What Smells Do Mice Hate

Unfortunately, mice are one of the most common pests you can encounter in the UK. They are definitely not a pleasure to deal with or easy to exterminate. It is not uncommon for a household to struggle with mice problems on multiple occasions.

Mice are especially nasty pests. They are very unhygienic, can spread diseases and cause damage to your property (chewing on furniture, walls, cables, pipes, etc.). Sealing holes around your house, keeping food properly and carefully stored, cleaning on a regular basis, as well as placing traps and poison, are the main things most of us do in an attempt to keep mice at bay or get rid of them. But did you know that there are also some specific smells that are believed to repel mice and deter them from infesting your home? This is actually a great natural method to use in your fight against these annoying little creatures.

What smells do mice hate?

Before we continue further, you should note that these specific scents are helpful to keep mice away but would hardly work if the rodents have already made themselves at home on your property. Now, let us take a look at some of the smells mice really hate and stay away from.

Ammonia

We will start with ammonia. This is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen. It is mainly used as fertilizer in agriculture. Ammonia is also used for the purification of water and in the manufacturing of plastic, pesticides, explosives, dyes and other chemicals. According to many sources, the strong ammonia smell is a huge mice repellent. A lot of research and tests on the topic, however, show that mice neither prefer nor dislike this particular scent. What is more, ammonia is very toxic and is considered a severe health hazard. If used as a compressed gas, ammonia can have a lot of dangerous side effects including eye irritation, inflamed airways, skin burn or even death. This is why you should use it with utmost care and attention.

Eucalyptus

This is a safer option to use. It is proven that the eucalyptus scent is a strong mice repellent. You can easily mix up a DIY eucalyptus oil spray using two teaspoons of eucalyptus oil, one cup of water and a couple of drops of liquid detergent. Spray the final results around your home and especially areas with a high chance of mice gaining entry - around drains, cracks and holes in walls, floorboards, skirting boards, etc. Repeat this process once every week for optimal results.

Chili Oil or Powder

Capsaicin is an active ingredient, contained in chili peppers, causing irritation when injected or inhaled. This is what makes chili oil or powder a very effective mice deterrent. Similarly to the eucalyptus spray, you can scatter some chili powder or pour a few drops of chili oil around possible entry points of mice. You can do the same with areas, where mice like to hide - e.g. behind furniture or in crawl spaces.

Lavender

Mice truly detest the lavender scent, so if you apply it properly, this might be a good way to scare them away and avoid infestations. What’s more - lavender generally helps lower anxiety and improve sleep, so there are some positive side effects for you. You need only two things - lavender essential oil and cotton balls. Carefully pour 8 to 10 drops of lavender oil on each cotton ball. Following that, place the cotton balls near possible entry points of mice. Leave them there until the scent is gone and repeat the process again if required.

Mint

A few important things to remember here. Make sure you use spearmint (mentha spicata). If you have a garden and have the time, you can plant and grow mint on your own. Leave small pots of mint around entry points, etc. If you prefer essential oils, you can use 100% pure peppermint oil. Similarly to the lavender essential oil, pour a few drops of the peppermint oil on cotton balls, scatter them around the property and leave them there until the scent is gone.

Professional Mice Control

The easiest and most effective way to get rid of mice is to hire the help of a professional pest control technician. Our teams handle all sorts of pest problems, including mice issues. The experts will thoroughly inspect the property, seal any possible entry points and set baits. If required, they can also return for follow-up visits to make sure the problem is eradicated once and for all.

Takeaways

Mice infestations are generally difficult to deal with. Sealing holes, setting traps and leaving poison are normally the methods we turn to. However, this may cause further issues - poison could be harmful to children and pets, sealing holes may lead to mice dying inside walls or under the floorboard, leaving an awful odour behind. You can use certain scents (ammonia, eucalyptus, chili oil or powder, lavender, mint) to keep mice at bay but this definitely won’t work if mice are already inside your property. We strongly recommend getting the help of a professional pest exterminator to save yourself time, money and unnecessary stress.