The most effective way to protect your home from mice and similar pests is, of course, to get a cat. Mice are naturally afraid of the smell of a cat, and the few less cautious ones left around will be taken care of by your new pet. However, a cat is not a solution for everyone, and in some households it is not an option. In addition, it is a very expensive solution, caring for a cat, like other pets, will cost a lot of money, even with feeding and cat care.
But if you reject a cat primarily because of allergies in the family and another pet is acceptable to you, know that the cat is not the only animal that mice fear. Other rodents, for example, are similarly frightening to mice:
- Dogs, especially males of larger breeds, which give off the strongest odor of all dog species. Breeds that are bred to hunt mice, surprisingly, don’t bother rodents as much. Their scent, of course.
- So if you have a strangler, you can take it out of the terrarium and let it loose around the apartment from time to time to spread its scent.
- Exotic animals that are unfamiliar with mice from their natural habitat, so they are afraid of their smells as a precaution.
Pastes and Repellers
Pets aren’t the only way to get the better of overly intrusive mice. You can commonly buy different kinds of traps and repellents in stores. In a normal household, you can easily get by with the classic trap you know from films and TV shows. This will break the mouse’s neck, but it can also be dangerous to you or your children.
Alternatives include various repellents. The chemical ones usually work on a similar principle to getting a cat – they release cat pheromones or other smells that cause the mice to be terrified, so they prefer to go to another, safer place. There are also sonic repellents that emit an unpleasant high-pitched sound. This can be heard by human ears, which is why it is useful, for example, in a cottage, where you can leave the repeller on while you are not there.
Tea bag – elegant and effective
We have already introduced the most interesting weapon against mice in the title. Mice are extremely uncomfortable with the odour pouring out of used tea bags. So if you place them around mouse holes, in the pantry and other places that suffer from mouse raids, you will be free of them in a few days. And while mice can’t stand the smell of tea, humans find it pleasant. The tea bag method is so much more convenient than various toxic rodent sprays.