Mice and rats are more likely to be a problem in February as they can have trouble finding food in late winter, but preventing them from coming into the house can be incredibly simple.
Many people do not wish to set up traps and have poison in their homes to deal with rodents as it can be dangerous, especially if there are any children or pets in a household.
The experts at Seventh Generation have also shared that killing mice and rats may seem practical but can quickly cause an infestation if you do it close to their breeding season.
They said: “Killing mice won’t get rid of them for long (when animals are killed, more will move in to use available resources) and can actually result in a temporary spike in the food supply, causing remaining rodents to breed.”
Instead, a natural but incredibly effective way to keep these pests out of the home is to play on their sense of smell as they will not enter an area with scents that overwhelm them.
The expert said: “Peppermint oil, cayenne pepper, pepper and cloves. Mice are said to hate the smell of these.
“Lightly soak some cotton balls in oils from one or more of these foods and leave the cotton balls in places where you’ve had problems with mice.”
Rodents have highly sensitive noses and can easily become uncomfortable in a place that has strong smells, especially if the smells are spicy as it will be extremely irritating to them.
Both mice and rats use their sense of smell to look out for predators, so having unusual scents in a home can make them reluctant to enter an area in case it is unsafe.
Many strong-smelling spices, herbs and essential oils can help keep your home pest-free without having to use traps or toxic chemicals.
The expert added: “Another option is to make cheesecloth sachets from dry cayenne, mint, and whole cloves and leave them in places where mice tend to hide, such as under beds and corners.”
However, if you are using natural remedies to deal with mice and rats then it is important to make sure your home seems inhospitable to them.
Make sure there are no food sources exposed in your kitchen and take the time to seal up everything as rodents will be attracted to any food they can find.
It is also important to make sure there is no rubbish that rodents can access, as they can use discarded materials to make nests.
The expert said: “Mice only need a little bit of food and nesting material to make themselves at home. To discourage mice, remove all food sources by storing grains, pet food, and other dry goods in metal containers.
“Make sure mice won’t find nesting material by storing all soft, fluffy material like fabric, rugs and blankets in heavy plastic or metal boxes.”
Taking the time to remove any items rodents might be attracted to, and to have strong scents in your home, is a simple yet very effective method to keep both mice and rats away.