Does Bleach Repel Mice? (See How It Works)

The usual rat trap in your house may no longer be effective in getting rid of these rodents. If you’ve been looking through the internet for solutions, you may come across bleach as a solution, but does bleach repel mice?

Bleach can be effective in scaring away mice but not in small quantities. For bleach to be effective against mice, you will need it in a large quantity to have the right concentration.

This article uncovers how to get rid of mice using a homemade bleach solution and all the information you need to know about this procedure.

Why You Need To Get Rid of Mice

Besides the uncomfortable feeling of having this rodent crawling around your house, mice can also damage your properties and put your health at risk. Mice are known for chewing on properties like furniture, paper, building material, books, and clothing.

The centers for control and disease prevention have listed dangerous diseases that rodents can spread. This list contains diseases like Lassa fever, Monkeypox, and salmonellosis. To protect your health and your household from this safety risk, you must immediately get rid of these mice.

Does Bleach Repel Mice?

Mice have a keen sense of smell that helps them detect their food, and bleach is known for its strong chlorine-like smell.

The smell of bleach affects the sense of smell of mice, making them repulsed by it. However, you will need a high concentration of this substance to keep them away.

Mice can also die from ingesting bleach as it contains several toxic chemicals like Calcium hypochlorite, sodium hypochlorite, and sodium hydroxide.

These chemicals in the guts of mice will cause hyperchloremia, a condition that occurs when there’s too much chlorine in the blood.

However, if you aim to kill mice using bleach, it may be harder than you think, as their sense of smell helps them flee from food items that contain bleach. This is why bleach is mostly effective for keeping them out and not killing them.

How To Use Bleach To Keep Mice Away

There are two major ways to get rid of mice from your home: spraying it on infested areas or mixing it up with food for them to ingest. Reading further, you will discover how to use these methods to get rid of mice.

1. Spraying Mice Infested Area With Bleach

You must be aware of the areas in your house where these rodents are most prominent; some suggested areas include cracks or holes in your walls and floors, areas with droppings, and areas with signs of nesting (dried plant, paper, and fabric).

While it is important to use a high concentration of bleach to get mice to leave, you should be careful not to let the smell affect you and other people in your home. You can dilute the bleach with some water if it’s too concentrated.

Spray other suspected areas in your home and yard with chlorine; when these mice come with this chemical, they will take off immediately.

You can soak a cotton ball with bleach and place them in these areas as an alternative to spraying; this alternative is a good way to preserve this harsh smell for a longer time.

2. Mixing Food Items With Bleach To Get Rid of Mice

If you get frequent invasions by mice and other rodents, eliminating them for good sounds like a preferable option to chasing them away as they may return.

Since mice can detect bleach and run away from it, you need the perfect food item to lure them and conceal the smell of bleach simultaneously.

The steps below give a detailed process of getting rid of mice by lacing peanut butter with bleach because it can mask strong smells.

Mix about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and mix it with some bleach until the strong smell is not noticeable
After preparing the mixture, drop it in areas that rats would possibly visit. With the smell of bleach masked, it would be easier for mice to take the bait.

How To Use Bleach To Clean Up After A Rat

A way to keep rats out of your home is to use bleach as a cleaning agent since the smell repulses them. Using bleach as a cleaning agent is also great if you’ve had to deal with rats and you need to clean up their messes.

Keeping your living environment clean is one major way to reduce the population of mice in your environment, and here are some steps to help you have a more secure cleaning routine using bleach.

Step one

Before starting, put on a nose mask and protective gloves. This is because the smell of concentrated bleach is too strong and can make you feel uncomfortable on continuous exposure, bleach can also irritate when it gets on your skin, so you need protective gloves.

Step two

You cannot do this with concentrated bleach if you clean your house with a bleach solution. You need to dilute the bleach with some water, and a good way to do this is to measure 1 part bleach and nine parts water for a suitable cleaning solution.

Step three

After making the solution, the next step is to start cleaning. Spray the dropping of this rodent with some of the bleach solutions and allow it to soak for about 5 minutes. You can locate these droppings in possible nesting and feeding areas.

Step four

You will need to disinfect the nesting area when you encounter it as well as any dead rodents around. A couple of bleach sprays should do the trick; you should also allow this area to soak in bleach for some minutes.

Step five

After letting the droppings, nesting materials, and other mess soak in bleach for some minutes, clean them up using paper towels and discard these papers in your outdoor garbage bin.

Step six

you will need to thoroughly clean up these areas previously infested with rats to ensure that no harmful disease is spread. Disinfection can be done with the bleach solution alone or with the help of other disinfectants.

Step seven

After cleaning and disinfection, you must wash your hands to kill any germs from this task. It is best to wash your hands with soap rather than with water alone.

Other Smells That Repel Mice

Bleach is not the only substance with a strong smell that mice find obnoxious. These smells are usually generated from herbs; you can use these plants’ extracts as essential oils while warding off mice.

The best way to use these herbs or extracts is by applying them in areas where you are likely to find mice and other rodents.

Here are some other smells aside from bleach that can scare off mice.

Ammonia
Cayenne pepper
Cloves
Vinegar
Chili powder
Peppermint oil

How To Prevent Mice From Getting Into Your Home

If you’ve gotten rid of the mice in your home, the next step is to work on ways to prevent them from gaining access to your living space next time.

1. Close entry points

Some possible entry points for mice entering your home include pipes, floor drains, crawl spaces, vents, and floor corners. For narrow spaces, you can use an adhesive sealant like silicone caulk, and for wide spaces, the best option is to use copper mesh or steel wood. These materials are difficult for mice to chew through for access.

2. Limit access to the food supply

Your unsealed food items become a priority for mice during cold weather, and your house will also provide warmth at this time. Your food supplies should be stored properly in cabinets and drawers, do not leave leftovers carelessly.

3. Mice-proof your garbage bin

Like insects and other rodents, mice are attracted to your garbage bin as they search for food items. Your garbage bin should have a tight lid that makes it difficult for mice to infiltrate. You can also use strong rubber cords to secure the lid to the bin. Regularly cleaning your bin is also important to keep mice away.

4. Get a cat

If you love cats and have been looking for an excuse to get one, here’s one. A study by Scripps shows that mice fear the smell of pheromones from cats’ urine, and cats are good at hunting down mice to keep them out of your house.

Conclusion

If mice have invaded your home, one of the solutions the internet recommends is using bleach. But is it an effective method of getting rid of mice? This article covers the effect of bleach on mice and all the ways it can be used to scare them off.

We have also explained some ways to prevent this rodent from gaining access to your house and other natural ways to keep them out. Mice hate other strong smells like peppermint oil, vinegar, and chili powder that disrupt their sense of smell.

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We trust this article helped you learn if bleach repels mice. You may also want to check out How To Get Rid of Waterbugs in Your House.

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