To keep mice away, you need to make your space hard to enter, hard to live in, and not worth the effort for them.

1. Block how they get in

Mice can squeeze through gaps as small as a dime, so sealing entry points is the single most important step.

  • Inspect around:
    • Doors and door sweeps
    • Window frames and vents
    • Gaps around pipes, cables, and utility lines
    • Roofline joints, siding edges, and foundation cracks
  • Seal with materials they can’t chew:
    • Steel wool packed into gaps, then sealed with caulk
    • Hardware cloth (metal mesh) over vents and openings
    • Metal flashing for larger cracks or edges

If there’s a hole big enough to push a pencil through, assume a mouse can use it.

2. Remove food and water

If there is no easy food, most mice won’t bother to stay.

  • Store dry foods (cereal, rice, pet food, snacks) in rigid containers with tight lids, like thick plastic or metal, not bags or cardboard.
  • Clean up crumbs and spills right away, especially in the kitchen, under appliances, and around trash.
  • Empty pet food bowls at night and don’t leave bird seed or open trash around.
  • Fix dripping pipes or standing water where possible so they don’t have a water source.

3. Make your home less “mouse‑comfortable”

Mice love places that are quiet, cluttered, and full of nesting material.

  • Declutter basements, attics, garages, sheds, and storage rooms.
  • Get rid of piles of:
    • Cardboard, old paper, and fabric
    • Loose insulation and junk piles
  • Store items in sealed plastic bins instead of open boxes.
  • Vacuum or sweep regularly so there are fewer hiding and nesting spots.

Outside, try to remove “mouse highways” that lead to the house.

  • Trim shrubs, bushes, and tree branches so they don’t touch your siding or roof.
  • Keep mulch, compost piles, stacked firewood, brush piles, and leaf piles away from the foundation.
  • Keep grass and vegetation around the home fairly short so they have less cover.

4. Use smells and natural deterrents (helpful, not magic)

Strong smells alone won’t “solve” a mouse problem, but they can help make certain areas less attractive.

Commonly used scents and household tricks:

  • Peppermint oil:
    • Put 5–10 drops on cotton balls and place them near entry points, along walls, under sinks, and behind appliances.
  • Other strong smells that may bother mice:
    • Cayenne pepper, cloves, or cinnamon (on cotton balls, sachets, or lightly sprinkled in non‑contact areas).
* Vinegar or apple cider vinegar mixtures sprayed around exterior edges or problem spots (avoid surfaces that might be damaged).

* Ammonia solutions in tightly placed containers near access points, used very carefully and out of reach of kids and pets.
  • Predator cues:
    • A cat in the home can deter mice; even the smell of a cat or used kitty litter near access points may make them cautious.

Most professional sources stress that scents are a supplement , not a replacement for sealing holes and removing food.

5. Traps and when to call a pro

If you already have mice, deterrents alone aren’t enough—you need to actively remove them.

  • Use traps along walls where you see droppings or rub marks:
    • Snap traps (classic bar or enclosed styles) are fast and effective.
* Place them perpendicular to the wall so mice run right across the trigger.
  • Check and reset traps regularly until there’s no new activity.

Call a pest control professional when:

  • You keep seeing fresh droppings or new damage despite cleaning and trapping.
  • The infestation seems widespread (multiple rooms, walls, or attic).
  • You can’t find where they’re getting in, or it’s unsafe to access (high rooflines, crawlspaces).

TL;DR : What keeps mice away long‑term is a mix of sealing every gap you can find, locking down food and clutter, tidying the yard, and using traps if they’re already inside, with strong smells and natural repellents as a small bonus—not the main solution.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.