If you notice mice in your home, it’s easy to panic. The thing is, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are numerous over-the-counter products that get rid of mice and other pests. If you’d prefer to use a natural method, you’re in luck, because there are lots of them.
In fact, more and more people have been using essential oils to get rid of pests such as mice. One of the most effective oils is cinnamon oil. It might sound a little overly simple, but it does in fact work to repel mice.
This article will explore how you can use cinnamon at home to repel mice including easy recipes. Using this natural method will keep mice away and avoid nasty chemicals.
How cinnamon repels mice
Like many other essential oils, cinnamon oil works because mice hate the smell. Mice are sensitive to certain strong scents and will run away when the smell cinnamon.
There are several ways you can use cinnamon oil to get rid of mice. Cinnamon can also kill mice if they ingest it. Most people simply use cinnamon to spray in the areas where there are droppings, and the scent naturally keeps the mice away.
How to repel mice with cinnamon oil
Let’s take a look at some easy ways to get rid of mice by using cinnamon oil.
Recipe to repel mice with cinnamon oil
- Take a spray bottle and fill it 3/4 full with water.
- Add 15-20 drops of cinnamon essential oil.
- Spray in the areas where you have seen mice or droppings in the past.
Spraying areas such as inside cupboards, around doorways or in your garage where mice are moving about will help to deter them. Spray the areas often every 1-2 weeks to keep the smell strong enough to keep the mice away.
There is also one other way to repel mice and other pests using cinnamon oil, and that is to wipe down your countertops and pipes (anywhere near where the droppings are found or where mice holes can be seen) with a wet washcloth that has essential oil on it.
This is a little more difficult and time-consuming than just spraying a mixture of water and cinnamon oil, but it does work. Again, you must use 100% pure essential oils for any of these methods to work properly.
How to poison mice with cinnamon oil
Using cinnamon oil poison mice is a little more difficult because the mice have to ingest the cinnamon oil. Because the smell is strong, the oil generally repels them instead.
Nevertheless, it’s well worth giving it a shot. Just take cotton balls and soak them with cinnamon oil.
Then place the cotton balls where the mice have been and around any mouse holes that you see. In addition, don’t forget to add some of the cotton balls under your stove and refrigerator, near drain entrances and pipes, and close to any cracks you might have near your windows and doors.
With this method, you’ll want to replace the cotton balls every three weeks, or as soon as you notice that the cinnamon smell is gone. Again, the mice will have to ingest the cinnamon, but they will sometimes do this because cotton balls are one thing mice actually like to chew on.
Best cinnamon oil to repel mice
It does matter what type of cinnamon oil you use to repel or poison mice. For the best buy 100% pure cinnamon oil if you can. If you buy something that is a blend or merely “scented oil,” it will already be diluted and therefore won’t be nearly as effective in getting rid of the mice in your home.
The purer the essential oil is, the more potent it is and therefore, the less you’ll need to use to make it work.
In addition to mice, cinnamon oil is great for repelling and killing other pests as well, including:
- Ants
- Bees
- Flies
- Mosquitoes
- Rats
- Roaches
- Ticks and fleas
- Wasps
Most cinnamon essential oil is inexpensive, and considering you only need a few drop each time each bottle will last a while.
Mice hate strong smells because their sense of smell is so sensitive, so when they get anywhere near cinnamon, they’ll stop in their tracks and take off running in the opposite direction. But let’s face it, even if they do try to eat the cinnamon cotton balls, they’ll die from it as soon as they ingest it.
Other essential oils that will repel mice
There are other essential oils that also repel mice, and they can be used in the same way that cinnamon oil is used in the previous two recipes. Here is a list of essential oils that can be used at home to repel mice:
- Black pepper
- Cassia (a hotter version of cinnamon)
- Cedarwood
- Cypress
- Eucalyptus
- Lavender
- Lemon
- Neem
- Orange
- Peppermint
- Pine
- Rosemary
- Tea tree
- Wintergreen
When you suffer with a mouse problem or an infestation of other pests, it’s good to know you have natural alternatives that you can use that are just as effective as over-the-counter products, which tend to be filled with chemicals.
Every method you use to get rid of mice has its pros and cons, but considering how well the natural methods work, it would be a shame not to try one of them.
Of course, mice and other rodents can be very determined when trying to get into your home, so you may have to use a higher dosage of the oil, but if you experiment a little, you can easily find the combination you need to get rid of your pest problems.
Conclusion
Mice can be a huge problem in your home and can be very dangerous to the health of your family, but the good news is that you can get rid of them easier than you think. Many pests hate strong smells, and this includes cinnamon.
Using cinnamon oil to repel mice is a very effective way to get rid of them. You can get rid of these creatures without killing them and without using chemical-filled products that might harm children and pets, and it costs very little to do this.
Even if you don’t see the mice themselves but you notice droppings, it’s time to act. Get yourself some 100% pure cinnamon essential oil and use it either to spray the area or place it on cotton balls; either way, you’ll be rid of your mice before you know it.
I am an accredited practicing dietitian, experienced gardener and a dedicated cook. I love writing and sharing my experience so you can learn from my successes and mistakes.