WHAT IS MICE REPELLENT GEL? WHY DOESN’T IT WORK?

Mice repellent gel comes under various brand names, and is sold as a product that deters mice as part of a way to mouse proof your home.

It sounds fancy, but mice repellent gel is essentially white pepper, cayenne pepper, or another similar natural product within a food-grade mineral oil derived gel.

Let us get things straight from the start. Here at SUPERPROOF™ we do not use mice repellent gel, because it is not effective. Simple as that. It may help make a customer facing a mouse infestation problem to think that something special and quick is being done to get rid of mice. Sadly, it is pseudo-science that can actually make a mouse problem worse.

We regularly help people with mice in the house who have gone through the process of having mice repellent gel blobbed all over their property, to no long-term effect. So, why doesn’t mice repellent gel work?

Mice repellent – the theory

The gel is simply a ‘carrier’ of the active ingredient, allowing it to be applied easily and to remain in place.

Mice have extremely sensitive noses. Smell is their dominant sense, and their prime method for navigating through, interacting with, and generally perceiving their environment. They are not visually-orientated creatures like you and I.

As you can imagine, mice repellent gel can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. This, in turn, disorientates the mouse as it needs its sense of smell to move from one place to another, as well as to recognise where it currently is. Think, for a moment, how you would behave if you had tear gas, or pepper spray, in your eyes.

So far, so good. Sounds like a winner? In theory, the gel is applied into and around mice holes - the mice then suffer extreme irritation when they come into close contact with the gel and want to avoid it.

However, mice repellent gel has some significant drawbacks, that make it not worth the effort compared with effective mouse proofing.

Mice repellent gel – 5 practical problems

1. The number of potential mouse entry points

The sheer number of ways for a mouse to enter the average property means you would have to apply a very large amount of this gel to stand a chance of it working. It is sticky – creating a point in the home to attract dust and dirt. It is also unsightly, can make an absolute mess, and can cause eye, nose and throat irritation to humans as well. Young children will not realise it should not be touched, so could come into contact with the gel as they play and explore.

2. It’s not a physical barrier

Mouse proofing creates a barrier to physically excludes the mice. Mice repellent gels just try to deter mice from getting into your home. However, if mice think they have found a warm home with a good food supply, they will not be put off, and will ‘smell’ for another way in.

3. It’s not a long-term solution

Mouse proofing becomes part of a building’s fabric and is as durable as the existing materials. Once it is done, you have a long-term, effective mouse infestation solution. Mouse repellent gels break down and reduce in effectiveness over a relatively short period. They need regular fresh applications. So they will give short-term relieve, at best, while creating a real mess in your home.

4. It can upset your pet cats and dogs

Mouse repellent gels are likely to cause a great deal of distress to cats and dogs. These animals also have very sensitive noses and will suffer extreme irritation to eyes and the respiratory system if they come into contact with any mice repellent gel. SUPERPROOF™, on the other hand is humane, natural and pet friendly.

5. Mice will find a way around it

Unless you apply mice repellent gel to ALL of possible points of entry, currently in use, or available for use, mice will simply re-network, and use the holes where the gel has not been applied. You, therefore, need to be very diligent in ensuring it’s applied to all potential access points. If you are going to be so thorough in the first place, the sensible option is to mouse proof the holes, and create a long-term mouse infestation solution.

Mice repellent gels, at first glance, make sense which means people with mouse infestions are often tempted to give them a try. However, they bring with them as many problems as they try to solve.

Many of our customers have previously tried the technique and certainly found that to be the case. Ultimately, mice repellent gels are not a long-term, cost effective method for getting rid of mice. The only foolproof and guaranteed solution, in our view, is to effectively mouse proof your home or property. And that means using SUPERPROOF™!