

Peppermint Oil

To get rid of mice in a private house or apartment, you can use a folk remedy - mint oil... It must be applied to cotton swabs and spread them out in places where pests are likely to live.0003

How to get rid of mice with peppermint?

Rodents cannot stand the smell of peppermint. To repel mice and rats, put a few drops of peppermint oil (you can buy it at the pharmacy in the essential oils section) on cotton balls and place them in places where mice can be (near the trash can, front doors, ventilation ducts, cracks).

What attracts mice the most?

What do mice like?

What can you catch a mouse with: the best mousetrap baits

Why don't mice like mint?

It is necessary to try not to pour mint on open places, so that the vapors linger strictly in the mouse passages, and less enter the living area. Rodents have a very strong sense of smell compared to humans. They cannot stand such a rich smell, so they leave the house.

Mice categorically cannot stand such a smell and leave their acquired place. Interesting: Ancestors believed that the smell of wormwood could drive out evil spirits. Mint is the head of everything. If the smell of wormwood is specific and may not be tolerated by some households, then the scent of peppermint will be a great alternative.

Which plant repels mice?

The fourth plant against rodents is mint, field or wild. Fresh, dry mint or alcohol tincture from it is used not only against mice, but against annoying insects (ants, mosquitoes, moths). The fifth plant is tansy. Bunches of tansy, laid out in the right places, perfectly repel mice.

Elderberry has a deterrent effect against mice and rats, because they cannot stand its unpleasant smell. Black elderberry roots secrete hydrocyanic acid. The plant is moderately poisonous to mammals, so where elder grows, small rodents will not settle.

What are bats afraid of?

It is customary to be afraid of bats: they are associated with vampires, evil spirits and, globally, with universal evil.

Naphthalene

Naphthalene can be a real help in the fight against bats. It should be placed near the habitat of mice when they are not there. The annoying smell emanating from this product will scare away the mice and prevent them from coming back.

Who are mice afraid of?

Rodents are afraid of loud noises, unpleasant smells and tastes. From personal experience: in a city apartment, a mouse tried to gnaw through wooden boards from under the floor. The weapon of defense is a sneaker. During the selfless gnawing of wood, the thump of the sole of the slipper on the floor invariably put her to flight.

Mice are frightened by a wide variety of smells, including:0003

tansy

wormwood

black currant, elder (used mainly in non-residential premises, for example, in basements)

hazel grouse

Which plant repels rats?

To repel rodents in the house and underground, dried wormwood grass is laid out in places where mice and rats appear. Bundles of this grass are wrapped around the perimeter of the storage (pantry, cellar). Field mint or wild mint.

Elderberry has a deterrent effect against mice and rats, because they cannot stand its unpleasant smell. Black elderberry roots secrete hydrocyanic acid. The plant is moderately poisonous to mammals, so where elder grows, small rodents will not settle.

How to get rid of mice under the floor?

When laying the floor, add ash, slag, tobacco dust, dry wormwood or mint to the insulation - mice do not like all this. Some also add more red hot peppers or lots of broken glass. Moreover, the smell of dried mint has a suffocating effect on the mouse.

Mint is an excellent repellant. To get rid of mice in a private house or apartment, you can use a folk remedy - peppermint oil. It must be applied to cotton swabs and laid out in places where pests are likely to live.

How does mint affect mice?

There are also many plants that can help us in the fight against rodents. One of the most effective is peppermint. In addition to its shock-absorbing function in the preparation of various dishes, mint is characterized by a pungent odor that haunts rodents.

Peppermint has a strong odor. Mice have a strong sense of smell and poor eyesight, so they can hear the scent from afar, and it scares them away. The best repellents contain 100% peppermint oil, which doesn't shed or linger.

What are the essential oils for mice?

Peppermint is one of the best natural and harmless mouse remedies. They also do not like tansy, chamomile, wild rosemary, thyme, black root. In essential oils, the power of plants is multiplied. These are highly concentrated essences with a rich aroma, more persistent than dried twigs.

By the way, the essential oils of laurel, coriander and cloves can also be used against rodents by mixing them with vegetable oil or water and alcohol. The resulting mixture needs to process the kitchen and furniture in it.

What smells are mice afraid of?

Mice do not like the smell of certain plants. If you plant them around the perimeter of the garden, it will help control rodents. Mice do not like: garlic, wormwood, tansy, imperial hazel grouse, wild rosemary, elderberry, walnut.

The smells that mice and rats are afraid of are different, but peppermint and Japanese mint are considered the most effective. The following recipes will help: Vegetable oil (50 ml) is mixed with peppermint (20 drops).

How to get rid of mice in the most enjoyable way?

The 3 most modern and effective ways to get rid of mice are poison baits, rodent traps and ultrasonic repellers. Do not use substances and devices that attract and repel at the same time, they interfere with each other's action.

How to get mice out of the attic?

How to lay baits in the attic

  1. Put on gloves before laying poison.
  2. Rodents rarely change their trajectory.
  3. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of Quiet Hour Granules on the substrate and place it where you see rodent tracks.
  4. Check baits after 2-3 days.
  5. If there are no bites, move the bait.

Another method to get rid of a bats' nest is to give them a cold shower straight from the hose, spraying them with powerful pressure on their entire "damn family".

What essential oils are afraid of rats?

For this reason, it is better to use essential oils instead of fresh plants and herbal preparations.
…
What smell do rats fear

Peppermint, tea tree, tansy, and mugwort essential oils can be used to repel rats. It is recommended to soak the cotton wool in oil and place it near the habitats of rodents.

What is peppermint tincture for?

Means of plant origin, has a sedative, mild antispasmodic, choleretic, antiemetic and local irritant (irritates the nerve endings of the mucous membranes) effect. When applied to mucous membranes, it has a moderate analgesic effect.

Tincture of peppermint leaves (50 g of vegetable raw materials per 1 liter of tincture) 25 ml, peppermint oil 1.25 g. Pharmacological effect. Means of plant origin, has a sedative, moderate antispasmodic, choleretic, antiemetic and local irritant (irritates the nerve endings of the mucous membranes) effect.

How to get rid of mice in the apartment with folk remedies?

To get rid of the smell, but at the same time not blur the plane, folk remedies for mice will help:

  1. whitewash ceilings with blue and lime;
  2. add copper sulfate to chalk white and whiten the base;
  3. dilute quicklime in water, add pure chlorine and a little blue - the composition kills all microbes.

An effective folk remedy that will allow you to get rid of mice quickly and permanently is considered to be wormwood and rosemary marsh. Why is it so difficult to defeat rodents? Many people affected by the destructive activity of mice note that it is not so easy to destroy them.

Why is a mouse dangerous in the house?

What is the danger of mice and other rodents

They damage clothes, shoes, walls, furniture, food. They gnaw on wires, which causes fires. They are a source of unpleasant odor in the house. They carry on their body the most dangerous viruses and bacteria that can cause great harm to human health.

Mice in the house are always a huge headache for the owners. They not only spread dangerous infections and report their presence with a peculiar mouse smell, but also spoil building structures, communications, and furniture.

Who is afraid of the smell of mint?

Even fleas are afraid of the smell of mint. So use a fragrant plant to keep pests away from your pets. This trick works best with dogs.

Even fleas are afraid of the smell of mint. So use a fragrant plant to keep pests away from your pets. This trick works best with dogs.

all plants and essential oils

Mice and rats often choose places next to humans, as they receive from such cohabitation a sufficient amount of food residues and reliable protection from adverse external influences.

Content of Article

Rodents are a common problem

Man is against such an invasion of uninvited neighbors, who not only cause inconvenience from the presence of stench, feces, noise, damage to things, but also spread dangerous infectious diseases. To combat rodents, ultrasonic traps, poisons, chemical and physical protection, as well as more humane ways to deal with rats are used. This article is devoted to the use of folk methods in the fight against rodents and will tell you what smell repels rats. Animals will simply leave their homes on their own and you will not have to get rid of decaying corpses, which are not always easy to remove from cracks and floors.

Rodent control in non-residential premises

To eliminate rats from a garage, basement or shed, you need to use poisonous plants or other sources of a pungent odor that is disgusting not only to animals, but also to people. Well proven:

A frightening odor in non-residential areas

Naturally, such odors should not be used in rooms or where people stay for a long time, as this is dangerous to health. But if you spend a minimum amount of time indoors, then the use of the listed funds is fully justified.

Rat Repellent Plants

When you don't want to pour stinky chemicals into corners or regularly burn rubber to replace old ones, poisonous plants come to the rescue. The essential oils contained in wild rosemary and hydrocyanic acid in common elderberry for rodents have a strong deterrent effect.

Rats are intelligent enough to sense danger instinctively. Therefore, they leave dwellings in which there is a threat to their lives.

Read more - Ledum from bedbugs - a method of fighting insects

An effective plant for daring rodents is black root. No wonder the people often call him a rat racer. The plant contains poisonous toxins in all organs. Its fruits are strewn with sticky thorns, which are firmly held on the hairline of animals and also carry a serious danger.

How to use poisonous plants

In order for the plant to repel rodents most effectively, the herbs must be collected in small bunches and dipped in boiling water for half a minute. Such a steaming will help open the cellular reservoirs with poison. After spreading in the room. A similar procedure should be repeated weekly with a large number of rodents or twice a month for the purpose of prevention.

How to protect your apartment with non-poisonous plants

The use of poisonous plants is not recommended. They do not pose a danger to humans if there is no direct contact. However, if you have children or pets, then keeping track of them is extremely problematic, so it’s better not to risk it. Among the non-poisonous there is a fairly wide range of plants that have pleasant and, moreover, medicinal aromas that rats and mice do not like. Let's figure out the smell of which essential oil repels rats? Commonly used herbs include:

Plants to repel rodents

You may be interested - Wormwood from bedbugs - recipes for the destruction of insects in an apartment or house

They are easy to use. It is necessary to collect the plants in bunches and spread them out in the corners and in places where rodents often appear. If you buy the herb from a pharmacy, put the ground mixture into socks or other rag bags. Contents should be replaced periodically. Such use is absolutely not dangerous and will fill your home with meadow aromas. You can plant plants in pots, this will green the room and save you from unbearable cohabitants.

Instead of herbs, you can use essential oils obtained from them. To do this, moisten cotton wool or napkins, plug holes with them. It is important not to overdo it, because the smell of an essential oil is many times stronger - it is a concentrate.

Too much fragrance may cause allergic reactions.

How to drive out rats and mice in a country house

Rodents cause great harm when they settle in the country house. They damage fruit crops, gnaw roots and tubers, and consistently destroy root crops. And here fragrant plant cultures will also come to the rescue.

Rodent with carrots

Rats do not like phytoncides present in narcissus bulbs. Line the area around the perimeter with polynya, which will create a natural barrier. If you grow coriander in your garden, it will not only enrich your table with fragrant spice, but also drive out mice. Mint grows well in gardens, repels rodents and is a valuable medicinal plant. If you want to grow elderberry or black root, then you should plant them in a place where the admission of children will be excluded.

During the autumn-winter period, gardeners wrap tree trunks with these herbs to protect them not only from rats and mice, but also from other rodents, such as hares. Don't throw away the tops of the tomatoes. If it is poured into the root areas, this will also protect underground shoots from damage.

It is appropriate to spread the herbs on the floor in the cellar or places for winter storage of vegetables. Wormwood will be the best option, because its smell repels harmful insects.

Read on the topic - How to protect a frame house from rodents

Conclusions

Not everyone keeps cats in summer cottages or in private houses, and not all cats catch mice and rats.

Learn more