If you have problems with mice in your home, you have probably tried many remedies. You may have had some success, but the mice keep coming back. It may be time to add another prong to your attack. You can keep trapping and killing mice, or you can keep them out altogether with peppermint oil. Mice are deterred by the smell, and stay away from it. Once they smell the peppermint oil, mice will choose not to get near it. A good way to get rid of mice once and for all is to attack the problem on two fronts. First get rid the mice you already have. Then keep new mice from getting in by using peppermint oil.
Mice can be a problem in almost any house. They come in through tiny holes or with access lines like water and sewer. Seeing a mouse scurry across the floor can be startling and creepy, but having mice in your house is also unsanitary and potentially dangerous. They can chew through wires causing a fire hazard. Or they can leave their disease-carrying droppings in or near your food. If you have mice, getting rid of them is a priority. Fortunately, there are many effective ways to get rid of them.
Good old traps are a tried and true way to kill the mice already living in your house. Just bait the trap. The mouse will come to eat the bait. The trap will engage, in most cases killing the mouse instantly. If you are opposed to killing mice, you can use humane traps that catch mice, but don’t kill them. Once the mouse is trapped, you can release it outdoors, preferably far away from your house. Poison is also an effective method for getting rid of mice you already have. But be very careful to make sure it is not possible for children or pets to get into it.
Once you have gotten rid of the mice in your house, if you don’t keep others from coming in, you will never solve your problem once and for all. This is when you use peppermint oil. Mice are put off by the odor. They have a very strong sense of smell, and the peppermint is offensive to them. If they detect the odor of peppermint, they will not approach. The method is really very simple. Apply a generous amount of peppermint oil to a few cotton balls. Then place the cotton balls where mice enter the house. It may also be a good idea to place a few peppermint oil soaked cotton balls in the pantry or wherever you’ve seen mice. Don’t use peppermint extract. Use peppermint oil. Mice will be much better deterred by the stronger smell of the oil.
If you still get mice, look for more entry points you may have missed. Mice can fit through very tiny holes. You’d be surprised how tiny. Once you find potential entry points, plug them up as best as you can, and apply another cotton ball soaked with peppermint oil. And remember to check and replace the cotton balls every 30 days or so, as they may lose some of their effectiveness.
Keeping your house mouse-free is a two step process. Get rid of the ones you already have, and keep new ones from entering with peppermint oil. Mice don’t like it, but you will.