About mouse repellents
There are different types of products that are designed to keep mice away from your property. Many people choose nontoxic repellents that either scare mice away using ultrasonic sound waves or leave odors that confuse or repel mice. Each of these types of natural mice repellents have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Mouse repellent sprays
The best types of natural mouse repellents use peppermint oil as their base repelling odor. Some of these products come in ready-to-use containers and contain other ingredients to increase their effectiveness. Other natural mice repellents are just basic essential oils that have a number of uses, including using them in an essential oil repelling spray.
One of the drawbacks of using natural sprays is that their effectiveness is not always guaranteed.
Remember!
Essential oils tend to evaporate quickly. This means that if you don’t reapply the solution regularly, your rodent problem may return.
However, because these natural sprays don’t pollute the environment, they are the best choice for many people who want an eco-friendly solution to their rodent problem. Peppermint sprays for mice are generally safe to use if you have pets or young children in the home.
Ultrasonic mice repellers
These plug-in units generate sound waves above the limit of human and most pets’ hearing. One of the reasons why many homeowners try these units is because they require little maintenance. First of all, you need to identify areas where mice could inhabit or frequent and then strategically place the electronic rodent repellents to prevent mice from coming near.
Among the main complaints of these ultrasonic repellent devices is that they are not always effective. It seems that mice may get used to the sounds emitted or prefer to put up with the noises rather than risk moving outdoors.
Who needs mouse repellents?
Although some people like to keep mice as pets, no homeowner wants to have mice invading their property as uninvited guests.
Many natural mouse repellents are not suitable for getting rid of an already-existing rodent infestation.
Using the best rodent repellents will also help to keep you and your family safe from disease. A worrying study in 2018 found that many mice carry pathogens that are resistant to antibiotics. Scientists have found that mice can carry bacteria such as E. coli, C. difficile, and Salmonella. Some of these infections, if left untreated, can even be deadly.
Common terms about mouse repellents explained
- Essential oils. These are extracts from plant leaves, flowers, bark, or roots that contain volatile oils. Usually, the oils are extracted by distillation and contain highly-concentrated compounds with a strong aroma.
- Repellent. Repellents are designed to keep pests away without causing physical damage.
- Trap. A device to catch an animal or rodent. Traps can be used to kill rodents to limit their numbers or catch them humanely to be released away from the home.
- Ultrasonic sound waves. Some repellents emit high-frequency sound waves higher than 20 kHz, meaning that they don’t affect humans.
How natural mouse repellents work
Peppermint mouse sprays
What is the science behind the use of peppermint aromas to scare away mice, rats, and other rodents?
It is thought that there are a number of mechanisms why peppermint oil gets rid of mice. Some people claim that its strong aromas mask pheromone trails. This can help to disrupt the signaling methods rodents use to communicate. There is also some scientific research on rodents that peppermint oil aromas act as a natural deterrent. For example, researchers found that rats tend to stay from areas treated with peppermint oil. Natural repellents using peppermint oil were seen as a more ecological-friendly way to control rodents and protect the environment. However, it has to be noted that no studies have been carried out on mice specifically.
When deciding to use peppermint essential oils to send mice scurrying away, it is important to remember that the aromas of essential oils can evaporate quickly. This means that natural rodent sprays are only short-term deterrents. There is also the chance that peppermint sprays just move a mouse population to another area of your property. So, you should protect multiple areas of your property to ensure mice stay away.
Plug in mouse repellents
Mice repellers that work on the principle of ultrasonic waves are designed to target the nervous system of mice and rats. The effectiveness of ultrasonic devices to keep buildings and properties free from pests may have some use. Research carried out by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln say that ultrasonic repellents don’t cause harm to the environment. They work by generating ultrasonic pulses that humans and most pets can’t hear. Ultrasonic rodent repellents are limited by the fact that the further the sound has to travel, the weaker it becomes.
Is there any scientific proof as to the effectiveness of these devices? The researchers found that these devices can have a repelling effect but that rodents may get used to the sounds. However, there was no conclusive proof that they always work. However, many ultrasonic mouse repellent reviews say that they have been effective for many people
What other types of mouse repellents are available?
Apart from ultrasonic mice repellent units and peppermint mouse sprays, there are a number of other mouse repellents on the market. Some websites promote the use of mothballs for eliminating mice from your property. However, these contain potentially-harmful chemicals and are not effective outdoors. Other repellents such as ammonia, castor oil, cayenne pepper, or tarragon only have limited use and probably won’t resolve your mouse infestation problem.
What should you do if natural mouse repellents don’t work?
Natural mouse repellents aren’t effective at killing mice or getting rid of them from your property. Once mice have set up home in a warm environment where there is an abundance of food, it can be difficult to get rid of them by natural means.
To deal with a large infestation of mice, you may need to call a pest control expert to remove the rodents from your home. Once this is done, you can then use a combination of repellents to prevent mice from returning. However, for your efforts to be effective, you must stop up all entry points where mice can get into your property.
Mouse repellent buying guide
If you are looking to buy the best rodent repellents, what should you look for to control mice?
- When looking for the best natural sprays to repel mice, then most repellents are peppermint oil-based. You should think about if you want to buy a ready-to-use spray formula or make your own spray using peppermint essential oil. Also, it is important to see how well users rate specific spray repellents as some may be stronger than others.
- One of the essential factors to look for when choosing the best ultrasonic mouse repellents is the type of pest you want to get rid of. Some repellers are designed for insects and bugs, whereas others are better for small rodents.
- It is also good to remember that not all units are as effective for mice as others. In fact, very few scientific studies back up the claims of ultrasonic repeller manufacturers. So, it is also important to read users’ reviews as to their effectiveness.
Other useful information about mouse repellents
Seeing signs of a mouse in your property means that it is time to take measures to get rid of the pest. Noticing droppings, shredded materials, gnawed holes, or hearing mice scurrying are warning signs that action is needed.
However, keeping mice out of your property once you have got rid of them can be a challenge. For example, did you know that a standard mouse can squeeze through holes the diameter of a pencil!
Knowing something about the behavior of mice can also help keep your home mouse-free. Mice use ultrasound to communicate and they can hear up to 90kHz. This is why some people choose ultrasonic devices to protect their home from these tiny rodents.
Mice can also climb vertically up to 2 meters and have been known to chew through electrical wires. But, knowing that mice like to travel along edges of walls and units can help you know the best places to place repellents or mice traps.
How to use mouse repellents
The best way to use repellents to keep mice as far away from your property as possible is to use a combination of strategies. For example, you can use peppermint oil sprays to protect specific areas of your house where you have found evidence of mice. If you know where mice have entered the property or have created nests, natural repellent sprays can help prevent mice returning to those areas.
At the same time, ultrasonic devices can an additional a layer of protection that should help to keep areas of your home free from rodent activity. However, even many of the best electronic rodent repeller reviews say that it is important to deal with a rodent infestation before using repellents in your home.
To conclude
Knowing how to repel mice effectively and naturally takes a measure of determination and planning. Mice can be very difficult to get rid of, especially if it is cold outside and food sources are scarce. Because mice carry diseases and can cause destruction to your property, it is essential to keep these pesky creatures out of your home.
Compared to the solid repellent units, the natural rodent sprays were more effective as they were more versatile. For example, it is easy to make your own solid unit to get rid of mice by spraying the natural defense spray on cotton balls, floors, or other hard surfaces. As the most effective repellent spray we choose Rodent Defense Spray.
There seemed to be little difference in the effectiveness of the peppermint essential oil mice repellents. All peppermint essential oils have a wide range of use – everything including rodent repellent to aromatherapy. However, the Essentially KateS Peppermint Oil seemed to be the most potent and received a higher proportion of positive reviews.
Some of the best pouches repellent reviews recommend Fresh Cab Repellent Pouches. This is because the pouches consist only natural ingredients and do not harm people and pets, and you can place them everywhere need to.