Although they can only see objects up to 2 feet away, their ears can catch ultrasonic sounds and they can use their noses to search for food items and navigate their way inside your homes. Why Do Rodents Hate Peppermint Oil?Īmong the household pests, mice and rats have weak vision which is why they rely heavily on their senses of smell and hearing to survive. You can place peppermint oil near possible entry points inside and outside your home to effectively ward them off. It can prevent future rodent infestationsĪfter you’ve successfully captured all rodents, you can use peppermint oil as a preventative measure to keep them from settling again on your property. But if you apply peppermint oil in the areas surrounding the mousetrap, this can conceal other scents so that the rodents won’t pick up on any threats. They can also be repelled by your own scent on the surface of the trap when you place them without using gloves. When you use strong-smelling cheese in the trap, mice and rats can sometimes detect it from afar and avoid coming close to the bait.

It can mask the smell of the bait in the trap Mice typically travel along walls and corners in search of crumbs of food, and when they detect a powerful scent along their usual trail, they can avoid that route and possibly end up where the mouse traps are located. When you want to use peppermint oil, it’s best to strategically place or spray them somewhere far from the mouse traps. It can distract the mice and lead them straight to your mouse traps There are three ways that peppermint oil is said to help control the rodent population in your home: 1. They have a distinct and strong minty smell that can be quite irritating when picked up by a rodent’s nose. Peppermint oil basically works as a natural mouse deterrent. Plant based essential oils such as peppermint oil can be a great rodent control complement to drive mice and rats to your traps. But with their sensitive sense of smell, they can sometimes detect human traces in their pathway and figure out a way to avoid these sticky traps. Mouse trapping is a foolproof method to capture mice and rats that are wandering inside your home.

How Mouse Trapping With Peppermint Oil Works The smell of peppermint should drive them away and lead them to the locations where the mousetrap is waiting. You can also wet a few cotton balls with peppermint oil and leave them inside cabinets or near common crawl spaces. You can use it to create a peppermint oil spray and spritz it on the areas where you suspect they roam in the house. So how do peppermint oils help trap mice and rats? Pure peppermint oil contains a strong menthol scent that’s said to irritate a rodent’s sense of smell. Scent-based repellents such as peppermint essential oil are one of the most effective rodent control methods that utilize strong smells to repel mice. Fortunately, severe infestations can be easily avoided with rodent repellents that can help keep them a good distance from your property. Not only are you sanitizing, but you're removing any lingering mouse scents that could draw more mice in.Mouse infestation is a common pest problem that any homeowner is likely to experience. Once the severe mouse mess is cleaned, and damage is repaired (and you're sure there are no mice inside), you can use a homemade cleaner with peppermint oil to give the place a final cleaning.

A crawlspace or attic cleanout might be necessary in severe cases. If the inside of your home reeks like mice and has evidence of nesting, it could be difficult to keep additional mice away.

Clean-up should start by making sure your insulation isn't heavily damaged, and nesting sites have been cleaned.

The last thing you want is to drive mice further into the walls of your home. The key to using a mild repellent like peppermint oil when there's a mouse issue nearby is ensuring the mice are completely out of your house before using it. This step can involve peppermint oil if you want. Once the house is sealed, the interior population is eliminated through trapping, and the habitat is adjusted to reduce food and water sources, it's time to do the final cleanup.

Have a Plan for Sanitation and Maintenance.

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