Does Bleach Repel Mice?

Mice not only chew through your clothes and wires, but they also carry diseases such as Rat-Bite fever and Hantavirus. If you suffer from allergies, their droppings worsen the condition.

The critters also reproduce so fast such that one day you have one mouse, then the next you have a full-blown mice infestation.

There are plenty of ways you can get rid of mice in your home. You can use mousetraps that capture or kill the critter, use cats, or even poison.

What if you don’t want to use any of these? There are plenty of DIY solutions you can put into practice—one of the best being bleach.

Does bleach repel mice?

If you use bleach in your home, you will agree that it has a strong smell that you can’t stand. Just like humans, mice can’t stand the strong smell, so if you are wondering whether the scent of bleach repels mice, yes, bleach does repel mice.

Spraying bleach and water around the areas infested by mice will drive them away.

To avoid too much stench in your house, mix bleach with water and spray it in areas you suspect mice activity. Don’t spray the exit so that the critters can use it as an escape route.

In addition to the bleach having an off-putting smell, it’s also caustic; hence it destroys harmful bacteria and viruses on the surfaces.

While this is the case, don’t expect bleach to work miracles. When you spray it in one area, mice will most likely move to another area of the house that is less stinky. So you should strive to spray the entire house.

If you have noticed mice or rats in your yard and they aren’t already in the house, spraying the bleach at the entrance will keep them from getting into the house.

Does bleach kill house mice?

Yes, it does, but you have to get the mice to drink the bleach. Unfortunately, since bleach has a strong, unpleasant smell, mice won’t just come up and drink it. Luckily, you can mask the smell. One of the best products to use is peanut butter.

Peanut butter has a strong smell and is very tasty. To mask the strong smell, mix one tablespoon of the butter in just a little bit of bleach. If you can smell the bleach, add more peanut butter.

To make the peanut smell much stronger, mix in some powdered peanut butter. The powder will also prevent the mixture from getting too runny.

If you are lucky, the mice will take the bait and drink the bleach, but it will be a tough call. You should note that even if the mice take it, they won’t die immediately—they could take a day or two.

It’s easy to repel mice but challenging to kill them using bleach. If they don’t drink the bleach, don’t worry as you will have disinfected the house.

Tricks to keep mice away

To avoid the struggle that comes with trying to keep the mice away, you should avoid attracting them to your house. How do you do this?

Keep the house clean

Mice need just a minimal amount of debris to build a nest, so keep away any unnecessary waste and clutter.

Food drops and spillages by children can seem minute, but they might be all the critters need to stay in your house.

Make a habit of cleaning any spillages as soon as they happen. Do you have pets? Pick up the food after the pets have eaten.

Don’t pay attention to only the inside of the house—also consider the outside. If you have a compost bin, get rid of it as it makes a comfortable nest for the mice.

If you have a bird feeder, get rid of it or place it at a higher place such as on the roof or somewhere else the mice can’t easily access it. Also, remember to get rid of any water sources such as pet water bowls and leaking water faucets.

When cleaning both the inside and outside of the house, pour a small quantity of ammonia or similar product on a cloth then use it to wipe along the length of the skirting boards and the edges of the floor.

Ammonia smells like predators urine, so it will keep the critters away.

Seal cracks and holes

Most homes have holes for pipes and wires that serve as easy entryways for the mice. Remember that mice can squeeze through holes that are as small a fingernail, so seal any hole you come across regardless of how small it is.

To do it, use a high-quality household sealer or caulking.

Get rid of any climbing sources

Mice can climb to get access to your home, so you should get rid of any materials that they can use to get into the house. Do you have vines or trees around your home? Cut them to keep the critters out.

Remove hiding places

Piles of firewood, long grass, books, trash, or any other materials that provide cover to the mice will attract them to your house, which you don’t want, so you should get rid of them.

A clean yard that is free from these areas of shelter will deter the mice from sticking around, which keeps your home rodent-free.

If your neighbors are complaining about mice and rat menace in their homes, work at eliminating the areas where the critters can hide around your house.

Which is the best way to control mice?

The best way of controlling mice is by using effective and smartly placed mice traps in the house. To get rid of the mice using traps, you need to consider several tips:

• Place many traps on the first night. This is because you are more likely to catch more mice on the first day than any other day.
• When it comes to locating the traps, place them along the walls and behind the furniture and appliances where the mice like to run.
• Put two traps end to end along the wall. This way, the mice will trip the trigger regardless of the direction they are coming from.
• Mice love peanut butter, so uses it as your bait. The butter will stick to the trigger so the mice can’t run off with it.
• Every few days, rotate the trap locations to increase the chances of catching more mice.