Stop mice from entering your home this summer with a £2 trick that repels them

Seeing a mouse or rat in your home is many people’s worst nightmare, especially if you pride yourself on keeping your home neat and tidy.

But sometimes it can’t be kept out, as mice in particular can sneak through the tiniest gaps in search of food they can store for the winter.

Rats and mice also use this time to gather nest building materials, which means the population increases during the summer – and you’re more likely to see them around the house. This can be a nightmare for millions of people across the country as they try to keep these pesky rodents at bay.

As a result, Chris Hutton, storage expert and owner of Adams Selfstore, has provided two unique and humane methods to keep both rats and mice out of your property.

A fairly unknown but highly effective way to deter mice from entering your home is to use steel wool. Mice can squeeze through small gaps and holes, but luckily for homeowners up and down the country, it’s impossible for them to chew through steel wool.

To use this tactic to your advantage, you first need to identify potential entry points, such as cracks, vents, and gaps around pipes or any other way into your property. Once you’ve done this, fill these spaces with steel wool and, for extra security, fix it with caulking or glue. You can buy steel wool from Toolstation for £2.09.

In addition, an innovative way to keep rats away from your home is to use peppermint oil, as rodents can’t stand its smell.

Because rats have an extremely strong sense of smell, they find the strong scent of peppermint overpowering and is often enough to deter them from your property.

To use this hack, simply soak some cotton balls in peppermint oil and place them strategically around your home, focusing on entry points such as cracks, gaps, and suspected rat routes. You will need to top up the oil every few days to maintain its potency, but this method is humane and eco-friendly and avoids the use of harmful chemicals or traps.

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