Using Peppermint Oil to Deter Mice

Using peppermint oil to deter mice is no myth, it’s incredibly effective. It’s also a safe and natural way to deter mice from areas in your home, shed, or anywhere else you think they are going.

I always advise using humane methods of removing mice. I know as well as anyone how much of a problem wild mice or house mice can cause, but there are ways to deter them from your home without using pest control or traps to kill them.

In this article I will cover some ways you can use peppermint oil to deter mice from entering your home, garden, shed, and anywhere else you want to keep them away from.

How Does Peppermint Oil Deter Mice?

While peppermint oil smells nice and fresh to us, mice hate the scent. Mice have a much stronger sense of smell too so not only is it an annoying scent to them it’s multiplied.

It also masks the scents and pheromone trails mice leave everywhere they go. With poor eyesight, mice rely on other senses to find their way around and avoid danger, peppermint makes this very difficult for them.

It also irritates their eyes. Not in a painful or horrible way. Much like it does for us if we get too close to peppermint, but it’s another thing that confuses them and will make them avoid the area you’ve sprayed.

Mice are very stubborn, curious, and in the need for food will push through a lot of scents they hate, but peppermint is by far the best in my experience.

How to Use Peppermint Oil to Repel Mice

There are a few different ways to use peppermint oil. Being a natural and nice smelling solution I find it much easier to use freely than a harsh chemical product too, which is nice.

Try one or more of the following:

Cleaning solution –  Peppermint essential oil is great for cleaning. You get to clean up and protect an area from mice – perfect.

Just add a few drops with a little water in a spray bottle and use generously in any areas you want to be mice-free.

Concentrate in the areas you’ve seen evidence of mice. Such as droppings, footprints, chewed items, etc.

Cotton balls – Try soaking cotton balls in peppermint oil and placing them at entry points to rooms, sheds, etc where mice are going.

The cotton holds onto the scent for a long time and used at entry points makes a roadblock that will cause the mouse to make a quick u-turn.

Mint plants – If you’re green fingered why not start growing some mint plants. It’s not as strong as using oil but I’ve used mint plants to keep mice out of my garden and it worked.

They are easy plants to grow in pots around the home, you can pick off leaves for cooking, and rub the scent on things. Pretty versatile and fun way to deal with mice.