That's an awful thing to do. Mix 40 drops of peppermint in a 36 oz bottle of water and spray around the car, the floor mats, and engine compartment.

 

Please clarify which is awful? A permanent peppermint smelling car sounds not so pleasing. I would prefer a vanilla scent like the gentlemen’s club ladies have, but I guess that doesn’t repel mice?

 

Mice- bottom of the food chain for a reason.. You only need to go through having a nice car trashed by them once.. it changes your point of view,, and despite it workign for some,, barriers don't always work.. I've watched a pair of chipmunks open a jar of peanut butter.. They teamed up and screwed the lid off..

 

Didn’t know the post was talking about 🐿

 

I also agree I would do anything to keep mice out. Depending on the population and location I would use all the methods. I do however know that if you can’t kill them all, it’s better to make it extremely difficult for them to enter. The barrier method worked well for me without other deterrents.
I guess if you like the smell of peppermint in your car it would be a good choice, again chipmunks rats and squirrel need not apply here, that’s a different problem for your engine bay.

 

The two chipmunks were the small alpine variety, they are the same
size as a field mouse,, about 2" long for a big one. My post about the buggers in
my camp ,, A mouse can jump straight up about 2' at lease the ones out in the woods can.

Food is the big motivator,, if they can smell something edible they are diabolical..

 

Put three of these at the edges of your property and all vermin gone within two weeks (unless you live next to a large field or in Los Angeles County): https://www.homedepot.com/p/Tomcat-T...1005/300934102

You see larger versions of these at businesses because they are the only product that works. Peppermint spray and tin foil hats really? Refills available in buckets. Never saw or smelled a deceased one.

 

I think most people would say that intentionally drowning mice, or any animal, is cruel and awful.

Either you have a hell of a good sense of smell, and are somehow bothered by 40 drops of peppermint mixed into a 36 oz bottle of water - sprayed in the engine bay - or my sense of smell is gone, because I can't smell it at all.

I guess I'm an outlier, because I think people who trap wild animals and leave them to starve to death, or freeze to death, are doing something awful too.

 

Corn Meal + Plaster of Paris and a little sugar. There are a lot of recipes on the internet for this as it's an "old-school" concoction. Keep pets, children and anyone claiming to be on a diet away from it. It is non-toxic but has a deleterious effect on the gastronomical tract and induces the last case of indigestion/constipation the mouse will ever have. It's akin to eating concrete. Access to water speeds the process.
The very short gestational period of mice means you'll never get them all but this is one more solution.

 

Peppermint oil appears to work well and leaves your car minty fresh. I use it in the frunk and engine compartment. The bucket/roller traps definitely work, but are not an option for us in the frozen parts of the country. I have an electric noise generator that's supposed to keep rodents away, too, but it doesn't actually work on chipmunks, so I doubt it works on the mice and is a waste of money. standard mousetraps around my wheels baited with peanutbutter is my other defense.

 

The bucket/roller does work in the cold, just use RV antifreeze. I've used this same setup for years.