If you’ve noticed something small and furry dash across your floor or crawl on top of your furniture, you might have mice in your home. Mice eat and can contaminate food with saliva, hair, droppings and urine. Besides being a nuisance, mice in your home can potentially pose health risks. Many consumers believe that the smell of soap can help repel mice. So, does soap, repel mice? Let’s find out – here is some information about the effects of soap on mice.
Does Soap Help Keep Mice Away?
Many people believe that the smell of some soaps, can deter wildlife, such as mice, from inhabiting indoor areas. But, is soap a mice repellent, too? At this time, there is no evidence that directly proves this particular brand is an effective repellent. In fact, scientists are just beginning to explore the deterrent effects of general soap products. Researchers from the University of California Davis and San Diego have found that triclosan (an antibacterial ingredient in many popular soap brands) can have detrimental effects on laboratory mice. In particular, it caused chemically-induced liver tumors in mice exposed to it for a six-month period. It is important to remember that the study took place in a controlled environment where the chemical was routinely delivered. This is not practical in a real-world setting. Thus, it is not recommended that you use soap as the sole method of deterring mice from your home.
Mice are known to eat animal fat. Many commercial soap products, may contain components of animal fat (known as tallow). So, if you’re still wondering “Does soap keep mice away?” the simple answer is no. If you’re unsure about which methods are the most effective for excluding or repelling mice in residential settings, consider contacting a wildlife professional for advice.
A Clean House: Better than a Soap Mice Repellent
When it comes to deterring mice, you may not find success with soap but some alternative solutions include forming simple cleaning habits like taking out the trash, routinely vacuuming, washing dishes immediately after use and sealing all open food in storage containers. Since mice are also attracted to water, be sure to clean up spills and fix leaky faucets as soon as they occur.
Traditional cleaning methods can also help with limiting mice nesting areas. To make nests, mice can use common household items including cardboard, paper and even clothing. Other benefits of cleaning include improving the ease of inspections for rodents, such as mice. With less clutter around your home, assessments of potential mice issues are much easier. For a more thorough mice inspection of your home, contact a wildlife professional.
Professional Methods
By scheduling an appointment with Terminix®, one of our trained technicians can help create a custom solution for your home. Better yet, Terminix technicians can help identify, remove, and prevent mice from racing across your floors. So, say goodbye to the mice in your home and hello to a solution that works.