Mice have been, are and will be, it is impossible to get rid of them in the UK once and for all, so every time there is a need to fight mice again.
Attracting allies
In the fight against mice, we have allies: cats, hedgehogs and snakes. And if it is not so easy to attract hedgehogs and snakes to the garden, there are no problems with cats. One cat can keep a house, a cellar and a garden under control.
Smell of a cat as a repellent
Image by Eszter Miller from Pixabay
The smell of cats acts as a repellent, i.e., it deters mice and forces them to leave. The smell of cats persists for quite a long time on their fur. Comb out your fluffy pets and lay out the wool in the country house before closing it.
Cat excrement also scares away mice, so you can use this moment. Used cat litter fillers can be poured around fruit trees to scare away mice and prevent them from damaging the bark.
Plant repellents
Image by parkstonephotography from Pixabay
Pungent odors scare away mice. You can soak the rags with birch tar and lay it out in the garden and house.
Plants with a bright smell, such as tansy or mint, have some scaring effect, but it is not enough to drive mice out of the house and garden. They can be used to mask household odors to reduce the attractiveness of the house for rodents. Put them in the kitchen, which attracts mice and rats the most.
Branches of black elderberry and bird cherry are also used to scare away mice. The branches of these trees contain prussic acid, which is a poison, mice fill its smell and bypass these places. Put elder and cherry branches in the cellars, where they will not interfere.
It is necessary to scare away mice in advance, when mice are looking for shelter for a cold period. After the mice have chosen your garden, house or cellar for wintering, repellents will no longer help, you will have to fight the mice more cardinally.