Does Black Pepper Get Rid of Mice? (Find Out Now)

Rodent control can be expensive, and it can also take a lot of time. But there may be a quick and natural remedy to your house mouse infestation. And best of all, you likely have the ingredients in your kitchen cupboard already.

Use ground black pepper to keep mice at bay. Sprinkle some around your window sills, doorways, and the cracks in your floors or walls. Then, try to focus on areas where you see rodent activity the most. If that doesn’t work, call an exterminator.

Mice dislike the smell of black pepper. The tiny pepper spores can irritate their little nostrils, which makes them avoid it at all costs. So, sprinkle a little bit wherever you suspect rodents at play. And don’t forget that regular table pepper works just fine.

Don’t have enough black pepper to spread it all over your house? Lucky for you, mice have a keen sense of smell that you can use to your advantage. For example, these common household ingredients work just as well:

Did you know that black pepper isn’t the only kind of pepper that mice hate? They also dislike the smell of cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper. That means you can use a combination or just stick with your favorite. And it means you can make an at-home mice repellent pepper spray as well.

Making a pepper spray helps cover trouble spots more thoroughly. Plus, you can reapply it on-demand while using fewer kitchen supplies. And because some mice nibble on pepper flakes unknowingly, a liquid spritz may help prevent that.

NOTE: Be extra careful when making pepper spray at home because some ingredients can burn if you get it in your eyes.

Members of the mouse population can sometimes munch on black pepper flakes. That’s because they forage for food and are naturally curious. They must taste test the pepper to determine whether it’s safe to eat. So, many mice eat black pepper unknowingly.

However, black pepper in large quantities is toxic to mice. It’s also highly spicy to their palettes. Thus, they typically avoid food supplies that you’ve tainted with ground peppers. Think of it like your favorite restaurant putting hot sauce all over your plate. You probably wouldn’t eat there anymore.

There are several ways to get rid of mice in your home without calling the exterminator. For example, some homeowners prefer to use mothballs instead of traps, poisons, and pepper sprays. That’s because mothballs contain naphthalene which rodents hate.

Other natural mouse repellents include ammonia, tea bags, and minty toothpaste. Most rodents can’t stand the smell of those. Plus, ammonia mimics the odor of cat urine, which can scare mice instinctually.

Rats and mice are both rodents, but they are not the same animal. For one, rats are typically larger and better suited for survival. However, that doesn’t mean that they’re immune to the chemical compounds in black pepper.

Meanwhile, rats are less likely to eat enough black pepper to get sick. So, they usually don’t suffer toxic side effects or die from ingestion. Therefore, you may have to use other measures to get rid of a rat infestation in your home.