Most dryer sheets are made of polyester that is covered with positively charged ions and has a strong fragrance. While that fragrance may smell pleasant to you, it is repugnant to mice, so they stay away. So, while using dryer sheets won't kill the mice in your house, it will repel them.
Although they can keep mice away for some time, dryer sheets should not be used as a long-term solution to prevent mice from entering a home. House mice are adaptable creatures; it will only take a few days for them to get used to the smell of dryer sheets.
Mothballs - Contain naphthalene and may deter mice when used in strong enough doses. Ammonia - Mimics the odor of predators' urine and can act as a repellent. Peppermint Oil, Cayenne Pepper, or Cloves - Have strong scents that may repel mice.
The smell of ammonia and mothballs can be unpleasant, so fabric softener sheets allow you to have a breath of fresh air while still repelling these pesky mice. This is one of the major smells that mice hate.
Mice hate the sound and smell of aluminum foil.
They also can't grip onto it, despite generally being good climbers. If you want to use aluminum foil to keep mice away naturally, wrap it around the objects you want to protect. Mice will avoid them completely.
Woven wire mesh, an effective rodent-proofing material
One of the most effective ways to keep mice and rats out of your home is to install wire mesh screens at all of the entry points they might use. The mesh is usually made of iron and can be adapted to control different types of pests.
Best Overall: Bounce Dryer Sheets
They even said that after the sheets lost their scent, they used them for their intended purpose as dryer sheets. How cool is that? We love Bounce Dryer sheets for their lovely fragrance. So although mice hate this smell, your house will smell like the Great Outdoors.
As it turns out, there are several smells that these pests cannot stand, which means you can use them to your advantage. But what exactly do mice and rats hate to smell? Mice can be kept away by using the smells of peppermint oil, cinnamon, vinegar, citronella, ammonia, bleach, and mothballs.
Peppermint Oil
As a result, mice and others will avoid the smell. If you want something other than a pre-made peppermint-scented repellent, you can use scented cotton balls or create a water and peppermint oil spray.
Zinc phosphide is an acute toxicant that causes the death of a house mouse within several hours after a lethal dose is ingested. It appears to be the fastest way of getting rid of mice by reducing their population.
A: No. Mice are relatively smart, and even if the smell of this pesticide near their nest or in a trap bothered them, they would simply find a way around them. Besides, mothballs used outdoors could contaminate plants, soil and water.
Irish Spring Soap has a strong fragrance that helps to repel mice. Their sharp sense of smell finds this fragrance to be too strong. Many testers say that putting soap shavings strategically keeps their home mice free. However, some others say the mice ate the shavings, and it made no difference.
Seal any holes you find to stop rodents from entering. Fill small holes with steel wool. Put caulk around the steel wool to keep it in place or use spray foam. Use lath screen or lath metal, cement, hardware cloth, or metal sheeting to fix larger holes.
The best way to prevent rodents' infestation is to limit their access to food, water & shelter. Maintain a clean and well-organized hotel, inside and out. Keep food storage & garbage disposal areas clean and free of debris. A rodent removal service can inspect your hotel regularly for gaps, holes & cracks.
Mice won't disappear by themselves
Unless you change your habits to deprive mice of their food, wipe out the existing population and proof your property to stop them coming back, you'll always be sharing your home with disease-spreading, food-stealing mice.
Use essential oils
Essential oils with a strong smell, such as peppermint and clove oil, can repel mice. For best results, soak cotton balls in the essential oil of your choice and put them in areas you've noticed mouse activity – such as drawers, cupboards, and under sinks.
Odorants from predator urine are well known to elicit strong fear responses in mice, leading to modification of animal behavior and elevated levels of stress.
If used for preventative reasons, they may work well to keep rats and mice away. Most of the all-natural or DIY methods used to prevent mice are said to work because rats are repulsed by their smell. This is especially true for dryer sheets—while these smell wonderful to us, they are abhorred by rats and mice.
Most dryer sheets contain the ingredient linalool, which can be found in plants like lavender, basil, and coriander, all of which naturally repel common garden pests. Similar studies found that this ingredient is also useful for repelling bugs like mites, weevils, beetles, and German cockroaches.
While keeping the lights on is not an effective method of mouse control, it does deter mice to a certain degree. Having lights on the outside of the house will make mice think twice before moving in.
Cement and caulking, strong rodent control agents
The two most common materials to block a mouse hole are cement and caulking. These materials are used to seal entry points in walls or foundations and create an effective intrusion-proof barrier.
Epsom salt
Sprinkle Epsom salts onto your trash can lid or around the areas that pests like to burrow into or dig around. Epsom salts will deter most any pests, including raccoons, mice, and squirrels among others.”