Long time no blog. Not that I haven't been busy. I could talk about the fab apple salad I had at a Thai place. (I'll post the recipe some day.) Or the night when I wanted to make masaman curry and I discovered that I had every Thai curry paste you can buy in the U.S. except masaman curry. (So I made panang curry instead.) See, for the last several months I'd go into an Asian grocery store thinking "I'm out of curry paste" and I'd agonize over which curry I was out of (because I never wrote it down) and finally grab a tub of some curry, but it was never THE curry that I was actually out of. So I have multiple tubs of every other kind of Thai curry paste yet no masaman. But really, I want to talk about mice.
You see, that's my New Year's resolution: find a solution to the mouse problem.
I have mice. Too many mice. I know it's futile to try to get rid of all mice in a 150+ year old house, but if I could only keep them away from the kitchen. Away from the stove. Away from my drawers of kitchen utensils. I've tried traps. I don't think it's possible to buy enough traps to get all my mice, and my local store has been out of traps for weeks and weeks. (I suspect a major mouse invasion is going on across Southeast Michigan.) I've tried those silly things you plug in the walls that emit high-pitched noises that are supposed to drive mice crazy. They work for only a very short time, then the mice acclimatize to the sound. I had a major breakthrough when I moved the cat food out of the kitchen and into the middle of the dining room. The mice now have to cross a much larger open area to get to the cat food, which puts them at a much higher risk of getting caught by my cats. My seventeen year old cats. Okay, they are a spry seventeen, but they are still seventeen and I suspect their yearly take in mice is not what it was a few years ago.
Let me step backwards in time a bit. We've always had mice, but they had only been noticeable when their carcases turned up. (Thanks to the cats.) But in the last year they became much more problematic, finding ways into drawers and the stove. Yuck. Then one day I was cleaning out a large cupboard. I had a box with a lot of old, delicate glassware in it. I opened the box and discovered that the box was full of cat food. The d*mn mice were hoarding the cat food. They filled the box and all the glassware with catfood. I wish I had taken a picture, because at the time, while I was exploding in anger at this discovery, another part of me was laughing. I had to wash all that glassware. Some very beautiful delicate old juice glasses, trendy bar glasses from the 50s or 60s, and other weird stuff. And of course I broke a glass.
So I moved the cat food away from its kitchen nook that gave the mice such easy access to walls and cupboards for cover. Genius. Sheer genius. Until Joe suggested that wouldn't it be funny to sit down someday at the piano, tap a few keys, and hear "crunch crunch". So I peered behind the piano, and sure enough there was a brand new cat food stash. I cleaned that out and moved the cat food yet farther away from anything. I have yet to find any more cat food stashes. (And, no, I'm not switching 17 year old cats used to having 24/7 access to food to set feeding times.)
While I seem to have made the cat food more inaccessible to the mice, which I hope is putting some serious population pressure on them, I haven't yet thwarted them from exploring the kitchen stove and drawers. My current strategy is peppermint oil. (Not extract, but full strength oil.) Mice are supposed to be allergic to peppermint oil. I have cotton balls with drops of peppermint oil on them in my drawers and other places where the mice frequent. It seems to work -- mostly. I have to remember to refresh the cotton balls so the smell stays strong. Some days the kitchen smells all "fresh and tingly". I'm going to make my own peppermint scented cleaning liquid that I'll use to wipe down the counters. I think I'm on to something here. I only hope that the mice can't acclimatize to peppermint oil.
I hope you will forgive my ignorance, maybe you need to enlist the pest control agencies' help. They could flush them mice out once and for all.
Posted by: umami | January 03, 2006 at 10:18 PM
I have alot of mice also in our vacation home up North. Bounce dryer sheets seem to work to keep mice out of silverware, dressers, beds, etc. I can relate to your
problem big time.I have 7 cats and because I have lots of other animals including ferrets I think that the cats think the mice are part of the family. Good Luck. Pat D
Posted by: Pat Darby | January 04, 2006 at 09:01 AM
umami: regrettably, I don't think that's a long term solution. It will cost a lot of money, and the mice will likely be back before a year is out. This is a 150+ year old house in the middle of farm fields. It simply next to impossible to seal off such a house to small creatures like mice.
Pat: bounce sheets, huh? I'll have to try that! For what it's worth, cats can be good at keeping new mice out of a house, but they're not good at erradicating established colonies.
Posted by: Kitchen Chick | January 04, 2006 at 10:16 AM
I was reading this and shouting PEPPERMINT OIL in my head the whole way. I couldn't wait to comment and then I read you were trying it. I had the same problem last year and was completely and utterly disgusted with the situation. They were hoarding dog food behind my couch and under my entertainment center. I now do the cotton ball peppermint oil thing and also mix it with water and spray it around all the house along the baseboards and underneath the AC/Heater unit and water heat. Its their kryptonite!
Posted by: lauren | January 05, 2006 at 12:02 PM
Wow, what a story! hope you find a way to keep them out of the kitchen. We do not have mice here, or at least I haven´t seen any! and we live in a historic, very old building. It is beautiful and unique, but my problem is with the ants! They are everywhere and mostly during the summer time.
Hugs and happy new year from Panama :)
Posted by: Chef Melissa - CookingDiva | January 06, 2006 at 07:36 PM
We had mice last year, my husband went to the feed store to ask for help with the problem and the salesman sugested fox urine and to our surprise we have not seen the little critters this year. We sprinkled it around the out side of the house,outside around the doors and under the windows, and places where we saw dropings in side the house, you only have to use a small amount since mice have an acute sense of smell it works great.
Posted by: Frances Williams | January 09, 2006 at 07:42 PM
(This is KitchenChick's husband)
Do you have cats? One of our concerns with fox urine is that it might drive our cats berserk.
Posted by: Joe | January 10, 2006 at 11:37 AM
Thank you all for your suggestions. We're still working on the mice problem. The peppermint oil works, but has to be frequently reapplied. We need more traps to reduce the population, but they seem to be hard to find right now. But I think if we can reduce the population, the peppermint oil will steer them away from the kitchen.
Chef Melissa -- a belated Happy New Year to you. (And a very belated happy holidays too!) What kinds of ants do you have? I have a lot of ant-ant things to try, but some of them are for specific kinds of ants.
Posted by: Kitchen Chick | January 14, 2006 at 05:47 PM
Fox Urine? Now that is a new one ... How does one accumulate enough Fox Urine to market the stuff?
Good post on a subject of considerable interest to those of us with houses in the sticks ... This year I tried this new insulating foam material that comes in a large spray can- I used a ton of it and plugged (I hope) every possible mouse hole in the place ... We will see - I will be returning to the house soon.
Posted by: Richard | January 26, 2006 at 01:24 AM
I tried fox urine in granular form to get rid of mice. Sprinkled it around the house in September, and the mice stayed away! Didn't see a single one. There's some "artificial" fox scents (like "Shake-Away") on the internet but I don't know if they work. I used 100% guaranteed fox urine granules.
Posted by: Diane | February 13, 2006 at 01:14 AM
Where can I buy peppermint oil?
Posted by: | February 25, 2006 at 09:24 AM
Where can I buy Oil of Peppermint. I would like to try it on our mice who like to frequent my kitchen cabinets.
Posted by: Margaret | March 04, 2006 at 02:18 PM
Where can I buy Oil of Peppermint. I would like to try it on our mice who like to frequent my kitchen cabinets.
Posted by: Margaret | March 04, 2006 at 02:18 PM
I had bought my peppermint oil at GNC. It works also for ants,flies and mosquitos. It smells minty in the house, but well worth it. I tried different arts and crafts stores for the oil, but no luck. You may also find it at a herbal store. I had the luck to find it at GNC. Hope it helps!
Posted by: Micki | March 05, 2006 at 08:43 AM
I have an exterminator coming out today and I so hope it does the trick, we've only been figthing these awful disgusting "things" for 10 days, but it is hell!!!! I've ordered some peppermint oil over the internet and it comes tommorrow, I am praying it works! I plan to use it doused in cotton balls and place them near windows and corners etc. We've only had them in the basement and not in our upstairs living area, we hope to keep it that way! Thanks for the ideas.
Posted by: Krista | August 07, 2006 at 04:25 PM
Ha Ha! Success, we haven't caught a mouse in days, and I think we are now rodent free! Hallalujah! Exteminator plus steel wool plus peppermint oil plus glue boards = PROBLEM SOLVED !!!!!!
Posted by: Krista | August 09, 2006 at 09:31 PM
We had a terrible problem (like catching up to 5 a day),and haven't seen one since we called Orkin. The prices aren't bad either and they take care of bugs at the same time. I spent as much on "over the counter" mouse remedies, yuck! I HATE MICE!
Posted by: Julie | August 10, 2006 at 01:01 PM
hi thre!
i am trying the peppermint thing right now & its really working!
im gonna try mopping with dr bronners peppermint as well (it cant hurt!)
i have had an awful mouse problem! whats worse, these are nyc mice & THEY ARENT AFRAID OF PEOPLE!!! i would come into the kitchen & they would be on the counter jsut staring @ me...or trying to hop from the microwave to the top of the refrigerator! i actually had to kick the microwave stand to get him to give up & run off, just the sight of me wasnt gonna deter that little rascal!!!
but the very worst was when i came home & a mouse had gotten into my window fan & chopped up & there were little mouse guts sprayed all over the wall!!
ive been using the peppermint oil (i got it @ whole foods) in cotton balls for the past week & i havent seen ANY mice...& usually the are very brazen about casually sauntering from room to room!
now i just have to gauge how often i need to reapply the peppermint.
OH & i totally agree those "sonic pest repellants" are USELESS!!!!! i think the mice were just using it as dj for their nightly dance party!
Posted by: n69n | September 10, 2006 at 09:59 AM
Just wanted to share my mouse hoarding tale. After I moved out, my ex had a mouse population explosion...he used those blue poison pellets. Later, I came back to get some of my old boxes...I opened one and it looked like a huge turquiose necklace had fallen to pieces...I had a handful of the "beads" in my hand when he walked in, and sent me to wash my hands pronto...the mice had been hoarding the poison pellets in the box! Before dropping dead I guess. How aweful!!
Posted by: prunefeet | September 11, 2006 at 01:38 PM
I feel everyones frustration I HATE mice as well and I am A 6'4 225lbs 34 year old man and they still freak me out. Me my wife and kids just moved into a Brownstone in Brooklyn NY and we saw signs of mice and with in a week we saw one, and this little guy was very bold, running around for a couple of days while we were up this little sucker had no fear. After researching the web, I decided to purchase a "RatZapper" For those who don't know what that is it is a battery operated mouse trap that shock the mice. It cost around $50 bucks, but it was the best 50 bucks I spent because the next morning that sucker was fried. No mess No fuss, I highlY recommend the Rat Zapper. As far as the pepper mint oil my mother swears by it, but she lives in the country in florida, and I heard peppermint oil does not work against mean NYC mice. We also just adopted a cat to keep anymore mice from coming in. If I ever see a Rat we're MOVING!
Posted by: Will | September 14, 2006 at 09:07 AM
i live in new orleans, after hurricane katrina i rebuilt my house, the problem is not everyone in the neighborhood have. some people have not yet gutted there homes a year later rats and mice are everywhere, i saw one the other day, my mother always said if you see one there's a big chance you have a few more in the house. i will find the peppermint oil and try that since nothing else seems to work
Posted by: Gwen | September 27, 2006 at 06:18 PM
I hate mice. I live in a renovated home in queens. The owner has yet to clean out the backyard. It is like a jungle out there with weeds almost 5 feet tall. They have been renovating the downstairs apartment and I guess they leave the door open. Anyway, upon returning home from a few days away I open my door and there was a mouse running across my floor. I slammed the door and fled, leaving the mice to have complete run of my tiny apartment. I am not able to go back as I am deathly afraid of the creatures. I had nightmares for 2 days and now am just completely angry that I am on the run from mice. I really do not know what to do. Please help!!!
Posted by: Alicia | October 13, 2006 at 09:53 PM
I got the local drug store to order me some peppermint oil and i am going to pick it up tomorrow. They said it was aroudn $20 for an ounce! and then i look on GNC's website adn see it for $4 an ounce. i think im going to just try GNCs formula. i will post later on if it worked for me or not.
Posted by: Steven | October 16, 2006 at 08:56 PM
I have been battling my mouse problem for a year now. I have been living in my home in Queens for 14 yrs. and never had this problem. Only thing I can think of is they are renovating a school around the block from my house and a park near by also.
I am using peppermint oil and bait traps that I ordered on ebay. I have 2 dogs and cannot layout poison openly. I also have an elecontronic mouse trap (did nothing). My mice are acrobats I actually saw one jump over a trap. Haven't caught one yet in a trap (used peanut butter, bacon, chocolate.) I saw on TV recently for rats though, an experement with several bowls of food. One had dog food, next had cheese, next bacon, next chocolate cookie the rat went for the chocolate cooke. He even set of signals to his rat friends and family where to go to get it. They made a bee line right for the cookie bowl. May work with mice. Gotta try that!
Wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to keep the mice out in the first place. Can't have a cat, I am allergic.
Posted by: Reenie | October 25, 2006 at 09:55 AM
This year, my wife & I are also battling a mouse problem in our basement. Have so far taken care of 2 litters of baby mice and one adult. But, having seen where they are tearing apart insulation, the stubborn little buggers are NOT giving up yet. Went to the local drug store today and bought oil of peppermint because we have heard how well it works. Just loaded up some cotton balls and place them where the mice are abviously trying to nest again...Hope it works! If you have a shop vac and are quick enough...it is a clean & easy way to snag the mice while on the run. I have done this with the baby mice. It doesn't sound pleasant but it beats them getting away...maturing, building more nests and having more babies.
Posted by: Tom | November 12, 2006 at 11:29 AM
Just make sure you refresh the cotton balls periodically because the peppermint oil will fade.
Posted by: Kitchen Chick | November 12, 2006 at 12:44 PM
I have a idea that is working like a charm. Use an inccence diffuser like the ones w. a candle under them fill it with peppermint/spearmint leaves I got mine from a peppermint tea bag. and use high grade Aura CUra brand peppermint&spearmint essential oil. Now a small bottle can run you upwards of 11.00 it's worth it. I use 10 drops of each in the water and dried tea mixture.It will diffuse with a tealight candle for about 3-5 hours.
I had terminex,ratzappers,fox urine, sonic sound, poison, glue traps, rat away (mothball crap), cayenne pepper, black pepper, sealed all the holes. And that never detered them.Also the problem with those is that the mice have to come into ones domain in order to be affected and I don't want that NO WAY JOSE!!
Peppermint and Spearmint is working best.
I think the diffused essetial oil goes all through the house and into all the cracks. Also essential oils penetrate into one's blood stream very quickly. So if you are prego, epaleptic have sezzuers look into the contra -indications of this method you may want to have someone do the cotthball aplication FOR you.
I work in a dayspa with essential oils all the time I know of what I speak!! they are basically the basis of most medicines.
_I digress- I live next to several restaurants in a row house in the city and they would actually come in though my mail slot in droves. I caught 10 in 1 week. YUCK!!! NOw they just walk on by and it doesn't seem to bother my dog at all. I think he likes the taste in the air he keeps licking out his tounge --too cute!!
Posted by: Mice Mortician | November 13, 2006 at 10:05 AM
I have caught 6 mice so far and I can hear more in my closet. My cat and five dogs show no interest in catching them what-so-ever!!! The bastards eat the pb, cheese off the traps, I even tried taping it onto the traps - they cleaned it! I refuse to use glue I can't bear seeing them wiggling around, ewww. I'm going to pick up Oil of Peppermint tonight. The lady at the Herbal store told me that the oil may be so strong it could keep me awake at night so in sleeping quarters I should sprinkle loose pep. tea instead. God I hope this works, I am terrified, I just want my life back! :(
Posted by: Meghan | November 21, 2006 at 03:28 PM
I returned to my house in San Diego after being away for a couple months - and damn if some little opportunist didn't move in. Little mouse turds everywhere - on my desk, on kitchen shelves, on the bookshelves, under the stove top - and then I discovered I had left some raw pistachios in a paper bag in my office. I later discovered several spots where it (they?) took the nuts to bite them open. Found piles of shells in several different spots... also they liked chewing up several magazines and even a cotton shirt I left laying on the closet floor. Apparently they crawled in from under the house and up thru holes in the subflooring. I'm doing some remodeling and left the crawl space cover off and also didn't have any baseboards on. shame on me!!
I'll give peppermint oil a try in the house, but outside I'm puting out a Ratzapper 2000. They actually work great. My sister got 7 in a week with hers.
Posted by: Lee | November 24, 2006 at 12:36 AM
I am living in a student house in the city, I saw one of the buggers today on the counter bleh! we are going to get some traps etc but I was wondering who is to fault or is it just something that happens.
we being students arn't the tidiest/cleanest of folk! but in the grand scheme we arn't that bad! however what gets me is there is a huge gap either side of oven so bits of food and general stove spray can easily fall down there is a big gap between the floor and any of the cupboards (no bit of wood or anything like you normally see) and the house itself is full of holes and there is ductape everywhere! (I assuming covering more holes cracks etc)
now would that be our fault for not being clean enough, or the landlord's fault for making (he did it himself) such an awful kitchen! or simply a mixture of the two? would it be a good idea for us to cover up the gaps ourselves? or just buy lots of traps?
Posted by: Cali | December 09, 2006 at 03:09 PM
note: I ask not to just so we can shift blame, just trying to decide whether we should call in the landlord or just sort it out or sort it out ourselves.
Posted by: Cali | December 09, 2006 at 03:15 PM
Well, I have just been overrun with mice, counted 5 in the kitchen and have started using KILLER traps.... I hate doing that but I was BITTEN in my bed, as I slept by one of the larger mice, that meant WAR. Had to get a tetanus shot, take bacterial antibiotics, sure scared me, what if there was a baby in the house? On my way to get peppermint oil.
Posted by: Patricia HIlchie | December 13, 2006 at 02:55 PM
Hi their'
Well i'v tried everything else so i may aswell try the peppermint oil out!
If it works i will be back to let you know.
Thanks again.
Posted by: Andy..UK | January 04, 2007 at 05:19 PM
Well, as I read this, one or two mice are dashing from one part of my bedroom to another part. I have glue boards lined across my door jam. Apparently, they are high hurdling past this trap. I am going to place some at the location I just saw them dashing past. Later today, I am going to purchase peppermint oil today. I will let you know my results.
Posted by: Frances | January 08, 2007 at 02:13 PM
Buy Contrac Blox. You can get this at www.doityourselfpestcontrol.com
Put the blox around your house and continue putting them out until you no longer see mice. I recommend starting with 6 blox on each floor of your house and place 2 blox under your stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher. Worked for me.
To prevent a mice problem next year, put the contrac blox around your house right before it starts to get cold, you won't get mice having babies at your house, you'll get dead mice.
Get rid of water so mice leave your house and don't die inside.
This isn't to bad for animals either. It talks about secondary poisioning on the website not being a problem.
Posted by: Autumn | January 10, 2007 at 08:55 PM
The bromadiolone in Contrac Blox is toxic to mammals. I would use it if you have pets or children in your home.
Posted by: Kitchen Chick | January 10, 2007 at 10:00 PM
Where do you get Contrac Blox?
Posted by: M. Burr | January 14, 2007 at 06:41 PM
I have caught 3 mice using the Victor Snap traps smeared with PB. I am also using peppermint oil on cotton balls all over the house. I bought a 6oz. bottle for $6 at a health food store. I'll keep everyone informed about my progress.
Posted by: Danny O | January 26, 2007 at 11:18 AM
I have had a off and on problem with mice.Ive used everything from glue boards, pest sonics. peanut butter and steel wool. To my surprise I would have never thought this would be a method for catching mice. Over the holidays my better half, fell asleep and left his unfinished spiked eggnog by his bedside. To our surprise in the am he wakes only to find the critter inside his cup. He immediately thought about One of our daughters cartoons (I'm TOM and you are JERRY) he had gotten in and couldn't get out. He immediately said you are out of here. This was the drawing point for me. Cartoon Memoirs or not I'm trying peppermint oil starting today.
Posted by: Tybrinet | February 11, 2007 at 02:38 PM
Due to the excessive rainfall we've had this year, in the northeast, I found out I had a rat problem. This is the first time, this has ever happened to us. Prior to that, we've only had about 1 mouse per year. No big problem. Well, these $#@% rats won't eat what I feed them, they ignore all traps, etc. I've had to throw out 3 recliners because of the nesters. We don't see them but we hear and feel them running through the floor boards. Orkin and other so-called pros can't help me. I've tried everything that everyone else has mentioned in this forum and nothing works. I even had 2 of my big sons pick up the recliners outside and shake them, kick them, beat them, (recliners) and the vermin would not come out. We even tried flushing them out with a steam machine.....nothing! And yes, it was still in the chair. They totally destroyed the insides of the chairs. Anybody got any ideas? I can't afford to keep throwing furniture out.
Posted by: | February 12, 2007 at 05:26 PM
I have my in my garage getting into my car. I have a trap that is like the ratzapper. I got it home depot. I caught one and thought thty was it. Now I go out yesterday and today and their is mice poop in the car. Even up in the visors?! I am going to use some of that peppermint oil. But until I get it, i am going to use crushed peppermint Altoids and see if that works.
Posted by: ceah | February 22, 2007 at 07:06 PM
I moved in with my fiancee and his son a year ago, apparently they liked the company of spiders, ants, mice, and who knows what else. The house was a mess. I am convinced there are entire cities of mice in the vents and floor boards. My first order was to get things as clean as possible after eight years of neglect to the house, I am afraid, however, I only cleared their path from the vents to the cupboards. This morning my step-son had left a box of cereal on the counter and when I went to put it away, cereal began to fall on the floor from a hole one of the little vermen had made. I have tried lots of things in the last year and some have worked but again, there are cities of them and I am begining to think my army just isn't big enough. I have not used peppermint oil but will be heading to the gnc shortly. Thanks for the new suggestion, I'll post in a few weeks with my results!!
Posted by: samantha | March 02, 2007 at 12:00 PM
Samantha, if the mice have been a problem for a long time, then definitely keep an eye out for any hoarded food supplies. I haven't completely gotten rid of them, but I've been able to control the mice pretty well with bounce sheets, peppermint oil, and making sure they don't have access to food supplies.
When the easy food sources vanish, the mice will get more aggressive ive about trying to find other food sources.
Posted by: Kitchen Chick | March 02, 2007 at 01:25 PM
Did you find that the peppermint oil works? I put an army of cotton balls with about three drops each on them where we found our mice evidence and they came back within a 24 hour period. I am trying the diffusion this evening and hope that helps too.
Posted by: alexa | April 16, 2007 at 10:13 PM
We are moving to the country and I have seen droppings in the house. My husband told me all an exterminator will do is put out traps and poision. I think he is lying to avoid paying for someone to come out. Does anybody know if this is true and how an exterminator gets rid of them. I am getting pepperment oil tomorrow. After reading these stories I almost feel like I dont want to move to a farm, after all.
Posted by: Debbie | April 22, 2007 at 09:34 PM
It isn't so much about moving to the country, Debbie. We lived in the country for several years and I never saw one mouse.
But now we've lived in a townhouse for nine years and I've got this problem. Never had it before. My kids threw a bag of trash out into the garage (containing Taco Bell left-overs) and the mice shredded the trash bag and all the contents. I am PETRIFIED of these little critters and can't even go in the garage now. I'm being held hostage by gross little furry creatures.
I read through all the comments to Kitchen Chick's post - but no one has posted their success rate with any of these methods. I'm going to follow Kitchen Chick's method - Bounce and dousing cotton balls with peppermint oil - and then I'm filling the holes with copper mesh. They are getting into my garage through holes in the flower bed dirt that runs the length of my garage.
I've tried plugging the holes by shoving old wood down the holes and repeatedly pouring dirt down the holes/covering them. Doesn't help. They just move the wood and dirt and continue on.
If anyone has tried these methods for a period of time and has some results, I'd be very interested in knowing. I have kids and cats - so poison is out for me. I'm not using glue traps as I know several people who have found the traps with "parts" left on them - the glue hasn't caught the mouse but instead tore off a tail, foot, etc.
These are nasty and I want them gone...so what definitely works?
Posted by: Katherine | April 25, 2007 at 08:53 AM
My friends in NYC have had much success with steel wool in the holes. It's probably the same as copper mesh. They think their mice were coming in through an opening near the radiator pipe. Good luck!
My friends also said to leave lights on in the areas they may be coming into- like a spotlight. Mice hate that.
Our mice only appeared for two days...weird
Posted by: alexa | April 28, 2007 at 10:32 PM
Alexa, did you use food-grade peppermint oil for flavoring sweets or real peppermint oil? I've read that food-grade peppermint oil isn't strong enough.
Katherine, here's an update:
I've had mixed-luck with peppermint oil. I've used it in the kitchen with good success, but have had less success in other areas. I think it helps if the scent is trapped in an area (like in a kitchen drawer). The mice don't seem to be deterred by the peppermint oil cotton balls when I put them in the (regrettably we have one of these) drop ceiling in our library. The scent does need to be refreshed frequently.
I have good results with glue traps (especially under the stove), but you do need to be able to pick up the trap with dead mouse on it. (Or have someone who can do that for you.)
The bounce sheets were very effective at first, but the $@#%! buggers do seem to develop a tolerance for them. So I'm taking a break from the bounce sheets and will try them again next winter. I hope the mice will have lost their tolerance by then.
If they really want to be in an area, they are annoyingly persistent. I like to combine glue traps with peppermint oil (or bounce sheets). I put the glue traps in the areas where they are most persistent, and peppermint oil in other areas where they go less frequently. I also remove mouse-friendly items. For example, I no longer feed the cats in the kitchen (because I was also feeding the mice!) and I don't let bags of returnables pile up because they provide shelter for the mice.
Posted by: Kitchen Chick | April 29, 2007 at 11:35 AM
I live in an apt in manhattan, and I found that I could block the holes with tinfoil. After that, I noticed much more activity (since there is nowhere else for them to go) I started offing them with snap traps baited w/ peanutbutter but they just licked that stuff off the traps. so I pushed mini peanutbutter chips into the little hole on the snaptrap and I have caught two in the last hour.
I finally feel like I am winning this war.
Posted by: Its war | May 01, 2007 at 01:24 AM
Hi, i live in Boston and I have never seen so many mice in my life... Anyway I tried almost everything. Lets see...
Glue Boards: I saw mouse paws stuck on the glue board, but no mouse. Yuck!
Snap traps: they work, but only if put along walls and the mouse mistakenly passes over it (peanut butter or not)
Sound repellants: Dont waiste ur money, they dont work
Peppermint oil: I mixed a few drops with water in a glass cup and then I used one of those cheap cup heaters to heat the glass. The smell of peppermint stays for approximately 3 days (in 1 room). Not sure if it was keeping them away, but ever since i did that i didnt recall seeing them.
Is there a difference between oil of peppermint and peppermint cented oil that you get from a place that sells incense?
Posted by: duncan | May 11, 2007 at 11:02 PM
Duncan, I can't say I know the difference between the two peppermint oils you describe. All I know if that I've read is to not use food-grade peppermint oil/flavoring but the stronger 100% oil used for making scents.
Posted by: Kitchen Chick | May 12, 2007 at 10:12 AM
Just discovered a large rat in my basement apt in Wash DC. Strangely, there is no evidence of rats or mice inside my apt. There is a restaurant next door and I think that's the problem. I'm considering getting a cat. Do cats work against rats? Would it work to put cotton balls of peppermint against the back door where I saw the rat?
Posted by: mekia | May 16, 2007 at 02:38 AM
I live on the 2nd floor directly above a 24-hour deli in New York City, and we have mice like it's nobody's business. I'm going to try the peppermint oil/water-spray combo, but I like using scented oils/plug-in wall scents (like vanilla sugar smells and other food smells) -- will these scents counteract the peppermint oil? should i just forgo the other smells? this is probably a really dumb question but i'm not used to dealing with mice (NYU doesn't really teach us how to deal with rodents).
Posted by: Jessica | June 04, 2007 at 03:50 PM
I'm using tin foil to block any loose holes - seems to stop them and then gonna try peppermint tea leaves around the parts i can't reach as i've got a box stashed somewhere.
Posted by: | October 12, 2007 at 05:27 PM
I found the Peppermint Oil at the local Health Food Store, and I am anxious to go and try it out, I swear the mice multiply.
Posted by: Sandy | November 08, 2007 at 02:45 PM
I HAVE A GOOD IDEA FOR THOSE STICKY GLUE TRAPS...TAKE THE GLUE TRAP---PLACE IN IN A SMALL PAPER BAG AND WHEN THE MOUSE GET ON THE GLUE TRAP YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE IT YOU JUST CLOSE AND DESPOSE.....
Posted by: lisa | December 15, 2007 at 01:38 PM
what about using the following:
2 ounces of barium carbonate
1/2 ounce of granulated sugar
1/2 pound of bread crumbs
mix all ingredients in a bowl, then add small amounts of water to dampen. make into small balls and place them out for the mice.
Posted by: chuck | January 01, 2008 at 08:11 PM
Hi,
My partner & I have been DIYing frantically for the last year since we moved into our house. Towards the end of the summer, we got a lovely little dog & having been encouraged by the breeder to do so, have been leaving food out all day do that she can eat as she likes. Works well for our puppy - EXCEPT .... we started having a little visitor every night whilst we were watching TV!! A little mouse used to come out of a little hole from behind the radiator pipe (no skirting boards at the time) & scuttle across our living room & steal food from the dogs bowl ... look at us, then scuttle home .... & minutes later, he was back! He did this about 40 times one night & we couldn’t believe our eyes! Having finished the DIY downstairs & blocked up all the known holes & skirting boards, we thought they had gone. However, it seems that mice have been stealing our little dog's food!!!! I have been wondering why she appears to eat so much but doesn't get overweight – they must be stealing it at night! I did a clear out of the cupboard under the stairs today where all our DIY tools have been stored & found our bags (4 of them!) walking boots & shoes (4 boots, 1 trainer & 1 leather shoe) ALL full to the brim with dog food, stripped paper & material of all sorts ... including earrings of mine, beads, nails, screws, small radiator key (!), torn salary statements, a cufflink (minus it’s detail?), shredded postal delivery notes etc, bits of presumably chewed plastic, torn up silk neck scarf of mine (I was wondering where it was!!), ... & in one boot even a pencil, sandal strap & a paint brush!!!!!!!!!! I have taken photos of some of them!!! I find it all hysterically funny but at the same time I am in shock!!!
I have now cleared out the cupboard & cleaned it but really hope they don't decide to go somewhere else in the house....! Having read your advice... I am going to give peppermint oil a go!! I couldn't bear seeing dead mice around or knowingly kill them - I would rather drive them away. Will let you know how I get on!
Posted by: Bethan | January 20, 2008 at 03:34 PM
I live in an apartment in NYC. I havent been there in about 2 months as I am afraid like HELL of mice. The one time I tried to come back and face my fear, one jumped out of my nightstand. I left once again. So far we've caught about 6 mice. We can hear them in the walls scratching. We catch them on traps but how do I get them to go away forever!?
Posted by: Chaunna | January 27, 2008 at 09:59 PM
julie,loving the 30rock quote.
Posted by: | February 18, 2008 at 07:26 PM
We had a huge mouse problem, and it did not go away until we got rid of all mouse accessible food. That means every speck of flour, dog food
etc. I even started storing flour in the freezer. The mice just left after that. If you are worried about your cat or dog not free feeding , you can get an automatic feeder. It is pricey but worth it to know your pet isn't eating with mice.
Posted by: Trillian | March 19, 2008 at 08:08 PM
My husband works 3rd shift and one night my children and I were in the living room watching T.V. and out of the corner of my eye I see this mouse. It saw me too! I screamed then it screamed and flipped over and ran back into the kitchen area where it had come from. I was frantic! I called everyone I knew including my husband at work who seemed unconcerned over a little mouse. However, my aunt told me to go get 100% peppermint oil form the health food store, apply it to cotton balls, and put it in areas where I have seen evidence of mice and where they are likely to be. I did as instucted and all was well for about 3 weeks, then my daughter saw one in my bedroom. I now put down new balls every two weeks and so far so good, not a single mouse sighted.
Posted by: Tamara | June 01, 2008 at 02:08 PM
You can trap them until kingdom come, but unless you find their entry points and plug them up with steel wool or caulk, all your efforts are futile. Even a 150 year old house can be mouse proofed. You have to thoroughly inspect your house for such. A mouse can enter a hole as small as a dime. Any crack or hole should be plugged. It may take some time, but it may well be worth it.
Posted by: Nick | July 13, 2008 at 08:31 AM
One other thing. Some people posted that they can't bear the thought of killing mice. Sorry, but if you don't kill them, they'll multiply and you'll be fighting their descendants. Mice are prolific breeders. A single mouse can have several litters a year! Mice spread disease and damage property. Mice are a prime cause of house fires and food contamination. They are carriers of Hantavirus, which can be fatal. Save your love for your fellow man, mice don't deserve your love. If a mouse is dead, it can't eat, come back or reproduce. The only good mouse is a dead one. If you deny them food, water and shelter and kill the ones you do find, you'll have fewer of them. It's just that simple.
Posted by: Nick | July 13, 2008 at 08:43 AM
I've read that, if you mix Plaster of Paris with food that appeals to mice, it will kill them. The Plaster of Paris makes them thirsty, so they go outdoors to find water. When they drink, the plaster of Paris expands and hardens in their guts, killing them. A fitting end for filthy, miserable vermin!
Posted by: Nick | July 13, 2008 at 08:50 AM
We live in a trailer park which means pest heaven. We thought we got the mice. The traps went untouched for almost a week. Then yesterday I saw baby mice running all over my house. I caught two so far. I'm going to try the peppermint oil. I read in another site that the mice will sometimes take the cotton for their nest. So I had the idea of putting the cotton in glass votive candle holders. I thought it might be a little less messy too. Next week will be dedicated to demousing my home. I can't take the little guys anymore!!!
Posted by: paige | July 25, 2008 at 02:41 PM
Where on earth do you find fox urine? Thank you.
Posted by: Sarah Donaldson | September 18, 2008 at 05:07 PM
hi im trying out the peppermint oil right now, however, im wondering what the differance between peppermint oil and oil of peppermint are? i read on another post that you are to use oil of peppermint and not peppermint oil... does anyone know???
Posted by: claudine | October 11, 2008 at 05:24 AM
hi im trying out the peppermint oil right now, however, im wondering what the differance between peppermint oil and oil of peppermint are? i read on another post that you are to use oil of peppermint and not peppermint oil... does anyone know???
Posted by: claudine | October 11, 2008 at 05:26 AM
I live in Queens, NYC and the house next door has been doing major renovation and sending these buggers all over. I've just used the peppermint oil with cotton balls around the basement that I live in and I'm going to leave that for a night to see if there's a difference. I've read a couple of ppl wrote about using the peppermint oil in those scented oil burners...can anyone tell me where I can get larger bottle of peppermint oil?? I could only find 1.2fl oz little bottles. Thank you and good luck!
Posted by: Sunny | October 11, 2008 at 08:59 PM
Claudine: the key thing is to NOT use food-grade peppermint oil. You can find non-food peppermint oil in of health food stores, usually where they are selling various aromatics for people to mix their own scents for aromatherapy.
Sunny: a google search for peppermint oil will turn up a number of online stores that sell it.
Posted by: Kitchen Chick | October 12, 2008 at 07:33 PM
well its been 5 days since i have put out the cotton balls with 100 percent peppermint oil and so far so good. i have not seen a rodent nor heard one since i have done this; however; i am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping it is working... just thought i would let people know how its going so far... i will let everyone know in about a months time, cause even if i dont see or hear them the one obvious sign would be the droppings wich i have not seen either.
Posted by: claudine | October 16, 2008 at 03:11 AM
I'm glad to know that I am not the only person who is suffering with this mouse problem. I live in a two flat building which I exterminate every three months. I do this because I see spiders and centipedes. We will go for 6 months at a time, and we won't see any mice, and sure enough as soon as Chgo.'s winter starts to set-in, the little scum-suckers start showing up. I just heard about the peppermint, so I am definitely going to try it. I'm wiping it all over my baseboards all over the building. I never see any signs of anything in the basement, it is mostly on the 2nd floor. Then periodically, I'll see one on the 1st floor. I called Orkin - the were useless. I'm a better exterminator than they are. I've sealed up all possible holes outside with cement, and under the cabinets I have put steel wool in any holes I saw. I have glue traps, spin traps, lil house traps, now for the peppermint. It's a war, and I'm trying to win!
Posted by: Cindie | November 10, 2008 at 03:09 PM
Thank you so very much for all the information here. We've been steadily live catching mice that I foolishly moved in myself (not on purpose) with some boxes that were in storage. In the meantime, I'd like to keep them out of our clothing and kitchen drawers. So the peppermint oil sounds great. My kids want to "keep the mice" but we haven't found a way to "litter train" them. And we have birds, so there's the endless supply of food they like, eh? Thanks again! Best site on this subject on the web. D.
Posted by: Deborah | March 08, 2009 at 07:45 PM
They do acclimate. At least in my experience. But then again, we haven't used full-strength oil. I wish you the best of luck; and if it turns out they've acclimated, another method is to mix up all the spicey ingredients you can find, let them sit in vinegar for a night, shake them all together vigorously, and then soak cotton balls in them and place them where the mice frequent.
Posted by: Jen | May 12, 2009 at 11:00 AM
I have mice as well, where can i buy peppermint oil?? Not online! I tried searching google and any stores that might have it (home depot, cvs, safeway, etc.) no luck. so please help!
Posted by: Mary | May 12, 2009 at 07:38 PM
Thank for all your advice, I think I will now be able to sleep once I go to GNC and purchase some Peppermint oil and lots of cotton balls. I caught 2 mice in a sticky trap the other day and started to think there must be more somewhere in my basement. I have a cat and he is worthless....he can't even catch a fly...wish me luck!
Posted by: Account Deleted | May 13, 2009 at 03:54 PM
I don't know how accurate the info is on this blog, but it seems that the consensus for mice repellant is Peppermint Oil. I live in Miami, FL with a house full of people and everyone thinks I'M the crazy one. I hear those little suckers eating away at stuff between the walls at 3 or 4 in the morning sometimes! I bang on the walls, and turn on lights, and they just keep on going. I am totally going to buy the peppermint oil pronto!
As we speak, I can hear hear one underneath the tub! Ewwww!
Posted by: Farrah J. | August 04, 2009 at 01:02 AM
small apt...small mouse...but huge frustration.
the glue trays i got from home depot turned out useless as i saw one scurrying around with 4 glue trays placed in a small 10 feet X 3 feet space.
My apt maintenance had given me a different kind - almost like a sheet (instd of tray which rises above the ground by a few mm) and somewhat big (length of an A4 sheet)..that seemed to work better in catching one or two last year. I cant seem to find them in stores. anyone knows?
I have two of those ultrasound things from black & decker...one above the counter and one at floor level facing the bottom of the stove. absolutely useless...since i saw one go right there.
Didnt get peppermint oil in GNC today (out of stock) so duct taped all gaps beneath fridge, stove and whatever else can be duct taped! Put out softener sheets and got one of the "power outlet" electric repellents.
My kitchen is clean - no unwashed utensils in the sink, no food outside, clean counters and stove, closed garbage bins...im not sure whats bringing this one in.
Posted by: ihatemice | October 13, 2009 at 11:25 PM
Hi I'm a student who decided to use "peppermint oil as a mouse repellent" for my investigatory project.
i just bought peppermint oil (the kind used in those burners. it says "pot pourri oil" on the bottle's cover).
Before i use this oil for my formal experimentation, i wanted to know if it really works so i placed 3 cotton balls filled with the oil around a piece of fish that i placed on a spot i know where mice are.
not even 5 minutes have passed and a mouse already came and stole the fish!
seeing how other people seem to get the results they want, i thought maybe i bought the wrong type of peppermint oil. is the kind of peppermin oil used in candle burners the right kind? pot pourri oil?
Posted by: Avie | October 31, 2009 at 10:08 AM
Avie, I used "essential" peppermint oil. I don't know if that's the same strength as "pot pourri oil".
Posted by: Kitchen Chick | November 07, 2009 at 10:41 PM
I live in the suburbs. I had no idea about the potential of mice infestation til the bastards invaded last winter. It's embarrassing and horrifyingly gross!!
My mice were in the basement last winter. This fall I hear them in my 2nd-floor walls and above me in the attic. I've been placing D-Con poison pellets in the attic for the past week and it disappears, but after reading this my fear is they're hoarding it! I still hear them in the walls.
I've used the Oil of Peppermint from GNC (must say "Oil of Peppermint" on bottle, not Peppermint Oil) on cotton balls around living areas, and no evidence of mice. Will definitely try spraying it along baseboards and using Bounce sheets in kitchen cupboards, thanks!
Another fear: besides small mice poop, I'm seeing larger poop in basement now! What is it???
HATE MICE! HATE MICE! HATE HATE HATE!
Posted by: Nora | November 16, 2009 at 04:58 PM
We have a 5th wheel travel trailer with 4 slides and lots of areas around the slides where they can come in. Today I bought 2 little bottles of the peppermint oil and sprinkled some directly in a few drawers and used the cotton balls. I also left about 1/4 in the bottle and put them, opened in a couple of suspect places. Let's see how it works. I hate to see these critters, but hate to kill them. I have 2 chihuahuas and can't risk anything that could harm them, so the peppermint oil sounds like just the ticket.
Posted by: jenny | December 22, 2009 at 09:30 PM
My house was built in 1925 & we have a crawl space - it's an old farm house. This time of year field mice find their way into my house due to the freezing weather. My hubby has promised to seal up our house ASAP but in the meantime, we're using old-fashioned snap-traps and are trying peppermint food flavoring on cotton balls. After re-reading this, I need to buy the oil of peppermint...
My hubby walked into the bathroom the other night & found a small mouse sitting ON TOP of the snap-trap eating the peanut butter bait - right next to the small open container of peppermint flavoring! The mouse must have been too small to set the trap off because he was sitting on top of the plastic "cheese"! My hubby went to Home Depot & debated about spending the $20 on the battery operated Victor electronic mouse trap (you put peanut butter in one end of this trap & the mouse gets zapped when they enter the trap.) We've caught 6 mice & 1 mole in the last 3 days! AND we haven't had to put any more peanut butter in the trap. (YEA)
I'm going back to buy a couple more. We're ready to get control back! (We're still going to set out the old snap-traps & try the oil of peppermint.)
Posted by: Morgan | January 02, 2010 at 10:18 AM
Gosh I've never had to deal with mice before I am so glad to find this blog. I spotted one in my pantry cupboard and after freaking out, set traps in my pantry and outside near my stove. We caught two in two days and then a third a couple of days later. Then nothing for over a week. So we pulled everything out of all the kitchen cupboards, washed everything and scrubbed it clean. I was half expecting to find more in boxes etc but was relieved to find none. We then scrubbed the entire kitchen from top to bottom. As a precaution we reset some traps in the cupboards. I woke up the next morning feeling so happy and relaxed, only to open the cupboard and find another in the snap trap! I am so disturbed and can not relax in my home. I keep thinking I hear things in the kitchen and I am scared to open any cupboard or box. My biggest fear is that they will come upstairs to my bedroom! Comments or advice please.
Posted by: Chantal | January 20, 2010 at 06:48 AM
I have mouse/mice/rat in the insulation of my stove. We have set out traps and cleaned up the mess. How do I get the nest out of the stove or do I have to dispose of the stove?
Posted by: jane | March 07, 2010 at 09:53 PM
We have mice in our dorm (lucky us) and they get in through the gaps in the brick and by the air unit. Since the vents are big enough for them to fit through, I got some metal window screen from Home Depot. Hopefully that will work like steel wool and they can't chew through it (it's easy to monitor for holes, as well), yet still allow proper airflow.
Also putting out cotton with peppermint essential oil (you can get it at Whole Foods, as well, in the beauty section - I got the Aura Cacia brand, which I have used in the past for mixing scented massage oils). Caulking spots in the brick tomorrow, although I feel like this really should be the dorm manager's problem and not ours ...
Posted by: Kirsten | June 27, 2010 at 01:17 AM
mice supposedly don't like red pepper cloves or spearmint or pepermint and you can also put ammonia in lids under sinks and child free places if you have little ones i i souldn't recommend using ammonia mice thinks it's a prediter's urine. I put red pepper and cloves in cheese cloth around camper I'll let you know nature Girl
Posted by: Julie Peterdon | August 23, 2010 at 03:12 PM
It would be interesting to know if the peppermint oil thing really worked for you long term. I had rats in my attic for 18 years, I tried peppermint, sonic devices, predator urine, trapping, etc. No luck. The only way I got rid of them was putting some squirrel evictor strobe lights up there. But, that would not be practical for use inside your house, only for attics and such. You'll probably have to trap them or use an electric rat zapper. Don't use poison because if they die in your cupboard or somewhere worse, that is far worse than the mice.
Good luck.
Posted by: Randy P. | August 25, 2010 at 01:36 PM
I have a mouse in my kitchen hiding under the a cabinet that had a small hole in it. I am getting oil of pepperment tomorrow. I vccumed up any food scraps but I have a toddler thet leanves food everywhere so its hard to find it all. but the time being I have 4 cats in the house so the mouse is kinda screwed. I pulled the oven out and a loose cabinet. whats the thing about a bounce sheet? whats it do? i'm afraid to tell the landlord hes said there should be no mice and its my fault if there are mice in the house. so I gotta fix it before it turns into a mess that can't be fixed. this house was built in 1945 so its an old house and its poorley made.
Posted by: cari | December 10, 2010 at 01:26 AM
Peppermint Oil (the essential oil) working so far and am thrilled!!! Have a mouse (or 10?) who's been coming into the kitchen..I only really discovered him last night. Recently I've heard a bit of noise in the walls, but pretty subtle until last night when he went crazy. A full on racket in the kitchen the whole night (He didn't pop out but he smashed around behind the cupboard-under the sink, in the wall and just under the hardwood floor, right beneath my feet!). I freaked--this am, l got the oil as fast as I could, laid it out and it worked! I actually heard it working--I heard him travelling in the wall, bold and noisy, then as he was just about to come down into the kitchen area where the smell would really hit him, I heard him make a long, loud, cheep noise and head back in the opposite direction and out of my unit. He tried a few more times over the next couple of hours...no cheeping, but everytime he turned back and now it's been hrs of silence--what a relief!
I used a combo of the oil on peppermint tea bags in some places, and the oil on cotton balls in others..I put quite a bit of oil on-the place smells like peppermint oil but very worth it. I'm more concerned that the scent will subside and he'll be back in here, like tomorrow.. Planning to re-scent once a week..(and possibly in less than a week at first so he knows it's serious and he should go somewhere else)
Posted by: sue16 | February 24, 2011 at 01:59 AM
If your methods for stopping mice infestation are not working, then it is time to call in the big guns so to speak. Sometimes a professional may be the only one to be able to rid you of rodent infestation and get it done quickly.
Posted by: rat removal | March 29, 2011 at 12:18 PM
For those using mouse traps, use snickers bars as the bait, they smush on better and they work. Peanut butter they lick off clean...who knows how. I am going to try the peppermint avenue. I have a spot in the yard where it grows uncontrollably so I am going to try an make my own concoction. I figure I might make a whole bunch of stuff from it like mouse deterrent, cleaning solutions, etc. I also have read it works as a flea repellent ( I have a dog). Fingers crossed.
Posted by: lorrie | April 05, 2011 at 09:27 AM
Cleaned house top to bottom (even moved furniture etc.) Tried the peppermint oil (5 drops on each cotton ball) and peppermint oil burner through the house but to no avail. They are still running around. Think I am going to have to try traps, yuck.
Posted by: Tamara | April 09, 2011 at 02:24 AM
Paper and Tray Glue boards - This is, hands down, the easiest and safest mouse and rat trap. Especially if you have children and pets. Just place these traps along a wall or in a corner until a mouse or rat comes along.
Mouse / Rat Snap Traps - There are many types of snap traps on the market, but the most common are the basic pull back and set style, and the all so popular, and very effective expanded trigger versions. The wider trigger paddle increases the catch rate immensely.
Posted by: mice removal | June 02, 2011 at 09:46 PM
A really good, America grown and produced source for REAL and PURE Peppermint Oil: www.peppermintjim.com
I get all my mint products with them and they ROCK! It doesn't compare to the cheap stuff at the store and the prices are not bad at all. Supports the farmer too!
Posted by: Elisa | June 10, 2011 at 03:25 PM
I've been using 100% essential peppermint oil in only one room in my house for about 4 months now (after I saw a mouse in that one room), and it seems the mouse (or mice) have been everywhere but that one room ever since I started. Granted, I've been heavily saturating that room with the peppermint oil. I've been burning small portions of the oil using a diffuser twice a week, as well as placing cotton balls soaked with the oil. The room and everything in it smells very distinctly of peppermint, and I love it. I've even placed mice poison in that one room along with other rooms in my house. The only tray of mouse food that hasn't been touched is the one in the room that has been blasted with peppermint oil. But I would have to agree that the oil is only going to work if you are committed to reapplying it frequently.
Posted by: IHateMice | June 14, 2011 at 05:15 AM
Mice ma be able to lick the PB off the glue trays because of the oils in the PB. I know that to get gum out your hair or off of fabric you rub it with PB and it comes off. The snickers does sound like a better idea. I saw a rat outside today. DO NOT want it to come inside at all. More concerned about making sure it or they get out of my yard. I have a small garden that I don't want them hanging around. My husband is going to bring some pine oil home cause he has at work and I will be drenching my yard with it. We already use peppermint oil and clove oil to keep away roaches. I put the clove oil in my mop water and I put some in a spray bottle with the peppermint oil and some rubbing alcohol and spray heavily around windows, doors both inside and outside.
Posted by: RattyBamBam | July 26, 2011 at 10:58 AM
Had a mouse in a room in a vacation trailer last year so put peppermint oil (the full-strength stuff, got at GNC because I read about it here on this blog!) on some cotton balls and placed in each corner of the room.
After about two hours, looked in and the mouse was sitting right in the middle of the room, apparently trying to keep as far away from the cotton balls as possible.
I guess the stuff really overwhelms them as the mouse was not in very good shape - I walked over to it and just poked it with my foot and it fell over, its legs kicking sluggishly. I scooped it up in a container and took it outside and released it about 500m away but I'm not sure how well it did (it didn't struggle at all).
So for me, the peppermint oil works - and I haven't seen any more mice signs since!
Posted by: NotMickeysFriend | August 14, 2011 at 02:45 AM
I don't have cats and live in a wooded area with lots of mice. We moved here about a year ago and have caught 2 mice in a trap. I hate that we had to kill them so I started looking around for alternatives to help keep them out. I placed small glass dishes of peppermint oil around the areas I saw mice and it worked. I have not seen any mice since! I am so happy - I got my oil from www.100PureEssentialoils.com
Posted by: Julie Livingston | August 30, 2011 at 02:19 PM