Discovering rats and mice in your home can be scary. These pests can ruin stored food and make you sick. Fortunately, you can use scents to help keep rodents away.

There are a few simple steps to use scents to keep mice and rats away. First, identify the scent you would like to use. Your options include essential oils, herbs and spices, chemicals, live plants, or predator scents. Next, apply the scent around your property, concentrating on areas where you’ve seen mice and rats or where they might enter. Then, reapply the scents when they wear off. Finally, monitor your property for rats and mice and change methods if your scent isn’t working. 

Using scents is only part of keeping rid of rats and mice away. If you have a rodent infestation, check out my articles on getting rid of rats or getting rid of mice. Keep reading this post to learn all the details you need for using scents to keep rats and mice away.

Essential Oil Scents To Keep Rats & Mice Away

Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts with pungent aromas. These oils can repel mice and rats naturally because the scents might irritate their noses or skin, triggering their fear response. 

Overall, these scents won’t hurt you and will fill your home with pleasing aromas. Almost any essential oil is worth trying to keep rats and mice away. But, the most popular ones are:

1. Peppermint Oil: This refreshing scent is unpleasant to rodents because it can cause a burning sensation on the skin or in their mouths if they taste it. 
2. Eucalyptus Oil: This essential oil is especially good at entering rats’ or mice’s noses and making them want to stay away. 
3. Clove Oil: The spicy scent of cloves repels rodents. 
4. Lemon Oil: The citrusy scent of lemon oil is a natural deterrent for rodents. 

How To Use Essential Oils

Fortunately, essential oils are safe to use and make your home smell wonderful. There are a few methods for harnessing essential oils’ rodent-repelling powers, including: 

• Add a few drops of the essential oil to cotton balls and place them in areas where rodents may enter or hang out.
• Mix the essential oil with water and use a spray bottle to apply the solution around entry points, corners, or areas where you’ve seen rodents.
• Use diffusers to spread the scent of essential oils throughout a room.

Unfortunately, essential oils’ scent can wear off quickly, and you’ll need to reapply them often for the best results. Also, rotating oils could help because rats or mice might get used to the smell of a constant one and stop fearing it.

Finally, be cautious using essential oils near your pets because they might be more sensitive than you are. Don’t apply your natural repellent where a dog or cat might eat or roll in it.

Herb & Spice Scents to Keep Rats & Mice Away

Herbs and spices have strong flavors and smells that may deter rats and mice. Incorporating them into your daily cooking routine adds flavor to your life and could even help ward off rodents. Also, you could make sachets of dried herbs and spices to leave in areas where you don’t want mice and rats to live.

Overall, hot and pungent herbs and spices are most likely to deter rodents. Some you may want to try are:

1. Chili & Cayenne Pepper: The hot nature of these peppers can irritate rodents. Sprinkling these spices in areas where mice or rats are active may discourage them. You can also create a pepper spray by mixing water with chili or cayenne pepper and spraying it around entry points or infested areas.
2. Black Pepper: Like chili and cayenne pepper, black pepper has a strong and pungent aroma. Sprinkling fresh-ground black pepper around areas where rodents are a problem may help deter them.
3. Turmeric & Cumin: These spices contain an active compound called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and the smell might be detested by rodents. Some people sprinkle turmeric or cumin powder in areas where they don’t want to see mice or rats.
4. Coriander: Coriander has a distinctive and aromatic scent. While its repellent properties are not well-established, some use coriander powder or crushed coriander seeds to discourage rodents.
5. Mint: The strong and fresh scent of mint has the potential to repel rodents. Planting mint around the perimeter of a property or placing dried mint leaves in strategic areas may help create an environment that rodents find less attractive.

Chemical Scents That Keep Rats & Mice Away

While natural scents are a safe and pleasant method for keeping rats and mice away, you may prefer trying chemicals. However, always take precautions when handling chemicals, including using personal protective equipment.

When rats and mice smell a strong chemical, they might recognize it as toxic or dangerous and avoid it. Many cleaners and household chemicals have smells that might scare rodents away from your home, including: 

Chlorine Bleach

• Method: Dilute bleach with water and use the solution to clean areas where rodents are present or might enter. You’ll need to clean with bleach at least once per week, but more often might be better because the scents wear off fast.
• Caution: Bleach is a strong chemical, and you must use caution when handling it. Ensure proper ventilation when using bleach, and avoid mixing it with other cleaning products, as this can produce harmful fumes.

Ammonia

• Method: A common way to use ammonia for rats and mice control is soaking cotton balls in the liquid and placing them in areas where you’ve seen rodent activity. Replace the ammonia soaked balls about once per week.
• Caution: Ammonia is a harsh chemical and irritates humans too. Use it in well-ventilated areas and avoid direct contact with your skin or eyes.

Mothballs

• Method: If you’ve ever used mothballs, you’ll recognize their smell, which comes from chemicals like naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. Place mothballs in areas where rodents are unwanted to keep the pests away. They last about three to six months.
• Caution: Mothballs can be toxic to humans and pets if ingested. Use them strictly according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and avoid placing them in areas accessible to children and pets. Additionally, the use of naphthalene-based mothballs has declined due to health and environmental concerns.

Garden Plants With Scents That Help Repel Mice & Rats

Landscaping with plants that mice and rats hate is a rewarding way to keep these pests away. With this method, you can create a beautiful feature on your property, grow some snacks, and spend quality time outdoors.

Plants can create a scented barrier around your property so pests won’t come close. Some of the plants that are most likely to help keep rats and mice away are:

1. Peppermint: The refreshing scent of live peppermint might ward off rodents. Plus, it looks beautiful, is easy to grow, and you can make tea or other dishes with it. 
2. Lavender: These beautiful purple flowers add charm to your landscape and have a scent that mice and rats might find offensive.
3. Rosemary: This shrub or ground cover is simple to grow and tastes great with roasted potatoes. Also, rosemary has an aromatic scent that deters rodents. 
4. Daffodils: With their yellow flowers that announce spring’s arrival, these bulbs can also ward off rats and mice. These make a perfect barrier that gives you a show when winter ends and stays green through the growing season.
5. Alliums: Plants in the Allium family, including onions, garlic, and chives, are famously pungent. Luckily, rats and mice don’t like the scent and will steer clear of these plants. 

Predator Scents To Keep Mice & Rats Away

Using a predator’s scent to deter rats and mice is based on the idea that the presence of a natural predator may signal danger to these rodents, prompting them to avoid the area. There are a handful of sources for mouse and rat predator’s scent, including:

1. Predator Urine: Purchase predator urine, such as that from foxes, coyotes, or owls, from garden supply stores or online. Apply the predator urine around the perimeter of your garden or in areas where you want to deter rodents. 
2. Predator Droppings: If you can obtain droppings from natural predators like owls or foxes, scatter them strategically in areas frequented by rats and mice. Ensure that the predator droppings are from a safe and disease-free source. Wear gloves when handling them.
3. Hair or Feathers: Collect hair or feathers from natural predators and place them in areas where rodents are active. Some people tie bundles of predator hair or feathers to stakes or fences to create a barrier.
4. Commercial Predator Repellent Products: Some garden supply stores offer commercial repellent products containing predator scents or predator-derived compounds. Follow the product’s instructions for application, as they may come as sprays, granules, or sachets.

Words Of Caution About Using Scents To Keep Mice & Rats Away

Using scents to deter mice and rats is based on the assumption that certain odors are unpleasant or threatening to these rodents, prompting them to avoid specific areas. While there are anecdotal claims and some traditional practices supporting the effectiveness of certain scents, it’s crucial to acknowledge that the scientific evidence supporting the use of scents as the sole method for rodent control is limited.