Mousetraps are just as dangerous for your dogs, cats, and even kids as they are to mice.

If you’re trying to deal with a mouse infestation in your home, improperly placed mousetraps can send you to the emergency room or the vet if you aren’t careful.

That’s why you might want to try natural rodent repellent methods first.

We’ve put together a quick list of eight cheap, easy, and natural mouse solutions below.

So let’s dive in!

1. Seal Any Holes or Entry Points

Mice can get into your home through small holes and cracks. Before you start setting out traps, make sure you find and seal these entry points.

Not sure where to look?

Look around your house for mouse droppings. Rodents will often leave droppings behind near their point of entry. You might also see grease stains on the walls, baseboards, or floor.

Many mice smell terrible. You might be able to follow your nose to the place they’re getting in.

Once you find these areas, start by cleaning them out. If the crack is small, you can then fill it with a copper scouring pad or one of those green kitchen pads. A mouse can’t chew their way through this type of material.

If a hole is too large for these pads, you might need to hire a professional to repair it.

2. Store Your Food Properly

Mice will lose interest in your home if there’s nothing for them to eat. Storing your food in plastic, air-tight containers might be all you need to solve your rodent problem.

Here’s what you need to do.

Put all your food into plastic containers. This is important. Mice can chew through cardboard, plastic bags, fabric, and many other types of packaging.

Seal all your containers with an air-tight lid. If you leave the container open or unsecured, the mice might be able to get in still.

And remember: your trash cans are a source of food for rodents as well. Move all your trash cans as far away from your house as possible.

3. Peppermint Oil

Mice don’t like the smell of peppermint. In fact, most rodents will scurry back out of your house as fast as they can when they smell it.

There are a few different ways you can use peppermint to ward off pesky rodents.

Buy some peppermint oil and cotton balls. Pour some of the oil on the cotton balls then place those cotton balls in your kitchen cabinets, pantry, and wherever else you store food.  Add a few more cotton balls around your doors, windows, or other rodent entry points.

You can also grow mint plants around the perimeter of your house. This will keep rodents away from any potential entry points you might not know about.

4. Onions

Onion is another smell rodents don’t like. But this method is a little harder to work with.

Here’s why.

First of all, onions don’t last as long as cotton balls. They’ll start to rot after a few days, which can leave you with a whole new mess on your hands.

Onions can also be toxic to some pets like dogs and cats if they get ahold of it. If you’re an animal person, you might want to stick to peppermint and stay away from the onions.

But if you choose to use the onion method, slice a few open and put them in your kitchen cupboards and near any entry points. And remember to switch them out every day or so.

5. Instant Mashed Potatoes

Do you know which areas of your home the rodents visit? Buy some instant mashed potatoes and sprinkle some of the flakes in those areas.

The next time the mice show up, they’ll eat all the flakes. Once inside their stomachs, these flakes will begin to expand. The expansion will kill the mice before they get a chance to digest the potatoes.

Instant mashed potatoes are a cheap and natural way to deal with a mouse infestation, but keep the flakes out of reach of your pets. The flakes aren’t as dangerous to your dog or cat, but it’s still better to be on the safe side of things.

6. Plaster of Paris and Cocoa Powder

This method is similar to the instant mashed potatoes method.

Here’s how it works.

Take some dry plaster of Paris and add it to some cocoa powder or chocolate milk mix. Make sure the mixture is dry. If it’s not, it won’t work as well as it’s supposed to.

Proceed to sprinkle the powder mixture in places you know the rodents go. The mice will eat the mixture because of the chocolate it contains.

After they eat it, the rodents will get very thirsty and leave the home to search for water. The powder will then kill them before they get a chance to drink.

7. Dirty Cat Litter

If rodents think there’s a predator around your house, they’ll get out of there and search for food somewhere else. But that doesn’t mean you actually have to own a predator.

Instead, all you need is some used cat litter.

Place this dirty litter in a sealed container and put them near any suspected entry points. Any rodents will be able to smell the scent of the dirty litter and run the other way, even if you can’t smell it.

Not sure where to get dirty cat litter? Ask friends who own cats for their dirty litter.

8. The Cat Itself

You can also take it one step farther and buy a cat. Introducing a cat to your property is one of the best ways to handle rodent problems.

Cats are excellent mice hunters. And remember, if rodents suspect there’s a predator in your home, they’ll tend to stay away.

Natural Rodent Repellent Methods

These eight natural rodent repellent methods can help you get rid of rodents without setting up traps around your home that can pose a risk to your pets or children.

But remember, these methods are natural remedies. Because of this, they might not work as well or as quickly as professional pest control services.

Don’t want to deal with your rodent infestation on your own?

Click here to take a look at some of the ways we can help you.