You don’t want rodents anywhere near your house, let alone colonize your dresser drawers. They can run havoc inside your dresser and ruin your favorite dress.
How to keep mice out of dresser drawers?
The best way to keep mice away is to put natural mice repellents inside the drawers. One should clean up food and water sources inside the house. Having a cat as a household pet can help fend off mice. If the dresser is already infested with mice, call pest control for help.
Sounds useful? Why not stay a little longer and learn some more! We have covered all the popular methods to keep mice out of dresser drawers here.
Let’s kick-off!
Ways to Ward Off Mice From Dresser Drawers
You can’t really catch a mouse as easily as you can catch a mole. Neither can you coax them out of your house like a mole.
What you can do is to make sure that they keep their distance from your house.
One of the most common places for mice to make their nest is the dresser drawer. It gives them access to a warm, dark place. And they have a playground full of clothes and other materials to chew and ruin.
Step 1: Close Down All the Gaps
Mice are always on the search for dark and warmer spots. They will jump at the first opportunity they can find to enter a drawer. And a wide gap in the drawer is just like throwing a welcome mat for them.
An inch-wide gap should be wide enough for rodents to run in and out the drawers. These rodents are allured to spots where light passes through. You can block those gaps using steel wool or copper mesh.
Stuff the steel wool in the opening. Larger holes should be sealed with drywall muds or other sealing materials. Apply heat to dry the drywall mud quickly.
As mentioned before, mice will always look to reach the foods inside the drawers. They are more than capable of chewing their way through the drawer.
Most of these mischiefs are done from behind the cabinet, in the dark. For that, you’ll also need to apply some rodent repellent at the back of the dresser.
Step 2: Keep the Drawers Clean
Some of us store snacks and other food items in our dresser drawers. While it does offer some degree of convenience, it also attracts rodents. Especially when you leave bits and crumbs of food inside the drawer.
Leaving food crumbs in your drawers is equivalent to leaving an open invitation for the mice. Mice depend more on food than water to survive. So leaving food bits in dresser drawers is a huge NO!
Carefully remove the drawers from drawer-stops of the dresser. Get rid of the food crumbs by vacuuming every inch of the drawer and cleaning them.
Step 3: Leave Some Peppermint Inside
Peppermint oil is a strong-smelling extract that is very effective in repelling mice. It contains potent menthol compounds that cause irritation in nasal cavities.
You can also use crushed peppermint to get the same effect. Take a bowl of 1 tbsp crushed peppermint and place them in each of the drawers.
It’s unlikely that the mice will grow used to the smell of peppermint. Good peppermint oil can hold its smell for a very long period. Take a look at these rodent-repellent peppermint oil brands that we recommend:
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You can spray these inside the drawer. Or you can soak a cotton ball in the oil and place it inside the drawer. They are safe for human and pet health, and cause no negative reaction.
Cayenne pepper, pepper, and cloves can also be used as substitutes for peppermint oil. They all possess an intense smell for the mice to endure.
Step 4: Oleander Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets can be a temporary solution to keep the mice at bay for a while. This method involves locating the surfaces commonly frequented by mice and wiping them with dryer sheets. You must use dryer sheets that have oleander extract in them.
Oleander is a natural repellent containing components that deter mice.
The dresser drawers should be wiped once a week to keep the smell lingering. A lazier alternative can be to place dryer sheets in every drawer. That way, you don’t really need to wipe the drawers every week.
Keep in mind that this is not a long-term solution. Rodents are curious by nature and will eventually get used to the smell.
Step 5: Adopt a Cat
Good for you if you’re a cat person! You have an advantage over those who have dogs as their pet.
Hunter dogs are proficient in hunting down rodents. But your average pet dog ain’t up for the task. The same can’t be said about cats. They are skilled predators who’re good at keeping the mice count in your house near zero.
Keeping some used-up litter inside your drawer can work as well. The smell of their common predator will keep the mice away, keeping the house rodent-proof.
You can save your dresser drawer from mice by following the above steps. They are easy to execute and won’t burn your wallet. If you have got a bad case of rodent infestation, call a professional rodent exterminator.
FAQs
Question: Can bleach repel mice away?
Answer: Yes, bleach can repel mice. Bleach possesses a pungent smell that’s unbearable for rodents. Consumption of bleach can kill mice, so they usually steer clear of bleached areas.
Question: Where do mice hide in the daytime?
Answer: Mice usually lay low in dark corners made of soft cornets in the daytime. They are nocturnal creatures, so they usually don’t leave their nests unless disturbed.
Question: Can cats stop mice infestation?
Answer: Not really. Cats are very much capable of hunting down mice and killing them. But even the fiercest of cats will be overwhelmed to face an army of rodents. So it’s best to call a professional rodent exterminator for help.
Parting Words
Hope you found this guide on how to keep mice out of dresser drawers useful. Try to avoid using any chemical mice repellent inside the drawers. Spraying chemical mouse repellants can cause skin irritation and respiratory problems.
Keep your house safe from rodent infestation. Take care and stay safe!