Critters like mice seek shelter inside the warmth of your home when the weather gets cold. One TikTok user is sharing how to rid your home of mice without toxic chemicals.
The scoop
TikTok creator Everyone's Grandmother (@brunchwithbabs) shared her hack with her nearly 4 million TikTok followers. She starts with a favor bag – small drawstring mesh bags used for storing spices and jewelry. She adds 1 tablespoon each of red pepper flakes and whole cloves and a cinnamon stick.
@brunchwithbabs 🐭DIY Anti-Mouse Bags 🐭 It is that time of year again when our little creepy crawly friends come to pay a visit to seek shelter, water and food. These DIY anti-mouse bags save the day! And the best part?! They are all-natural and you likely have all the ingredients in your home right now. Mice rely on their amazing sense of smell to sense danger. These spices scream KEEP AWAY 🐭 Instructions: Take favor bags and add one star anise, one cinnamon stick, 1 tbsp each of cloves and red pepper flakes. Tie the bags and place them near openings to the outside which could attract mice and in cupboards and closets. Added bonus is they make your house smell like Christmas. 🐭 XO Babs #mice #mousetrap #DIY ♬ original sound - everyone's grandmother
"Mice have a very intense sense of smell, and strong smells like this keep them away," she explains. This "all-natural" hack also smells pretty darn good. She shows her followers how she puts the bags around her house, including in cabinets.
"Because an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," she notes at the end of the video.
How it's helping
Babs' tip is particularly valuable for those living in cold climates who experience an onslaught of critters in their garages or cabinets during the winter. Mice build nests and can damage food and wiring and even spread disease. The animals are also problematic because they reproduce prolifically — meaning that just two mice open up the potential for a mouse invasion.
Her video also suggests a nontoxic way to rid your home of mice. "It's a natural way to keep mice out of your home and out of your hair," Babs describes in the video. You won't have to worry about inhumane traps around your home and toxic repellants that may be toxic to animals and to you.
Other users have suggested similar mice-prevention concoctions, and one cleaning influencer also suggested adding a few drops of peppermint oil to the bag. The same user also suggested other natural remedies for deterring pests, including cinnamon oil for deterring ants in the summer and cinnamon sticks to repel spiders from building webs.
What everyone's saying
Many users were quick to make jokes about Babs' hack. "I tried, my mother in law keeps coming back," one popular commenter shared. Another said: "That's a whole spell."
"Mice be like, 'Ooh, a free gift bag.'" another user joked.
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