Mice can be a huge problem in your home, and if you’re like most homeowners, they’re the last thing you want inside. Trying to keep them outside where they belong by having a clean home doesn’t always work though.
Once you’ve got mice inside or circling around your home looking for a way in, you need to take the right steps toward remedying the problem. Poisons and other chemicals are not always necessary though.
In some cases, essential oils can be an effective repellent for mice. Keep reading to learn more about how to use essential oils, as well as what kinds of oils will work to get the job done.
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How to Get Rid of Mice with Essential Oils
Essential oils are everywhere around you, and in most cases, people use them to make their homes smell better. These oils are also used in holistic medicine to help people with a variety of ailments.
The good news for homeowners is that essential oils can also be effective when it comes to handling mice in their home. For most homeowners, DIY essential oil remedies are ideal for getting rid of mice since they’re very safe to use. If you prefer, there are also products designed to help you rid your home of mice.
Common essential oil products that can help you get rid of mice include:
- Rodent Sherriff Spray. This spray is designed to be used indoors and outdoors to repel mice and other rodents around your home. Different versions are available, but most types are pet and child safe since essential oils don’t cause harm. You can find Rodent Sherriff Spray online and through retailers like Amazon.
- Victor Scent Away. This product comes with peppermint scented pellets that are designed to repel mice around your home. These are ideal for small spaces and areas like under the sink. These can be purchased at many hardware stores and online.
Using Essential Oils as a Repellent
A variety of different types of essential oils are considered a natural mouse repellent. With these, you can attempt to push mice out of your home. You can also make them less interested in coming into your home through doors, cracks and even areas around your garage.
The most common type of essential oil for dealing with mice is peppermint. Many people want to know – does peppermint oil get rid of mice? In many cases, it can be effective if you use it the right way.
Using essential oil:
- Dilute a small amount of essential oil with water. Five parts water to one part essential oil is ideal in most cases.
- Place the mixture in a spray bottle. You can keep this under the sink or in your garage to spray areas where you feel mice may want to get into your home.
- Spray the area where you have seen mice or the space you want to repel them from. Saturate the ground or area as long as it won’t harm the finish like with wood floors.
- Reapply the mixture regularly to ensure that mice don’t want to come into the area where you’re putting the essential oil repellent.
The Diffuser Method
Essential oils can be used in spray form, but that isn’t always effective for dealing with a large area. Peppermint essential oil can also be problematic when you’re trying to keep oils off flooring and carpet. Using a diffuser to fill the room, garage or even a whole home with the smell of essential oil can be very effective.
To use essential oil in a diffuser, you’ll want to start with a therapeutic quality product. This will get in the air that you breathe in your home and therapeutic oils are generally much more pleasant to smell.
- Locate high quality essential oils.
- Add an electronic diffuser to your purchase if you don’t already have one.
- Fill your diffuser based on the instructions given by the manufacturer. Many diffusers take more or less essential oil at one time.
- Turn your diffuser on in the area where you want to get rid of mice or repel them. You can even use diffusers in your garage or other parts of your home as long as they have electricity.
- Adjust the intensity setting on your diffuser if you have one. If not, dilute your oil with distilled water if it’s too strong for you. This can help to make the scent much more pleasant for you and your family.
Natural essential oil can be very effective when used in a diffuser if you have a stray mouse in your home and a way for them to get out. You can also drive mice to traps in your home if you have mice in a particular room.
Other Essential Oils
This same method can work with a variety of different essential oils that tend to repel mice like cedar. Most people ask does cedar repel mice, and as long as it’s near an area where they congregate or attempting to get into your home, it can be effective.
Multiple types of essential can be used as a spray when mixed with water. In many cases, the type of essential oil you use will make a big difference in how effective it is. For the best results when it comes to treating your home for pests, you will want to use high-quality, all-natural essential oils since these have the strongest odor. That means they are more likely to be effective when trying to banish pests like mice from your home.
The Pros and Cons
Essential oils can be an effective treatment for dealing with mice and rats around your home. The fact is that there are pros and cons with any method for ridding of your home of pests though, even natural, safe essential oils that you buy from reputable sources.
- Essential oils are safe to use in your home and around pets and children. Many essential oils are designed to be used in foods and are marked as food safe.
- Many people find essential oils to be pleasant. This makes using them in your home much more enjoyable than unpleasant chemicals.
- Essential oils are cost-effective compared to other treatment options. Most essential oils can be purchased for between $5 and $20 depending on the size bottle and quality of oil you need to buy. Therapeutic oils tend to cost more per ounce.
- You can quickly make a large supply of essential oil spray and keep it in a spray bottle under the sink or refrigerator. That way you can have plenty on hand in case you need to spray an area of your home.
- Essential oils are not always effective, especially if you’re dealing with a very large rodent problem.
- You may not like the smell of essential oils in your home. Many people can be sensitive to smells like peppermint, which is commonly used as energizing agents in aromatherapy.
- Essential oils can damage floors and furniture if placed directly on them. Always test a small, discrete portion of the area where you want to put essential oils if you’re using them inside.
Trying to get rid of mice in your home can be a major problem, and if you’re like a lot of people, you’ve tried multiple options. Turning to chemicals that can be harmful to your children and pets isn’t always a workable solution though.
Essential oils, especially peppermint and cedar, can be effective for dealing these pests. You just need to make sure that you catch infestations while they’re still small. Otherwise essential oils may not be powerful enough.
If that’s the case, calling a local pest control company is in your best interest. Acting quickly is always a smart idea when dealing with mice, rats and other vermin that enter your home or infest your garage.
