Using a Natural Mouse Repellent as a Deterrent

Many homeowners would rather not to use toxic poisons or chemicals to control rodents in the house, preferring to seek out humane pest control options instead. The use of a natural mouse repellent is something to consider with the caution that deterrents like these have received mixed reviews. Some people claim that work great, while others state that they did not work at all. Here are a few options.

• Peppermint oil is said to be unpleasant to mice, causing them to leave the area to get away from the smell. Drizzle some oil on a piece of cotton and place in areas where mice like to nest or travel. If a drizzle of oil doesn't work, trying soaking the cotton instead. The oil will also need to be replaced regularly to keep the smell potent. Don't leave too much cotton available that's not at least drizzled in oil, as cotton is a very attractive nesting material for mice.

  Be sure to use use peppermint oil, not peppermint extract. If you prefer, you can try the leaves of a peppermint plant instead although the smell might not be quite potent enough.

  IMPORTANT: DO NOT USE PEPPERMINT OIL IF YOU HAVE CATS. CATS CAN BECOME VERY ILL!

• Make little sachets of cayenne pepper to place in areas where mice like to hang out. Again, the smell of the pepper is supposed to drive them away.
• Ammonia is said the mimic the scent of predators. Fill small containers and place them around the house where mice are known to live. There are also commercially sold repellents that contain the urine of predators combined with other organic materials. They're sold in pellets or granules and are sprinkled around the area where the mice inhabit or travel.
• Probably the most natural mouse repellent of all is a barn owl. Read more about how to get rid of mice naturally using a barn owl. This is probably one of the few 'natural' methods with consistently good results! Obviously an owl isn't suitable as a household deterrent and can only control mice outdoors in the yard or garden.

It doesn't hurt to try a natural mouse repellent. Homeowners should be prepared, however, to have to take other steps if this type of deterrent does not give results. There are been both positive and negative reviews from people who have tried these methods. They do not appear to work for everyone or in every situation when trying to get rid of house mice. Although these are natural repellents, care should be taken to keep them safely out of reach of both children and pets.