Using Strong Smells as a Mouse Repellent

Mice have an exceptionally good sense of smell. Find out what scents will keep the mice away by using this keen sense of smell against them.

Are you looking for a way to get rid of mice without using traps or poison?

Did you know there are many household products that can be used to effectively repel mice and keep them out of your home?

Strong odors like mothballs and ammonia help repel mice.

There are also a few good commercially available mouse repellent products that were designed to be easy to use & safe around children and pets.

How To Use Strong Smells To Keep The Mice Out Of Your Home

There are many smells that will naturally repel mice. Mice hate any odor with a very strong ammonia or chemical smell.  Since they rely so heavily on their sense of smell, they will avoid areas that irritate and possibly damage their nasal passages.

The key to using strong-smelling items to repel mice is to put them in the locations where a mouse may enter your home. 

The goal is to repel the mice before they come inside.

If you already have mice living inside your home, then this method will not be strong enough to get them to leave. It works very effectively however in preventing mice and rodents from entering your home.

Here are some common household products that you can use to prevent mice from taking up residence in your home.

1.  Using Moth Balls As A Mouse Repellent

I have had excellent success in deterring mice in my kitchen where I happened to store some mothballs.

I had a terrible problem when I first moved into my house here on the farm. It seems they had been living here happily for some time, so I needed to correct the problem & fast before they started to multiply!

I set about buying lots of traps, which had always worked for me in the past. And it worked again, I was catching lots of mice, but more kept coming.

Then about 2 months later, I purchased mothballs for a completely separate reason & stored the open container under my sink. Surprise, surprise…no more mice!! I kept checking the traps, but they were empty. It finally dawned on me, it was the mothballs that were keeping the mice out of my house.

Eventually, the smell dissipated & the mice returned. But the mothballs worked as a fantastic mouse deterrent. For this to work as a long-term strategy you will need to replace the mothballs every 3-6 months.

CAUTION:  Mothballs are toxic, so if you are at all concerned that a curious child or pet would try to eat them, consider another option for areas where they may explore.   After all, the safety of your family should be your number one concern.  

But if you have mice in your attic or basement that are largely unoccupied, storing mothballs in these areas can be an effective solution. Also – as with all toxic substances, be sure to read all instructions closely and follow the safety precautions on the labeling.

Where to Buy the Old Fashioned Moth Balls

Look for the old-fashioned moth balls in your local hardware store.  Some stores will still carry them in the pest control area.  

I had a little trouble finding them at first since not all stores carry them. But I did also find the Old Fashioned Moth Balls for sale online at Amazon.  

Enoz also makes a new product – Moth Ball Stations that come in a plastic enclosure. This makes it even easier to use to repel mice.

The plastic has ventilation holes that allow the scent to carry through the infested area. 

This is such a great idea since you don’t have to make your own container.  They come six to a pack which is perfect to get rid of mice in the average-sized home.  

Please still use caution & place them out of reach of children or pets.

2.  Using Ammonia As An Effective Mouse Repellent

Ammonia is another smell that can send mice running in the other direction. The reason ammonia works so well is the mouse interprets this smell as the predator’s urine.  They are not as likely to enter areas that their predators frequent.

You can use ammonia in a similar way as the mothballs.  Place a small amount in a glass or jar near the places a mouse is coming or going.

I personally do not use this method since it I don’t want it to accidentally spill or get knocked over.

The places mice frequent are in corners, along the back of cabinets & closets. So an open container of anything in the back of my closet is eventually going to get knocked over. It is also not safe to leave it unattended in homes with pets or children.

However, I do use ammonia to clean areas where mice have been living.

Ammonia is very effective in removing stains and smells after mice have been habituating in an area. I have found it is one of the best ways to clean mouse droppings.

And the fact that any of the remaining residue repels mice is a bonus. The ammonia can also help to remove & mask the pheromone trail left in the areas that mice travel.

When you are cleaning with ammonia please do take precautions. Make sure the room has proper ventilation or open the window, wear gloves & remove pets or children from the location temporarily. Once you are done, go outside & get a nice breath of fresh air.

CAUTION:  Never mix ammonia with bleach as this will create a toxic chemical reaction.

3.  Using Fabric Softener Sheets To Repel Mice

If you just can’t stand the smell of mothballs especially in your kitchen & don’t want to use ammonia, fabric softener sheets are also known to be an effective mouse repellent. Since they can be laid flat or squeezed into small spaces, they are a flexible solution.

A few good ideas are to use them to line the bottom of cabinets or you can use a pencil to push them in any cracks between the shelves & the wall.

I use them all the time in the bottom of my trash can to keep it fresh. This way you get 2 benefits in one – they make the trash can smell nice & keep the mice away at the same time.

4.  Using Peppermint Is Another Natural Way to Repel Mice

The strong menthol odor in peppermint is what bothers the mouse. Peppermint oil can be applied to cotton or wool balls then placed in the areas where mice may enter the home.

Commercially available peppermint oil sprays are popular for use in outdoor areas, garages, or vehicles to keep the mice away. The sprays are easier to apply in larger areas.

Peppermint (and other essential oils) is used is so widely used as a natural pest control agent, we dedicated an entire article to it.  See Using Peppermint Oil as a Natural Mouse Repellent.

Commercial Solutions To Repel Mice Naturally

There are also quite a few products on the market that have packaged solutions to keep the mice away.

The great thing about these solutions is they are tried & tested by thousands of customers.

Most are also designed to be pet & child-safe ways to repel mice.

Another great reason to use a commercially designed product to deter or repel mice is you don’t have to figure out how much to use or how often to refresh the mouse repellent of your choice.

Commercially available products go through rigorous testing procedures and have specific instructions for you to follow to get the best results.

So if you are looking for a safe & easy way to get rid of mice naturally, then one of these solutions may be your answer.

5.  Fresh Cab All-Natural Rodent Repellent.

Fresh Cab is a mouse repelling product made by Earthkind.  The tagline on their website is “preserve the good, prevent the rest” which pretty much sums it up.  

The Fresh Cab product is actually little pouches of their patented material about 3-5 inches big. The pouches are sold in packs of 4 or 12. One pouch covers 125 square feet & lasts up to 90 days for mouse prevention.

—->> Earth Kind Fresh Cab Rodent Repellent (4 Pouch Box)

—->>6 Pack – Earth Kind Fresh Cab Natural Botanical Rodent Repellant, Mouse Pouch

Simply place the pouches around your house in areas where you want to keep mice out or where they are known to travel. This is a safe & effective way to keep the mice away!

6.  Shake-Away Rodent Repellent Granules

The Shake-Away granules are a 100% organic pest repellent. The product is a combination of natural oils that irritate the rodent’s nervous system so they will not take up residence anywhere near where you spread the granules.

And as a bonus – they are successful at deterring all types of rodents, not just mice. It will also repel moles, shrews, chipmunks, squirrels & more. If you live in an area that has field mice outdoors, it’s likely you have other rodents as well.

You can read more about them here:  Shake Away 28.5 oz Rodent Repellant Granules

The granules can be sprinkled around outdoor areas or if you want to use them indoors, they also have a Stocking Ball Kit that includes everything needed to create your own pouches for indoor use.

Shake-Away is a completely natural rodent repellent that is safe to use around your pets.  

They also carry a new product “Shake-Away Indoor Mouse Repellent”. These are little green packs of mouse repellent. This is another ready-to-use solution. Simply place the packs where ever you want to keep the mice away.

Summary Of Mouse Repellents

As you can see there are several ways to repel mice from your house.  If you live in an area known to be visited by mice, take a few preventative measures and you will never have to worry about using traps or poison.

Whether you decide to use DIY mouse repellents or one of the ready-made solutions, you will be glad you did.  It’s so much easier to prevent the mice from coming inside than trying to get them out once they’ve come inside.  

Not only does it save time and money, but it will go a long way to bring you peace of mind for your family and pets.

Need more ways to repel mice?  Another popular solution is the ultrasonic mouse repeller.  See our latest article exploring the pros and cons of these pest repellers.