These types of pesky rodents have a very strong sense of smell, which is the key to a number of cheap and simple ways you can repel them from your home this autumn
The colder months ahead means that rodents such as mice and rats will actively seek out warm places to live, which could include a person’s house.
If you do end up with any of these unwelcome furry creatures in your home then it’s good to know a few tricks to help you repel them. Rats and mice have poor eyesight and so to help compensate for their survival, other senses such as smell are increased. Homeowners can use this to their advantage by ensuring there are plenty of powerful scents around their property to overpower the rodents’ noses and ideally make them want to stay away for good. Pest control experts at Eliminated LTD shared four particular aromas that mice and rats can’t stand yet are (mostly) pleasing to human nostrils.
Citrus oil
Both mice and rats detest the smell of citrus oil as they contain limonene, which is found in lemons, oranges and grapefruits. The same compound is also found in lots of cleaning products, including soaps, detergents and disinfectants, and it is this chemical that makes these products smell very fresh and clean when you use them around your house.
Citrus oils such as lemon and orange are also “very effective at keeping rats and mice away” from an area or object, the pest experts said. However, as citrus oils are so strong you should only use them sparingly or dilute them with water before applying them to an area or object that needs treating.
Lavender
Mice and rats “hate the smell of lavender, ” so using a lavender-scented spray or, even better, growing a lavender plant will help deter them from your home naturally. Another option could be to make up your own solution by using a quarter to half a cup of flowers per one-quarter cup of water in a spray bottle to repel mice from your home, reports the Express. Shake well before each use, then spray surfaces in affected areas until wet but not dripping wet with the solution. Replace this solution monthly to keep it fresh and effective at keeping mice away from your home.
Peppermint oil
The rodents don’t like the smell of menthol, a key ingredient in peppermint oil and therefore an “effective” repellent of them. When mice encounter the scent of this essential oil they “associate it with danger and fear”. As a result, they’ll “avoid areas” where it’s present or try to “stay away from it” as much as possible. This is one of the most common ingredients used to make homemade mouse repellent and the smell is strong enough to keep mice away from a specific area or object. One method is to place a few drops on cotton balls and then put them in areas where place mice tend to hide, for example underneath or behind kitchen cupboards.
Chilli powder
One perhaps unexpected way to deter mice and rats is to use chilli powder, and not least because it is “inexpensive and easy to obtain at most grocery stores”. You’ll need around two tablespoons of powder per litre of water and them simply mix them together in a spray bottle or hand sanitiser container.
The experts explained: “This is an effective home remedy for getting rid of mice because it smells terrible to them and they won’t stay around long enough for their sense of smell to become accustomed to it.” As with the peppermint oil, sprinkle some chilli powder around the areas and locations in your home that the rodents could be using.
