While mice may be an exciting sight in the British countryside, or a popular housemate which safely contained in a cage, they are less popular when they take up residence in your walls and under floorboards. While they may look cute, mice are a public health pest and can cause serious harm.
Mice have been known to spread diseases such as Salmonella and Listeria to humans through their urine, droppings and bedding. As they scurry around on your countertops, cabinets and tables, they can carry dirt and bacteria with them. They also cause a lot of property damage thanks to their compulsive need to file their teeth. This puts your electric cables, doors, skirting boards and floorboards all at risk. Luckily, however, there is an ingenious natural solution which avoids the need to spend large amounts of money on traps as it helps keeping them far from your house.
Peppermint oil has become a popular solution for keeping mice away from your home.
Mice find the smell of peppermint overwhelming and confusing as the strong scent masks their pheromones on their pathways. As a result, it will deter the pests from entering your house, according to lifestyle blogger The Kitchn.
The blogger suggests to combine in a small spray bottle two teaspoons of 100% peppermint oil for every 230 ml of water. Then you can spray this solution anywhere you have seen mice.
You can also dab the oil straight onto cotton balls and place these in mouse-prone areas.
100 ml bottles of peppermint essential oil can be bought on Amazon for as little as £6.59.
It should be noted, however, that if mice are actually living inside your home, the smell of peppermint is not going to convince them to abandon their nest. You may need to take more drastic actions to eradicate these unwanted houseguests.
