Another strong smell that will discourage mice from your home is dryer sheets. Place fresh ones around mouse hangout points, or stuff them into entry holes. Same thing here, though: make sure to remove them once the smell wears off. Nothing looks nicer for a nest than an unscented dryer sheet.
Although they can keep mice away for some time, dryer sheets should not be used as a long-term solution to prevent mice from entering a home. House mice are adaptable creatures; it will only take a few days for them to get used to the smell of dryer sheets.
Most dryer sheets are made of polyester that is covered with positively charged ions and has a strong fragrance. While that fragrance may smell pleasant to you, it is repugnant to mice, so they stay away.
Research has shown that Bounce dryer sheets are the best ones to use that have an effect on mice. It is true, they hate the smell of them.
Mice can be kept away by using the smells of peppermint oil, cinnamon, vinegar, citronella, ammonia, bleach, and mothballs.
Keep up with the laundry – Laundry can be attractive to mice because they can chew away fabric to create a nest. Whether your clothes are clean or dirty, it's best to keep up with the laundry. Hang up or put away clean clothes immediately and don't let dirty clothes build up.
Peppermint oil, cayenne pepper, pepper and cloves.
Mice are said to hate the smell of these. Lightly soak some cotton balls in oils from one or more of these foods and leave the cotton balls in places where you've had problems with mice.
Mothballs - Contain naphthalene and may deter mice when used in strong enough doses. Ammonia - Mimics the odor of predators' urine and can act as a repellent. Peppermint Oil, Cayenne Pepper, or Cloves - Have strong scents that may repel mice.
Mice hate the sound and smell of aluminum foil.
They also can't grip onto it, despite generally being good climbers. If you want to use aluminum foil to keep mice away naturally, wrap it around the objects you want to protect. Mice will avoid them completely.
Fabric Softener Sheets
This is one of the major smells that mice hate.
Repel rodents and insects
Rats, mice and other insect don't like the smell of peppermint, lemon, and cinnamon. Make tea with these rodent irritants and place the used teabags in places like the back of your pantry, under the kitchen sink or behind the refrigerator to repel these unwanted pests.
Seal up gaps and holes inside and outside your home
Seal any holes you find to stop rodents from entering. Fill small holes with steel wool. Put caulk around the steel wool to keep it in place or use spray foam. Use lath screen or lath metal, cement, hardware cloth, or metal sheeting to fix larger holes.
So, we know that vinegar helps repulse other pests, but does vinegar repel mice? Because of its pungent smell, it can help deter mice from infesting and spreading their droppings to certain areas of your home. This scent is often too intense for a rodent's sensitive nose, like peppermint and other essential oils.
Laundry vents.
Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for mice to find a nesting area near laundry appliances. Dryers in particular provide warmth during Iowa's winter months making them the ideal nesting spot for mice.
If mice find quiet, undisturbed piles of clothing, they may treat last week's dirty laundry as home sweet home for their young. Always place clothes in the hamper, and take care of laundry at least once or twice a week.
Use clear, plastic containers with snug lids.
Rodents, in particular, can easily chew through cardboard and tear up your clothing to create nest material. Instead, opt for clear, plastic containers that are weatherproof or that have tight-fitting lids.
Use rodent exclusion materials like heavy-gauge wire screening to cover holes, metal mesh to stuff into holes around pipes, and expanding foam sealant to spray overtop of metal mesh and fill other gaps and cracks. Seal all potential entry holes or gaps in walls, foundations, sheds, crawl spaces and under porches.
Baking soda is one of the most effective ways to kill mice and rats. It works by producing gas in their bellies. They cannot pass through burping or farting. It finishes off these pests painfully!
Does peppermint oil repel mice? It makes your home smell nice and gets rid of mice, so that makes it the perfect mouse repellent, right? Nope! It will make your home smell good, but it certainly won't get rid of your unwanted lodgers.
It is proven that the eucalyptus scent is a strong mice repellent. You can easily mix up a DIY eucalyptus oil spray using two teaspoons of eucalyptus oil, one cup of water and a couple of drops of liquid detergent.
They are scared of bright lights and noises too. Mice have poor eyesight and thus rely on their sense of smell. They are repelled by the scent of cheese, for one.
To make this flour, sugar and chocolate rodent bait: Pour equal parts sugar (either white sugar of castor sugar), flour, and baking soda into a small container. Add a little chocolate powder or chocolate sprinkles for extra flavour, and mix it well. The chocolate is optional, but it makes the bait far more enticing!
Mice are attracted to the smell of leftover food, cheese, peanut butter, fruits, grains and seeds. It is essentially anything that has high quotient of carbohydrate. Mice are attracted to oily greasy smells and will latch on to insulations and wiring as they are appealing snacks for them.