15 Smells That Mice Hate to Keep Them Away From Your Home For Good

By: Emily Benda Gaylord

Mice are a common household pest that can be difficult to get rid of. If the thought of using traps makes your stomach turn, there are more humane ways, such as scent repellents to deal with the issue before it gets out of hand. The best part? You likely have some of these items in your home already

We spoke with pest control experts to learn what scents repel and keep mice out of your house. Read on to learn more.

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Meet the Expert

• Brett Bennett is the director of operations of PURCOR Pest Solutions.
• Georgios Liakopoulos is a pest control expert from Fantastic Pest Control.

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Tip

“While scents can deter mice from your home, they’re not a fool-proof solution. [Scents] are unlikely to eliminate an infestation,” Georgios Liakopoulos, a pest control expert from Fantastic Pest Control, says. Use these scents as a prevention method to keep mice away instead of relying on smells to get rid of a larger mouse problem.

01 of 15. Cinnamon

 The Spruce / Carson Downing

Rodents hate spicy smells, including the smell of cinnamon. You can use any ground cinnamon you have in your pantry and sprinkle it around areas where you’ve seen or suspect mice.

02 of 15. Vinegar

 The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

White vinegar is a common household pest deterrent for mice and other critters due to its strong, acidic smell. Simply use vinegar to clean around your kitchen and other areas where you’ve seen mice. To make the vinegar’s effects last longer, leave cotton balls soaked in vinegar around your home to repel mice.

03 of 15. Peppermint Oil

 The Spruce / Carson Downing

“The strong menthol aroma of peppermint oil makes mice particularly uncomfortable,” Liakopoulos says.

Soak cotton balls in the essential oil and place them around your home to ward off rodents. You can also put a few drops of peppermint oil in your homemade cleaning solutions to keep the scent fresh around your house.

04 of 15. Ammonia

 The Spruce / Ana Cadena

The strong scent of ammonia is unappealing to many creatures (including humans), but research is unclear if it’s fully effective in repelling mice. High ammonia concentrations are also toxic, so use this one with caution.

05 of 15. Cayenne Pepper

 The Spruce / Carson Downing

Cayenne pepper is another spicy smell that rodents can’t stand. Similar to cinnamon, you can sprinkle cayenne pepper around entry points.

If you have pets and children, however, it may be a better idea to create a solution of cayenne pepper and water in a spray bottle and spritz the pepper water around the house.

06 of 15. Epsom Salt

 The Spruce / Carson Downing

Epsom salt has a bitter scent and can be deterring to mice. Sprinkle the salt around the perimeter of your home, especially at entry points.

You can also fill a bowl with the salt and let it sit in rooms where you suspect mice. Bonus: Epsom salt is an unappealing smell to other pests, such as squirrels.

07 of 15. Mothballs

 The Spruce / Carson Downing

Mothballs are another effective mouse prevention method due to their strong smell, but Liakopoulos cautions against using mothballs if you have pets or children.

“The chemicals in mothballs (naphthalene) are toxic to mice, but also dangerous to humans and pets,” he says.

08 of 15. Eucalyptus Oil

 The Spruce / Carson Downing

Eucalyptus oil works similarly to peppermint oil in repelling mice. Brett Bennett, director of operations of PURCOR Pest Solutions, recommends dabbing a small amount in areas where you’ve noticed mouse activity.

“You can use it around cupboards or closets where you’ve noticed them, or you can use it around spots where you’ve noticed them coming inside,” Bennett says.

09 of 15. Chili Oil

 The Spruce / Carson Downing

Like other spices, chili oil can be used to deter mice. Simply place cotton balls soaked in chili oil around entry points to keep the mice out.

10 of 15. Clove Oil

 tycoon751 / Getty Images

Similar to cinnamon, the strong, spicy smell of cloves is unappealing to mice.

“Clove oil is a powerful deterrent that can be sprayed or applied to cotton balls to repel mice,” Liakopoulos says.

11 of 15. Garlic

 

The Spruce / K. Dave

The strong smell of garlic is also unappealing to mice. You can place garlic cloves near entry points or sprinkle garlic powder in those areas to keep the mice away.

12 of 15. Lavender

 The Spruce / Carson Downing

While lavender smells lovely and is a calming scent for humans, mice think otherwise. To use lavender oil in repelling mice, soak cotton balls or run a diffuser throughout your home.

13 of 15. Onions

 The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

The same scent compound in garlic (organic sulfur) is also in onions, making them another mouse deterrent.

Simply place onion peels in areas where you suspect mouse activity.

14 of 15. Bergamot

 The Spruce / Carson Downing

Bergamot is another essential oil that mice hate. You can soak cotton balls in the oil and place them around your home, or run a diffuser in your home with a water-diluted solution of the oil.

15 of 15. Cedarwood Oil

 The Spruce / Carson Downing

Cedarwood is another essential oil with an unpleasant smell to mice as well as other pests.

You can try dabbing the oil on kitchen cabinets or near entry points to keep mice away.

Tips for Using Smells to Deter Mice

• Replace frequently. Smells may lose their strength after some time so refresh the repellents as needed. 
• Use cotton balls. Soaking cotton balls in the solution is a great way to have a highly concentrated smell.
• Incorporate repellents into your cleaning products. You can add a few drops of essential oils to your homemade cleaners so the scent stays fresh within your home.

Other Tactics to Use Against Mice

Unappealing smells are just one method to repel mice, and experts say scents should be combined with other mouse-prevention methods for the best results. 

• Seal cracks and holes in your walls and floors. Pest experts say this is the most important thing to do when you suspect mice.
• Use traps. There are more humane traps you can use that contain the mice until you release them outside.
• Don’t leave food and water out. This includes pet food and water!
• Call a pest control expert. One or two mice can quickly turn into several if the problem isn’t addressed promptly. Enlist the help of a pest control pro if you’re unable to get rid of the mice quickly.
• Get a cat. Bennett says adopting a cat can be a more effective mouse deterrent than you may think. “This won’t work for everyone, of course, but cats in general can be great deterrents, even more so if your cat is a decent mouser,” he said.

Tip

Liakopoulos cautions against using rodent poison to get rid of mice without the supervision of a pro. “Once [the poison] is consumed, mice will hide between walls and under floors and die. It’s much more expensive and difficult to deal with dead rodents, so better leave the poison to a certified rodent exterminator,” he says.

FAQ

• Can epsom salt deter mice?
  • Epsom salt has an unpleasant smell to mice, which may help deter them from your home. However, the best method to fully eradicate mice is to seal up cracks or crevices where mice may get into your house.
• Do dryer sheets deter mice?
  • Bennett says dryer sheets will not deter mice, despite popular belief. “Personally, I’ve seen mice use dryer sheets as nesting material more than I’ve seen them repelled by the scent,” he says.
• What’s the best homemade mouse repellent?
  • The best homemade mouse repellent is a solution of water and peppermint oil. Peppermint oil is strong and unappealing to mice and is still effective even when watered down or combined with homemade cleaning solutions.

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