What Scent Will Keep Mice Away?

We all know this line from a certain festive poem: “Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse” — which is how it should be.

If you want to keep mice away from your home this Yuletide season – and throughout the rest of the year – you might be surprised at the different scents that have been known to deter them.

This month at Pest Defence, we’re going to explore mice deterrents and the scents they don’t like, so that you can keep your home as clean and cosy as in the classic Christmas poem.

Mice have a powerful sense of smell!

Rodents in general are known for their keen sense of smell, dedicating a full 1% of their overall DNA to their olfactory receptors. This powerful sense has been developed to help them both sniff out their next meal as well as to warn them of predators.

Science has also revealed that mice, and the wider rodent family, have a secondary organ for detecting smells: the vomeronasal pathway. This utilises chemosensory perception to create responses to different stimuli. 

Do mice avoid certain smells?

Because the mouse has developed a powerful survival mechanism, it’s sometimes possible to use this in order to naturally deter them from your home or business premises. If your food attracts them, then it stands to reason that any smell they don’t like should repel them.

It’s often the stronger scents that mice don’t like. That’s because they tend to overpower their excellent sniffing skills, causing them to give certain areas a wide berth.

It should be stated, however, that this alone may not be enough, and we recommend sealing gaps and holes as well as ensuring you aren’t leaving any food in the open that would attract them.

You can find additional resources on the topic of mice and rodents in our Help & Advice area if you’d like to learn more about how to keep mice away.

What smells do mice hate?

Now you know that mice hate certain smells, it’s time to find out which ones you might be able to use to your advantage. Here are a selection of scents – some more festive than others – that could help you in keeping mice at bay:

• Peppermint oil -This menthol smell is known to be a good repellent, along with spearmint and the mint plant itself, so you have a few options available to you.
• Cinnamon – Another festive fragrance that you might be able to try while not offending your own nasal passage. Cinnamon is a slightly cosier proposition.
• Cloves/clove oil – Some people have found the smell of cloves works to irritate and put off mice.
• Chilli oil or powder – Mice aren’t big fans of chilli, so if you don’t mind the smell, it could come in handy as a deterrent.
• Lavender – Lavender in a spray or just the plant itself is a pleasant smell for homes that can be used to keep mice away.
• Vinegar – Do mice hate the smell of vinegar? Yes, but this is a pretty pungent scent to use, so be sure to mix it with water to avoid an overpowering smell in your home.
• Citronella – While known to work on insects, citronella candles and sprays could also be useful in the home to put mice off.
• Chemicals – Cleaning chemicals that you would use naturally should also signal to mice that they’re not welcome, which is why it’s important to stay on top of household hygiene.

Trusted pest control for mice

Has this advice come too late for you? Have you tried these mouse-repellent techniques but still seem to have problems with mice? Then it’s time to call on the expertise of trusted pest controllers. At Pest Defence, we have decades of experience in mouse pest control and mouse removal, restoring order to both homes and businesses.

Don’t put up with it any longer, get rid of mice with our mouse control services performed discreetly by our qualified and accredited team for swift results. We can deploy a variety of techniques, including traps and rodenticides depending on the severity of the mouse infestation at your property.

Wherever you are in London and Essex – including Brentwood, Chelmsford and Colchester – call us today and book an appointment with our team.