Rodent Repellent

Basics

• This page aims to cover Non/Less-Lethal Means of Repelling Small Rodents such as Mice , Rats , and Squirrels etc
• Main concern is them turning stored equipment into nest space/eating the wires in said equipment, or just mess/disease risk more broadly

Spray

Mint Oil Based

COTS

• An Amazon Listing for “ Mighty Mint Peppermint Oil Rodent Repellent Spray with Microfiber Cloth – Natural Indoor & Outdoor Control for Mice and Rats– Plant-Based, Extra-Strong Formula - 1 Gallon (128 oz)”
  • About $33 as of this edit
  • Best selling on amazon supposedly
  • Except from being considered a pesticide due to being exempt as per FIFRA 25b
• Emulsion of Peppermint Essential Oil and Water
  • MAYBE an Emulsifier/Soap in there? Checking the SDS now
• Mentions it killing insects, this may be a side-benefit of it covering their breathing pores (as other Oil/Oil Emulsion Sprays do) which sort of drowns them
  • Unlike the (weak, but still intense) nerve agent based sprays etc
  • The one downside of this is for things like Wasp Spray it won’t kill wasps that land AFTER you spray, or if they dodge the spray well enough, but ALSO it means…you aren’t needing to make+be exposed to a weak nerve agent

DIY/OS

• If one has the space to grow some mint, and a Soxhelet Extractor + some water or ethanol etc how cheap could you get it? (Assuming you use a ton)

What DOES NOT Work

Mothballs

• A Video by the YouTube Channel “Shawn Woods” Titled “Do Mothballs Repel Mice? Mousetrap Monday” ( ‘’’~4 Minute Watch’’’ )
  • Even after adding a copious ammount, in the (mostly) sealed+compact environment of the test/bait station, the mice didn’t seem to care
  • Also you get exposed to carcinogenic vapors for something akin to a placebo
    • MAY STILL BE WORTHWHILE for the specific application of Fumigating/Preventing Infestation in Stored Clothes etc, but yeah
      • Although even that is debatable with proper sealed storage etc

MOST Spices/Weak or Dilute Extract Based Sprays

• A Video by the YouTube Channel “Shawn Woods” Titled “Does the World’s Hottest Pepper Repel Mice and Rats? Carolina Reaper . Mousetrap Monday ( ‘’’~6 Minute Watch’’’ )
  • Mice seem to have eaten both the Diced Carolina Reaper-Seed mix, and pepper chunks on their own
  • MAY be worth investigating if they avoid eating it after initial exposure (due to latent digestive issues etc), but all in all short of maybe Oleoresin Capsicum type extracts, or maybe in species that CAN taste/smell it (although this does include humans…so) it doesn’t work
• A Video by the YouTube Channel “Shawn Woods” Titled “ Pepper X - Does The World’s Hottest Pepper Repel Rats and Mice? Mousetrap Monday ( ‘’’~13 Minute Watch’’’ )
  • Tests Control Seeds, Off The Shelf Deterrent Hot Sauce Soaked, and Pepper X Hot Sauce Soaked Seeds, all of which were devoured, albeit in that order
  • This does also show that it wasn’t a lack of “wettabiliy” such as if you are dehydrated and have some very spicy, but dry, chip and don’t feel the spice until AFTER you get a drink later etc

External Links

• A Video by the YouTube Channel “Shawn Woods Homestead” Titled “Does Mint Oil Actually Repel Real Mice? Let’s Test It Out With Real Mice.” ( ‘’’~4 Minute Watch’’’ )
  • They used pure essential oil, but it did seem to work
  • They made a wooden “Bait Station” with a Clear Roof, added mouseholes for them to get in+some food, the product they used (which seemed to be akin to those “car clips” that have a fragrance capsule+membrane etc) seemed to work
    • Experiment could use more controls/trials, but the mice did seem hesitant to enter and supposedly didn’t
      • Between that and the swath of anecdotes, it seems viable
      • Experimentation to determine the exact mechanism (ie is it workable as a barrier, or only if the area is SATURATED in smell (such as a small box etc) is worth investigating
      • Also to what degree can they/will they become desensitized/accustomed to the smell
      • Also are there rodents/species this may not work on?
• A Video by the YouTube Channel “Pest Pro Plus” Titled “Does Peppermint Oil Get Rid of Mice and Rats?”
  • While potentially framed (due to bias/commercial need) as a “don’t use it”, to an extent the main takeaway is that these sprays are not a magic solution, but a PART of a broader Integrated Pest Management strategy]
    • Ie Reduce/Contain Trash/Food Waste and such (ie either put in a Food Waste Grinder and sent to Blackwater , or in some sort of Smell Proof Compost Bin etc
      • Also having Dry Goods/Food/Seed Storage in similarly “rotent-proof” and preferably airtight contIners
    • Then making sure there aren’t good access points into the vehicle/building (as best as one can)
    • THEN finally using repellents for areas you can’t control to kind of protect that seal
    • Also in the event of Infestations proper removal and/or killing is required
      • Short of potentially disease transmission risk/overpopulating some other area, live capture box traps (or better yet, an adapted fall trap that leads into a rodent cage/enclosure with enrichment+food+water+bedding etc), which are frequently checked and emptied can be quite effective