A lot of people resort to mouse-traps to get rid of mice, but have you ever considered natural ways to deter mice? As soon the cooler weather starts to hit, chances are that every manner of living creature is trying to make their way into your warm house.
Bugs, mice, and rodents of all kinds seek out warmth for survival. Many animal lovers are no longer happy with traditional mouse traps, as they are considered inhumane by some.
Unfortunately, if you have a common rodent problem, an exterminator and traditional traps are all you can use. Now, residents everywhere are seeking natural ways to deter mice.
Did you know that the average house mouse can fit through a 6mm gap in the wall? They have ferocious appetites, consuming up to 3-4g a day. They often look for cereal grain droppings, food scraps, and crumbs.
Your first and best way to prevent mice from staying in your home is by cleaning up after yourself as much as possible. This means getting rid of every possible source of food or crumb that’s easily accessible to rodents.
In this article we’ll discuss 7 All-Natural ways to deter mice. You will love the great ways you can keep those annoying critters outside of your home during the long winter months!
Tabasco Sauce:
Tabasco sauce, you say? Yes, you heard that right! Take any standard bottle of Tabasco sauce, mix it with hot water and some dish detergent then add it to a spray bottle. Walk around all the trouble areas around the foundation of your home, and spray the solution.
You can also take the hot sauce and add a few drops to any large cracks that you think a critter might try to enter. This is a great natural way to deter mice using the odor and spice of the sauce.
Cayenne Pepper:
If you see signs of mice inside your home, (droppings, scratching sound in the walls, holes in your cereal boxes) take some bulk cayenne pepper powder and sprinkle it over every surface you think they might tread.
Continue to do this until the signs subside. You can also take whole peppers and leave them around their nests (if you can find them.)
Garlic:
Not just a vampire deterrent, garlic cloves are actually a great way to deter mice from staying in your home. You can chop up the garlic and mix it with water to form a spray, or you can leave entire cloves of garlic in your trouble areas.
Dryer Sheets:
Not everyone can stand behind this natural deterrent as there isn’t any scientific evidence to back it up, however, many people swear by this solution.
The stronger the scent the better when it comes to dryer sheets. Just take a single sheet and stuff it in any or all cracks that might be an opening for a mouse. The strong scent is said to be a natural deterrent.
Cloves:
Anyone who has ever cooked with cloves knows that they are very, very smelly. Their natural scent is strong and will ward off rodents.
Place some in some pantyhose or a coffee filter and leave sachets of them around your home in trouble areas. Your home will smell great, and hopefully, the mice will steer clear!
Peppermint:
You can purchase peppermint oil online, place a few drops inside some cotton swabs, and place them anywhere mice might be attracted to.
You need to replace them every few weeks, but make sure they are strong enough to keep the mice away. You can also mix with water to use as a spray.
Ammonia:
The substance is extremely pungent, and it should be warned that it’s not the most natural smelling or healthy to consume chemical for humans or pets.
However, it’s a powerful deterrent against mice. Place some in bowls and stick them where you think mice might be getting into. However, this should be a last resort and kept away from animals and children.
Now that you know 7 all natural ways to keep mice from getting inside your home, it’s time to find out what signs you should look for to see if you have mice in your home, and what you should do if you find out that you do have mice.
According to pests.org, there are many different ways to identify whether you have mice or not.
There are certain steps you should take as well as treatment options you can do.
To find out if you have mice in your home, follow the next steps in this article. If you do find out you have mice, it is best to call a professional to find out what can be done. You can also try home remedies, but if they don’t work you may have to call someone for help.
So, here are things you should do and signs you should look for that you may have a mouse infestation.
Small footprints and droppings:
The first thing you should do when inspecting for mice is grab a flashlight. Look into the small corners or areas of your home where dust may be collected and see if there are small footprints.
If you see tiny footprints, you likely have mice. In addition to this, if you also see small droppings in cupboards, on the floor, or next to the footprints, it is another sign that you have mice.
Gnaw marks on furniture and scratching noises in your walls:
If you notice that the bottoms of your tables or other furniture have tiny little gnaw marks on them, it could be mice. Another telltale sign that you have mice is scratching noises in your walls.
They may keep you up at night and are usually very annoying to deal with. If you suddenly start hearing scratching noises but and have no idea what they are, starting looking around for gnaw marks, droppings and footprints. You may have mice.
Signs that your food has been tampered with:
If you have cupboard with snacks in it and notice that there seem to be bite marks or holes in the packages, there is likely only one culprit: and that is mice. Be sure to check all your cupboards thoroughly to see if any of your food has been tampered with.
Check your entire property:
When checking your home for mice, use your flashlight and shine it along the walls and other areas you may have seen mouse droppings or hear scratching noises. Be on the lookout for holes and chew marks.
You should also make sure to avoid leaving food crumbs around as much as possible. Always clean up after yourself when you are done eating, and wipe food crumbs from your floors, tabletops, and counters, because you better bet that at night, when mice smell food, they will come to it.
So avoid this at all costs by cleaning up any sign of food or crumbs that may be in your kitchen, living room, or any other part of your home.
What to do when you have mice:
If you find out that you have mice after inspecting your home – don’t freak out. You can try at home remedies to get rid of them, but it is always best to contact a rodent professional to sanitize and clean your home.
And remember – if you ever see a mouse in your home, don’t just forget about it. You can bet that if you see even one mouse, that you’ve got a whole family of them.
They could be in your attic, your garage, or other small, hidden places. The reason for this is because mice usually live in groups. So the moment you suspect you have mice, you have to take action.
The first thing you should do is set up mouse traps and try to identify any entry points in your home.
If you want to try at home remedies before calling a pest expert, do that. But remember – you have to act quick! Don’t wait to get rid of your mouse infestation, because female mice can average five to ten litters each year. They multiply very quickly – and if you wait too long, your mouse infestation could quickly grow into a big problem.
So, have you ever had to deal with mice? What were some things that you did to get rid of them? What are some other ways you keep mice outside of your house that aren’t mentioned in this article? Let us know in the comments section below!