Although mice may seem cute to some people, they are considered pests because they can multiply quickly and can cause a lot of damage.
Females can have up to 15 litters per year, MSD Manual Veterinary Manual – a trusted resource for veterinarians – confirmed.
In addition, each litter can contain up to 12 baby mice, known as “puppies”, which shows how quickly mouse infestation can occur.
When you make a nest in your home, mice can chew through furniture, wires, books and insulation.
Mice can contaminate food with urine, feces and hair, and some can carry and spread diseases.
A natural repellent can be the solution to prevent mice from entering your house and home in the first place.
Shawn Woods wanted to test a scent that is said to repel mice, so he set up his own experiment and posted the result on YouTube.
“We’re going to test and see if mint actually works as a natural rodent repellent,” Shawn said.
There have been many reports that “mice hate the smell of mint,” said Shawn, who was initially skeptical of its use.
“The most recommended way is to get highly concentrated peppermint oil, e.g [an] essential oil,” Shawn said.
“They say if you put cotton balls around the house and refresh it regularly with peppermint oil, you’re less likely to have a rodent problem.”
For Shawn’s experiment, he compared how the mice responded to a “feeding station” full of seeds with and without peppermint oil.
When there was no peppermint oil, the mice came to the feeding station and ate the food.
But when there was peppermint oil, the mice didn’t even go to the feeding station.
“After setting up this experiment and looking at the motion camera footage, I’m convinced that mice hate the smell of mint,” Shawn said.
“It’s true, peppermint oil works as a natural rodent repellent; it’s a great tool to keep rodents out of your house.”
Shawn added, “You just have to top it up as needed, but it definitely works.”