Whether you think they can be really cute sometimes or whether you think they are downright abominable, you can’t deny the fact that mice are a complete health hazard. If you are unlucky enough to have a mice infestation in your household, you should look into getting rid of it as soon as possible. However, most of the time, this implies the use of various chemical substances which could cause great harm to your family, especially if you have children or pets. This is why we’ve gathered the most reliable home remedies for mice which will both rid you of these pests and keep your household safe and healthy in the process.
1. Peppermint Oil
Something as seemingly harmless and innocent as peppermint oil is a really big nuisance for rodents everywhere. Therefore, if you happen to have a bottle of peppermint oil anywhere in the house, you’ve earned yourself an instant anti-mice solution.
Instructions:
- Soak a few cotton balls in around 20-30 drops of the peppermint oil.
- Then, place them around the corners of your house, near sink holes and any other places that might allow entrance to the mice.
- Be careful to replace the cotton balls with new ones once the scent goes away, otherwise this won’t be a long-lasting fix to your issue.
2. Cayenne Pepper
There’s just something about the smell of cayenne pepper that rodents strongly detest. This makes cayenne pepper a fantastic pick among our many home remedies for mice. The best part is that it’s also easy to acquire and it doesn’t require a lot of preparation.
Instructions:
- All you have to do is sprinkle cayenne pepper around the areas that are prone to being entrances for the pests.
- Be really careful not to use this solution if you have pets, as it can be harmful to them.
3. Mothballs
Surprisingly, perhaps, mothballs aren’t just for keeping moths at bay. They are also incredibly useful for dealing with mice and other types of rodents because of the strong scent which they’d much rather avoid. Mothballs are very easy to use as home remedies for mice because they are readily available from the moment you purchase them from the store. You don’t require any extra preparation.
Instructions:
- Purchase some mothballs from the store
- Place them around deserted areas of the house for the best of effects. Such areas include the basement or the attic.
4. Ammonia
Most of us know ammonia as a strong ingredient found in various cleaning products. But do you know what else it can clean? It can clean your house of unwanted guests and keep rodents away for years to come. This is because it has a particularly poignant smell that mice are going to desperately try to avoid.
Instructions:
- Create a solution by mixing 2 cups of ammonia, 100 ml of water, and 2 spoons of detergent.
- Pour it in small bowls which you afterwards should place around the areas where you’ve noticed mice tend to appear most often. This will make them turn around and leave in basically no time.
5. Castor Oil
Just like its peppermint counterpart, castor oil has the kind of scent that rodents simply loathe. Simply keeping a bottle, which you can purchase from your local pharmacy, is enough to grant you a powerful anti-mice weapon for whenever you’re in need of one.
Instructions:
- You can place a few drops of castor oil directly around the areas that you’ve noticed are most ‘sensitive’ to mice apparitions.
- Alternatively, you can also use soaked cotton balls, just like in the case of peppermint oil.
- Regularly freshen the castor oil with new drops whenever you notice the scent has gone away.
6. Instant Mashed Potatoes
Does this sound completely crazy or what? If you don’t mind having the death of the rodents on your conscience, this is a fantastic, poison-free of getting this dirty job done. When the mouse will eat the potato flakes, they will expand in its stomach due to receiving hydration. This will lead to bloating which will tragically (for the mouse) end in death.
Instructions:
- Leave some instant potato flakes around the areas where you’ve noticed mice most frequently.
- Afterwards, you might need to prepare yourself to possibly find some dead mice lying around, but at least this means the job is finished.
7. Baby Powder
Baby powder is one of the lighter home remedies for mice that we can recommend. However, even if temporary, it still works wonders, especially when it’s all you’ve got at the moment. Baby powder acts as an intoxicant, which makes it a great tool for trapping mice for getting rid of them later on.
Instructions:
- Simply sprinkle baby powder the corners of your house, paying extra attention to the junctions of walls and floors.
- This will be enough to daze the mice and to make them flee.
8. Toilet Cakes
Aside from the possible diseases that they carry around, mice also tend to bring to your house unpleasant odors. Toilet cakes are excellent both for making the rodents run away for their lives and for covering up the stench that they leave behind. In other words, it’s truly a solution with a big combo.
Instructions:
- All you have to do is scatter some toilet cakes around the house, paying extra attention to the areas where you’ve noticed the most pest activity.
- Places that you should focus primarily on are your attic, basement, toilet, or porch.
9. Baking Soda
Baking soda is an ingredient of caustic nature, which might be precisely what drives rats away as quickly as you can sprinkle some around the walls. It has a smell that’s particularly bothersome to rodents, so you will barely notice that it’s there. This is as good as home remedies for mice can get.
Instructions:
- Getting rid of unwanted guests using baking soda is as simple as simply sprinkling some of the powder around the corners of the house.
- This will make the pests turn round and it will keep them away for a long time as long as you keep refreshing the layers of baking powder.
10. Aluminum Foil
Most people have aluminum foil in their house, right? Even if you don’t, you’d do well to consider getting some and using it to cover up the possible entrances where mice keeping spilling in through. There must be a combination of texture, how noisy it is, and something about its smell or taste. But one thing is for certain: aluminum is definitely one of the top home remedies for mice.
Instructions:
- Firstly, it’s very important to pay attention to where you keep noticing the mice.
- Start covering surfaces and holes around the areas where you notice their presence most often.
- Alternatively, you could roll aluminum foil balls and place them around holes or cracks.
11. Bay Leaves
Bay leaves are perfectly natural seeing how they’re… well, leaves. Despite the fact that they’re completely harmless to us, they are the bane of mice’s existence, making them great home remedies for mice. We don’t know exactly what it is, but the simple fact that they’re enough to make the rodents flee is all that matters.
Instructions:
- All you need to do is to place 2-3 bay leaves around the areas where mice tend to come most often. This is going to be enough to make them want to turn around and leave your household.
- Replace the leaves with new ones once every 2 or 3 days to keep their effects active.
12. Tabasco Sauce
Likewise, Tabasco sauce contains certain compounds which ooze a scent that can manage to successfully keep rodents at bay. In combination with soap detergent, it can create a solution that will serve as a barrier against unwanted intruders.
Instructions:
- Mix 2-3 tablespoons of Tabasco sauce with 4 liters of water and 1 cup of detergent.
- Add the solution to a spray bottle and then start applying it to the corners of various rooms where the problem is the most persistent.
- Be careful not to spray the mixture directly onto the floor since the detergent in it will make it slippery and prone to accidents.
13. Eucalyptus
Scholars have recently discovered that eucalyptus works as a repellent against both male and female mice. The reason for that is unclear, but all it matters is that there’s something unpleasant about it which makes both the leaves and the oil one of the most effective home remedies against mice.
Instructions:
- Scatter some eucalyptus leaves around the house, paying extra attention to the corners of the rooms where you’ve noticed the most activity.
- Another option is to use eucalyptus oil instead. Simply soak some cotton balls in the oil and then place them around the corners of the house.
- Replace both the leaves and the cotton balls regularly.
14. Onions
As good as onions are for us, especially in salads and a side to other delicious dishes, mice absolutely loathe them. Both the smell and the taste are huge enemies for the rodents, so they will run away from your house at the speed of light. They’re home remedies for mice always nearby and always readily available.
Instructions:
- Cut an onion in thin slices and then place said slices around the house.
- Replace them regularly since the scent and taste will go away rather quickly and the onion will no longer have the effect you desire.
15. Copper
Copper wire mesh (or copper wool) is an excellent way to keep mice at bay if you don’t exactly want to cause them any damage. It’s one of the best materials you could choose if all you need to do is to find something resistant to block the entrances the rodents keep sneaking in through. This is because it doesn’t erode and the mice can’t destroy it to get through eventually.
Instructions:
- Purchase 1 roll of copper wire mesh and then roll into thin wads.
- Stuff it into the cracks and holes that are vulnerable to the apparition of mice.
- Add as many layers as you need without making the work sloppy or loose.
- Lastly, if you want an extra warranty that this protection won’t fall apart, spray over a little bit of pepper spray.
Conclusion
Mice do a lot of damage around the house, they’re noise, they carry around all kinds of diseases, and they also tend to flood your house with a specific stench. In other words, you should try everything you can to get rid of them. But before you resort to the toxic alternatives, try one of our home remedies for mice first, which are perfectly natural and budget friendly.
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