Mouse-Free House ~ Naturally

I remember when I was young and woke in the early hours of the morning with a mouse running across my face.  I was obviously in it's path to get in!  Of course that was an old farm house we had just moved into and had not gotten it sealed up properly yet. My scream at that moment of assumed attack brought my brothers rushing to my room fight off whatever intruder there was!  So I have a vivid reason of why I do not want a repeat performance!  

Even though I did not appreciate that little mouse visiting, I realize it was doing what was natural, so I want a natural solution to keep them outside where they belong.  I think I've found it!  Read on please.


With season changes come an influx of critters trying to weasel their way into your homes in search of food and warmth. Although Remi from Ratatouille may have us all temporarily feeling sympathetic for rodents, they're the last thing you want in your home this winter.

The best way to prevent mice from choosing your house as their nesting ground is to seal all holes and keep food out of sight. If they don't have anything to munch on, they'll keep moving on to the next home. But if you've done all that you can, and mice still seem to be finding a way into your home, some of these unusual mice repellents may keep them at bay. These methods are wacky so be sure to educate yourself on all the health warnings around these tips before you try them in your home. While we want to get rid of those little rodents, your health is always top priority! Safer is better.

Here are some tips that I was really looking for!

These ideas are from homesessive.com.

Peppermint
Combine water and peppermint extract and spray in problem areas. Mice detest mint, so start using it everywhere! Planting mint outside, and switching to mint scented cleaning solutions can drastically help keep them away.

Soda Pop or Flour/Baking Soda/Sugar Mixture
Kind of a sad one, because it will kill the rodent, but a solution nonetheless. Why not try another solution first? Soda, or a mixture of flour baking soda and sugar are rumored to solve your rodent problems.  Mice cannot burp or pass gas, so the bubbly solutions will kill them.

Tabasco, Water, and Laundry Detergent
Create a solution made from these products and spray around your yard in areas where the little creatures have been spotted.

Dryer Sheets
Just as my mother-in-law said! Dryer sheets serve as a pretty commonly known repellent since mice can't stand the strong smell. Lay them down along door seams and other places mice may be entering.

Ammonia
Since Ammonia is present in urine, sprinkling down some ammonia gives mice the impression that some bigger animal has already marked its territory. Be sure to read the health warnings of ammonia however, it can be very harmful to the health of humans so a less intrusive method like peppermint is probably best.

Strange Noises
There are electronic devices that use high frequency sounds to keep mice away. These are a good alternative to laying down poisonous materials if you have pets and small children. I personally have not had luck with this, but maybe it was just the device I used. Why not give this a try?

Cayenne Pepper
Scatter sachets containing dry versions of this spice around your home and keep mice heading in the opposite direction.

Cloves
Soak cotton balls in an oil made from the spices they hate like peppermint, cayenne pepper and clove, and leave them in areas where mice are spotted.

Toilet Bowl Freshener
Similar to their hatred of dryer sheets, mice don't like the strong sweet artificial odor of a toilet bowl freshener.

From Wiki-How

Keep your home clean. If there is nothing to eat, they will be less likely to stay. Why not go out for dinner instead? Seriously, however, keep all food stored properly in airtight containers and in places that are safe from mouse attack. Use tupperware containers, glass jars, metal tins, whatever it takes to prevent any critter from getting to your dry goods and breads, etc. 

Keep the garbage away.  Normally, most of us keep the garbage can in or near the garage or back steps. This is not good. Keep the garbage can as far as you reasonably can to prevent any furry intruder from thinking the home is the next place to visit. Did you ever see "The Great Outdoors" movie with the late John Candy?  If so, you know what I mean.  Raccoons and mice will love you if you keep it close to the house!

Keep Bird Feeders Clean. Sort of the same advice as the garbage can. Keep the excess seed raked up from the ground and no squirrels, mice, bugs in general,raccoons or bear will be interested in your home or yard.  

Mixture of organic solutions. Companies like http://www.earth-kind.com use blends of organic solutions that would not be cost-effective to purchase for large applications.

A barn owl is the best. A family of barn owls can eat 15 mice a night! Build a shelter box in your garden to attract some onto your property, but make sure the shelter box has no nails or safety hazards; some types of owls are endangered, and you might attract other types of owls than barn owls (if they are hurt, you could be charged a fine and you will be needing to pay the vet bill for the owl)


This one from a 04/19/2012blog "thrifty fun" I ran across:

"We owned and operated a seasonal fishing camp/resort out in the bush. Our cabins, lodge and washroom facilities were basic & simple. It was a summer business. In the fall we closed down, and in came the mice, although we lived year round on site with 5 cats! I tried everything to protect the cabins, house, etc. from the mice! Now you cannot mouse proof over 11 acres of resort out in the bush, can you? Thanks to a old timer bush man we did.

You may laugh out loud at his wisdom on getting rid of mice or other rodents, when you think about how his bush man solution works out in the boonies, with seasonal cabins, a lodge, workshop, garage and our house.

Here it is, and it worked like a charm for us. Rodents love Exlax! Feed them super strength if you can, but I don't think extra strength is sold in chocolate bar form any more. We placed it outside and inside. If we thought a cat or dog could get at it, we covered it so that only a rodent could get in and eat it. Even if a bigger animal did get it, it wasn't deadly.

The old bush man told us. Rodents are smaller, their digestive systems are smaller. A little Exlax goes a long way! Rodents live in communities or families. If one gets sick in "home space". They learn fast and leave for a safer environment.

A mouse and any rodent loves the chocolate wax like bar of Exlax! Add peanut butter to the bars if you like. It is "Dairy Queen Deluxe" for rodents. Once the word is out among fellow rodents about the "after effects" of the food supplied, they leave the area for healthier food, as well as, communicate and smell the "Gastric Distress and Results" of the afflicted Exlax filled rodent to the community!

We thought it was crazy until it worked. The mice were gone and we were trouble free for over 5 years! Easy and Inexpensive! Yes, some rodents had diarrhea as they packed up and left, but we never smelled it. Anyway this worked for us up until we sold the resort and moved!

P.S. - As it looks and tastes like chocolate, DO NOT put where kids, adults or pets may eat it! You know what will happen with Exlax!"

F.Y.I.
Mice can get in through the tiniest openings, like under your sink, where the pipe goes through to the outside. They can also chew through just about anything except steel wool. So take steel wool (Brillo pads work fine, with or without soap, whatever is cheapest) and tear pieces to fit, then stuff them into these openings. The mice will no longer be able to invade your home. 

Again, they don't like Bounce fabric sheets odor. I put them under my sink, in my storage totes (makes everything smell nice when I reopen it later too) and even one in the car. You sure don't want a mouse, let alone a family of mice, in your car!

Good luck and happy rodent free spaces! 

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My personal suggestions and opinions are usually in this green italic type - so in this way you will know when it is me or the person from whom I am inquiring information. 

I usually give you the overall idea of any given post I find, because I base it on my own understanding. Plus I want to give credit where credit is due by sending you to the original authors posting for any extra info. It's only fair.   

I hope this information has been of some help to you. As always, if you would like to add a thought, question, give suggestions for another topic, or make a general suggestion, please post a comment below. Also, please follow / subscribe to this blog.  Thank you!