Use Peppermint Oil In Your Basement And Watch What Happens

If you're looking for a natural preventative to keep pests like mice, spiders, and bugs out of your basement, peppermint oil may be exactly what you need. Using the plant extract as a pest repellent is just one way you can use peppermint essential oil in your home. Peppermint oil is made from the dried leaves and flowers of the mint plant. The oil gets its powerful properties from the menthol within it that is claimed to have biocidal qualities that work to repel mites, mosquito larvae, and roaches. In addition to this, the menthol acts as a repellent for dogs and cats, making it a potent yet natural deterrent.

There are specific ways to make the oil work for you and your insect or animal control situation. Thus, the method of application you choose will depend on what critters you need to keep out of your basement. Some application methods to consider include placing some peppermint oil on cotton balls or making a spray to disperse the oil throughout the basement, namely any locations where you've observed pest and/or rodent activity.

While some may be skeptical about how peppermint oil can actually be effective at repelling pests from the basement, there is some truth to why this hack actually works. Peppermint oil acts as a repellent against insects because of its biocidal properties thanks to the menthol within the oil. Peppermint oil has been shown to be effective at deterring pests like mites, mosquito larvae, and brown-banded cockroaches. In fact, the oil shows a 97% mortality rate of the cockroaches after 24 hours. 

Additionally, the volatiles released by peppermint oil have been shown to deter spiders from two different families — Latrodectus geometricus C. L. Koch (brown widow spider) and A. diadematus (European garden spider). Meanwhile, peppermint is also an essential oil that'll keep your home free of mice, at least partially. Critters like mice and rats don't like the overwhelming odor of the oil because their smell receptors are sensitive to the aroma, but keep in mind this may not work as well when a large infestation is at play. Then, other methods of removal may be required.

If you're set on using peppermint oil to keep pesky rats from invading your basement and as a general pest control method, you may be wondering how you should go about applying it throughout your basement. There are two main ways to make peppermint oil work for you. The first method is with cotton balls. Wet some cotton balls or cotton wool with peppermint oil and place the cotton balls strategically where rodents or insects appear the most within your basement. These may be in any crevices or entry points like crawl spaces or even cabinets.

Second, you can make a peppermint oil spray by combining 2 tablespoons of liquid soap with 1 gallon of warm water, then mixing in 2 teaspoons of peppermint oil. Similar to the placement of the peppermint oil cotton balls, spray the peppermint oil solution anywhere you've experienced sightings of rodents or bugs. For both methods, you may need to reapply and replenish the peppermint oil to remain effective as a repellent.