How To Humanely Rid Your Home Of Mice
Having mice lurking around your home can make you feel unsanitary and frightened. You may have a soft heart, however, and not want to kill the little critters just for seeking out your home for shelter. If you want to get rid of mice but don't want to kill them, use these humane ways to rid your home of these pests for good.
Spice is nice to keep away mice
Mice love to forage, but they won't go near certain areas if they are unsavory to them. Certain spices make mice turn their noses up and flee quickly. Get rid of mice in your cupboards, pantry, and basement (their favorite areas to hang out), by scattering these spices in corners and along shelves:
- peppermint oil rubbed on a napkin
- clove wrapped in cheesecloth
- cayenne pepper sprinkled near food storage
- cinnamon on the floor
These spices irritate a mouse's sensitive nose and make them scurry quickly away. If your home is not appetizing for them to live in, then they will quickly scurry elsewhere.
Tabasco sauce and detergent make for a great mouse deterrent
Create a mixture of Tabasco sauce and liquid detergent (one tablespoon of sauce to a half cup of detergent will do) into a gallon of water. Spray the mixture along the floorboards of your home in your basement and attic, and along the outside of your home's foundation. The taste of this nasty combination will keep mice from trying to eat their way into your home, and is a fabulous natural way to keep them from getting into your home in the first place.
Dryer sheets are not good to eat
If you don't have any steel wool handy to cram into nooks and crannies where mice love to chew their way in, dryer sheets in any scent can work just as well. Mice hate the texture and the flavor, and are also turned off by the strong smell. Dryer sheets can be placed in cupboards, behind microwaves, and underneath refrigerators and stoves as well to keep mice from trying to nest or find food in certain areas of your home.
When you fear you have a mouse problem but don't want to try permanent pest control, using humane methods to keep mice at bay is a great alternative. Use any of these tips to get rid of mice without doing them any real harm, and you can feel great about your home and even better about your pest control methods.