DIY: Natural Mouse Repellent

Mouse Repellent

This natural mouse repellent is effective against rodents and other pests. It is made of natural ingredients that work together to keep rodents away.

I have no desire to kill mice.  For one thing, handling dead mice is no pleasure.  For another, I do my best to treat all creatures with compassion.  That said, I had a hard time feeling compassion for the mouse that was scuffling around inside my wall, obviously making itself at home while chewing up the structure and depositing unsanitary droppings.

Placing my cats in front of the wall had no effect – the cats ignored the mouse and the mouse just kept on partying.

After researching humane mousetraps I bought one that catches them live and then allows you to release them outdoors.  In October, November, and December it caught no mice.  Probably a good sign – as this may be an indication the mouse repellent pouches are working.  Also, I haven’t heard Wall Party Mousie since setting out the pouches.

The natural mouse repellent getting rave reviews online, Fresh Cab, is not sold or delivered to Canada and I couldn’t find anything similar in this country.

So I researched the Fresh Cab ingredients and made my own Mouse Repellent Pouches.

I made about 30 pouches for my 1000 sq ft house.  In early October I placed the pouches in my attic, the crawl space, beside my furnace (where the pipe holes go to into the crawl space), and near the doorway on the porch.  Anywhere that mice are likely to enter. I spaced the pouches about 15 feet apart in attic and crawl space.

Since these pouches are made with essential oils and corn cobs I believe they are safe around pets and people.  However, some people might have sensitivities to certain essential oils.

It’s the Balsam Fir oil that the mice don’t like.  You can add some other essential oils to enhance the smell if the Balsam Fir smell isn’t your favorite.

Materials

Makes approximately 15 pouches

  • 3 Cups Corn Cob pet bedding
  • (1) 1 fl. Oz/30ml bottle Balsam Fir essential oil
  • Light to medium weight fabric
  • Thread
  • Optional:  other essential oils that you like the smell of such as orange, lemon, rosemary.

Instructions:

1)      Place 3 cups of the corn cobs into a large bowl.

2)      Add the entire bottle of Balsam Fir oil to the corn cobs by sprinkling a few tablespoons at a time and mixing thoroughly.  Optional:  sprinkle some other essential oils to make it smell the way you want.

3)      Cut the fabric into rectangles or squares approximately 6” x 7” in size. I used an old fabric that had wax spilled all over it.

4)      Place about 3 heaping tablespoons of the corn cob mix onto the fabric.

5)      Fold the pouch over and push all the corn cob stuff together then carefully sew around the corn cob mix to enclose it in a pouch. They don’t have to be pretty. The smell will be very strong while you’re sewing and the oil will get on your hands so you may want to wear gloves.

Alternatively, you could sew the pouches almost closed before adding the corn cob mix, then add the mix with a funnel, then sew them closed by hand. Too much work for me!

6)      Place the pouches where mice are likely to enter your house, garage, attic, shed, or vehicle.  Look for gaps or holes in walls, ceilings and floors.

Mouse Repellent

Mouse Control Tip

Place steel wool in any cracks where mice might enter. They eat right through pink insulation. If the gap needs to be insulated you can use a combination of steel wool and insulation.

The essential oil smell dissipates over time, so I think I’m going to have to replace the pouches next fall.  There is still lots of corn cob bedding left in the bag that I bought so I’ll only have to purchase more Balsam Fir essential oil.

Do I know if this is going to work in the long term?  Only time will tell. For now it’s a better solution than a bunch of squished dead mice in traps.