Mice have a sensitive sense of smell and can be deterred by scents they dislike, including peppermint oil and cayenne pepper. You can make cheesecloth sachets with these and cloves and stash them in places mice like to hide.

The sachets can also contain ammonia, which the mice perceive as the urine of a possible predator. Ammonia can be placed around the house and in other areas, mice frequently.

Peppermint Oil

Whether used on cotton balls or mixed into a spray, peppermint oil can help keep mice away from your home. The natural extract produces a strong smell that’s easily detectable by mice. It’s important to follow a full home mouse control plan that includes thoroughly cleaning, sealing and sanitizing food, vents, pipes and holes in the walls and floors.

Mice have poor vision and rely on their sense of smell to navigate. The intense menthol scent of peppermint oil irritates and repels their nasal cavities. The smell also covers rodent pheromone trails, so mice will have trouble finding their way around your home. It’s also not a favored scent for ants, fruit flies or spiders so it can be used as a multi-purpose deterrent.

Ammonia

If you don’t want to set traps or use poison, there are many natural remedies that you can try. These home remedies are often safer for pets and children than traps or poison, but they may not be effective in all cases.

One option is to spray ammonia around areas where mice are suspected of entering your house, such as the pantry or under the sink. This solution mimics the scent of predator urine, which is toxic to mice if inhaled. It is also dangerous for kids and pets to touch, so it is important that you only spray in ventilated areas. Other natural repellents include peppermint oil, rotten onions, and clove oil. 

Steel Wool

Mice can fit their bodies through tiny holes and cracks in your home, making them invasive and difficult to eliminate. Using steel wool is an easy and safe way to block entry points, deterring mice from entering your home.

It is also a good option for places that cannot be treated with sprays or traps, such as outdoors, where mice are more likely to nest and find food. However, copper mesh tends to be more effective than steel wool because the sharp edges of copper can give rodents an electric shock when they come into contact with it.

Another effective and natural way to ward off mice is soaking cotton balls in peppermint or clove essential oil. Place these sachets in areas mice frequently use, such as under sinks, inside drawers and pantries, and near entrance points.

Mothballs

Having an infestation of mice inside the home can be an extremely irritating experience. While the best mice removal method is to repair exterior rodent entry points, several other home remedies can help with a more limited situation.

Clove essential oil is a simple and inexpensive option that can be used to deter mice. Simply soaking cotton balls in the oil and placing them around entry points will cause mice to run away from the area.

Mothballs are another effective mouse repellant that can be found at most stores. However, they contain naphthalene, which can be toxic if inhaled by children or pets. Therefore, they should only be used when other, less hazardous methods have failed. Additionally, their effectiveness may be reduced when placed outdoors.

Cinnamon

There are several different home remedies that people claim will repel mice. Many of these use things you already have around the house, like peppermint oil, cloves, rotten onions, and bay leaves. Others are more involved, such as using moth balls, cayenne pepper, ultrasonic plug-in deterrents, and other natural substances that are said to drive mice away.

Mice and rats cannot stand the strong smell of peppermint oil, so placing a few drops around your home will help keep them away. Clove oil is also another scent that has been reported to repel mice, as is cinnamon.

This spice is an effective rodent repellent and can also kill the harmful fungi that cause diseases in certain plants. This makes it a good choice for gardeners as well as homeowners.