Recipe for mouse deterrent

I am allergic to cats and my family doesn’t want pets - so I am looking for natural ways to deter and not poison our little uninvited mice.

I live in a large building that is brand new, but since it is impossible to seal completely and we live in a rural area near a forest and large field there are an infinite supply of critters.

I read in other threads about mint deterrents but did not see a recipe. Does anyone have a good one?

Maybe something I could spray around the perimeter of the building...

I figured put some bags of mint in the drawers and maybe some mint essential oil in strategies places and put some plants and spray deterrent around the building and then some traps inside. I figure it would be an endless job but might as well do it right.

Any suggestions are welcome. Just can’t get help from animals and prefer not to kill brutally or poison them.  

Thanks in advance

We had the same problem with a rural new build, and I'm afraid that, as you don't want to kill, (totally respect that) that your only really effective measure is live trapping everywhere and release at some distance. The mice will always be there though. We have a massive rodent problem here but at least they are signs of life!

Finding where they are coming in might help.  We have an RV that our daughter stays in when she is here.

We have used moth balls in the past.  Since our daughter doesn't like the smell, I have looked for other repellents.

I read that lavender and rosemary will repel them.  These are the ones I have growing in the garden.  I have not tried them.

You might try planting these in or around your home to keep the mice away: any type of mint, amaryllis, sweet pea, lavender, daffodils, wood hyacinth (or squill), grape hyacinth, alliums, catnip, camphor plant, elderberry, euphorbias, and wormwood.  Oak and bay leaves are also known to repel rodents.

https://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/plants-repel-mice/

 One organic farmer’s wife, Kari Warberg Block, knew there had to be a better way than traditional poisons and traps to keep her farm and home mouse-free. Researching natural ways to repel mice without chemicals and traps, she soon discovered a combination of plant oils that create an aroma rodents can’t stand.

Soaking plant fiber in this blend of essential oils carried the scent in an easy-to-use way. She created a product that would ward off mice effectively in barns, homes, sheds, RVs, trailers, and just about any other enclosed space.

That product is Fresh Cab. Now farmers across the nation are using the rodent deterrent to keep their farms infestation-free, without killing any mice or exposing their family and animals to potential dangers.
What Is Fresh Cab?

Fresh Cab is an EPA-registered plant-based rodent repellent that works by emitting an odor that keeps mice and rats away. To use it, you simply place a pouch of the product in the area where you want to fight rodents. It does all of the work for you.

https://www.earthkind.com/knowledge-base/pest-library/repel-mice-little-known-farmer-wifes-secret/

I bought a commercial product made with mint,  essential oils,  and the like.  I put it under the seat of my motorcycle to keep the mice from nesting under it.  The mice appreciated it very much I think.  They chewed the package open and built a very nice smelling nest  from the contents.

Thanks for all the input. We appreciate it. To be clear I want to avoid killing them, but I will if I can’t find a solution that works. Just trying the peaceful path first. Otherwise i will have to invest in a pet snake and feed it with the trappings. 😱

Olias Sunhillow wrote:Thanks for all the input. We appreciate it. To be clear I want to avoid killing them, but I will if I can’t find a solution that works. Just trying the peaceful path first. Otherwise i will have to invest in a pet snake and feed it with the trappings. 😱

We trap now that the cat has disappeared, and feed the carcasses to the meal worm farm. More cats on order though.

We recently had "a" mouse in the house. We set traps. Our "mouse" ended up being a huge colony living under the floors. I trapped about 60 over a few weeks and the most I caught was 8 in one evening.

No need to use poison. Regular snap traps are very effective.

Mouse traps

I highly recommend this sort. Super easy to set, very effective at a quick kill. No need to touch the corpse.

All our corpses fed the compost heap.