Mice will scurry away for good if you place one natural repellent in your home
While mice might be a delightful sight in the British countryside, or a cherished pet safely housed in a cage, they are less welcome when they decide to inhabit your walls and under floorboards. Despite their adorable appearance, mice are a public health pest and can cause significant harm.
Mice are known carriers of diseases such as Salmonella and Listeria, which they can transmit to humans through their urine, droppings and bedding. As they scuttle about on your countertops, cupboards and tables, they can spread dirt and bacteria.
They also cause considerable property damage due to their compulsive need to gnaw, putting your electric cables, doors, skirting boards and floorboards all at risk.
Fortunately, there is a clever natural solution that avoids the need to spend large sums on traps and helps keep them away from your home.
Peppermint oil has emerged as a popular method for deterring mice from your home.
Mice find the smell of peppermint overpowering and disorientating as the potent aroma masks their pheromones on their pathways.
Consequently, it will discourage the pests from entering your house, according to lifestyle blogger The Kitchn, reports the Express.
The blogger suggests mixing two teaspoons of 100% peppermint oil with every 230 ml of water in a small spray bottle. You can then spray this solution anywhere you have spotted mice.
You can also apply the oil directly onto cotton balls and place these in areas prone to mice.
You can purchase 100 ml bottles of peppermint essential oil on Amazon for a mere £6.59.
However, it's worth noting that if mice have made themselves at home inside your property, the scent of peppermint alone won't persuade them to vacate their nest.
More drastic measures may be required to rid your home of these unwelcome visitors.
A pest control whizz also shared an easy trick - using peppermint oil - to deter wasps and ensure a wasp-free abode in the warmer months.
Wasps and hornets have an aversion to the scent of mint, which suggests that scattering mint around your residence could serve as an effective natural deterrent. Clancy Bros Pest Control also recommended the use of peppermint oil to achieve the same result – simply by applying a few drops of the oil onto a cotton ball.
Cleaning guru Chantel Mila disclosed her method of using peppermint oil on cotton balls tucked beneath her bin liner to fend off insects and unpleasant smells.
She further advised placing them in your vacuum cleaner to fill your entire house with a peppermint fragrance that bugs, including wasps, cannot stand.
Mila informed her 1.6 million TikTok followers that she positions mint in water-filled jars near her windows to prevent flies from entering her home, and cleans her walls and floors with orange oil to repel spiders, which loathe the aroma.
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