Home Remedies to Repel Mice in Winter

A mouse crawls along a foundation of a home

As winter approaches, temperatures drop and everyone is just looking for ways to stay warm. This is true for local homeowners as well as pests, particularly rodents. Mice can enter your property through cracks or holes that are even just 5 mm wide (thatโ€™s less than ยผ inch) surrounding your property. Although they seem cute, mice are dirty, destructive animals that can harm your property and carry disease.ย 

If you have mice in your home, Inman-Murphy Termite & Pest Control has a group of skilled rodent exterminators who can get rid of your mouse infestation. But if you never developed a rodent problem in the first place, that would be preferable. Here are some methods and tools you can use that may help keep mice away. One word of caution: DIY pest repellents are not as effective as professional rodent control. If you have a rodent infestation, you should contact us for an estimate.

Non-toxic DIY Mouse Repellents

There are several types of simple-to-use DIY mouse repellents. They have the added benefit of being non-toxic. Here are four common strategies for attempting to keep mice away using items you might already have around the house:

Peppermint oil: Mice don’t generally like the strong aroma of peppermint. In order to prevent them from entering, you can put a few drops of the oil on cotton balls, and then scatter them about any potential access sites. Even better, plant mint throughout the perimeter of your property as a mouse-repellent barrier!

Another odor mice detest is that of apple cider vinegar. To preserve the repellent effect, mix it with vinegar and spray it once a month along the perimeter of your home and around potential access points.

Mice are unable to tolerate the scent of fabric softener sheets. Put one of the sheets inside any openings you find that you believe could be entry locations.ย 

Steel wool: Mice can chew through a variety of materials thanks to their strong incisors. But research has shown that they are unable to bite through steel wool. Therefore, if you use the material to cover potential access points, it will prevent them from entering your home.

How to Keep Mice Out

The likelihood of developing a mouse infestation is strongly influenced by whether or not your home is a desirable environment for rodents. When it’s chilly outside, mice want the same things any mammal does: food, shelter, and warmth. They’ll look for any means to sneak inside and stay there if your home has those attributes. This is why itโ€™s important to start your mouse prevention efforts before it starts to get cold. Let’s look at some techniques you might adopt to deter rodents from entering your home:

  • Check the dark corners of your homeโ€™s interior frequently for evidence of mice.
  • Locate every potential point of access into your home and seal or close it
  • Keep food covered, sealed, and stored.
  • Remove clutter from your home, both inside and outside.

Mice won’t want to stay for very long if there isn’t easy access to food or a quiet, dark location to nest.ย 

When DIY Approaches Fail, Turn to Inman-Murphy

Even if you take all of these precautions, rodents might find their way into your house. If they do, we can help. Since 1999, we have offered rodent extermination services to homes and businesses in the Mid-South TN area. Our rodent pest control technicians are ready to get to work making your home rodent-free. Want to learn more? Get in touch with us today!

A Healthy Pest-Free Environment for Your Business

Rat in a commercial kitchen in the Memphis Metro Area - Inman-Murphy, Inc.

As a business owner or manager, you know more than anyone the importance and difficulties of maintaining a clean, pristine commercial space. Customers donโ€™t think twice about their expectations of a sanitized and organized place to walk into, no matter what industry your business is in. For many types of businesses, especially those dealing with food or storage, it can be quite difficult to monitor your property and defend your customers and staff from pests with no hiccups. Thatโ€™s where our team at Inman-Murphy, Inc. comes in. We are here to offer our commercial pest control services and teach you how to prevent pests in your business in the Memphis Metro area on your own. Read on to learn!

Common Business Pests in Millington TN

In our 25 years of serving the Memphis Metro area, weโ€™ve noticed patterns in the types of pests that businesses commonly face. In order to get rid of these pests, you have to be aware of the conditions that attract them and work diligently to maintain a preventative business space. Here the most common pests that infest commercial spaces, some of which you might already be dealing with:

  • Rodents: Rats and mice capitalize on food waste and hiding spots afforded by storage spaces to sustain themselves in restaurants, grocery stores, and warehouses. Itโ€™s important to clean up spills promptly and store food properly to keep them away.
  • Spiders: Spiders take advantage of the arid corners of larger business spaces that donโ€™t see much traffic from anything besides insects. Itโ€™s important to declutter and clean often, paying attention to places that customers donโ€™t see, too.
  • Roaches: Roaches are often found in the dark and damp places, such as under sinks or cabinets, taking advantage of plumbing leaks for a source of moisture. Routinely monitoring your property for leaks will help you to avoid cockroach infestations.

How Commercial Exterminators Can Help

Having worked with plenty of business owners in the area before, we are well aware of how busy your schedules are. If you try to conduct your own pest control, you can end up spreading yourself too thin and end up falling short of the effort it takes to both conduct effective business and keep the people around you safe from the dangers associated with pest infestations.

Professional Pest Control for Businesses

For a guaranteed-effective pest control partnership, reach out to our exterminators at Inman-Murphy, Inc. Our commercial pest control experts have served all kinds of businesses and developed the expertise necessary to conduct exhaustive pest control using responsible products. Get in contact with us today for a free quote or to learn more about what we do!