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Mice are a common household pest that can be difficult to get rid of.
Read on to learn more.
The Spruce / Candace Madonna
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Cinnamon
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Rodents hate spicy smells, including the smell of cinnamon.
Simply use vinegar to clean around your kitchen and other areas where youve seen mice.
Peppermint Oil
The strong menthol aroma of peppermint oil makes mice particularly uncomfortable, Liakopoulos says.
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Soak cotton balls in the essential oil and place them around your home to ward off rodents.
High ammonia concentrations are also toxic, so use this one with caution.
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper is another spicy smell that rodents cant stand.
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Similar to cinnamon, it’s possible for you to sprinkle cayenne pepper around entry points.
Epsom Salt
Epsom salt has a bitter scent and can be deterring to mice.
Sprinkle the salt around the perimeter of your home, especially at entry points.
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Bonus: Epsom salt is an unappealing smell to other pests, such as squirrels.
Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus oil works similarly to peppermint oil in repelling mice.
Chili Oil
Like other spices, chili oil can be used to deter mice.
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Simply place cotton balls soaked in chili oil around entry points to keep the mice out.
Garlic
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The strong smell of garlic is also unappealing to mice.
Lavender
While lavender smells lovely and is a calming scent for humans, mice think otherwise.
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To use lavender oil in repelling mice, soak cotton balls or run a diffuser throughout your home.
Simply place onion peels in areas where you suspect mouse activity.
Bergamot
Bergamot is another essential oil that mice hate.
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Liakopoulos cautions against using rodent poison to get rid of mice without the supervision of a pro.
Once [the poison] is consumed, mice will hide between walls and under floors and die.
Epsom salt has an unpleasant smell to mice, which may help deter them from your home.
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Bennett says dryer sheets will not deter mice, despite popular belief.
The best homemade mouse repellent is a solution of water and peppermint oil.
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