Mice may browse your ornamental plants for edibles or go straight for seed packets, bulbs and birdseed stored in the shed. Whatever you do to keep them away, do it quickly—the little cuties multiply rapidly, and when there’s a big, hungry pack of them, they’ll eat just about anything. Follow the steps below for the best chance of getting rid of mice.
Some don’t like it hot
You can make ornamental plants too “hot” for hungry mice. Chop up a hot pepper and combine it with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of ground cayenne pepper and 1⁄2 gallon (2 liters) of water. Boil the mixture for 15 to 20 minutes, then let it cool. Strain it through cheesecloth and add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of dishwashing liquid. Pour it into an ordinary spray bottle and spray any vulnerable plants.
Use mothballs
Don’t let mice spend their winter vacation in your garage or potting shed. They’ll seek other quarters if you place a few mothballs in their favorite hiding places as well as near cracks where they’re likely to squeeze their way inside.
Protect bulbs with a screen
Use 1⁄2-inch (13-mm) wire mesh to keep mice away from your flowering bulbs. For individual bulbs, use wire-mesh baskets. In mass plantings, lay a sheet of wire mesh, with the edges turned down, over the planted bulbs before filling the bed with soil.
Matthew Whittle/iStockphoto
Take care of mice in the garden before they multiply out of control.
