Voles are the type of rodent, to be exact; it’s the smaller size of the rat. Eating habits are also similar to other rodents since they can eat grass, corn, and different seeds. You must repel the voles if you have a garden; otherwise, it will damage your small trees.
You must take proper steps to deter the voles using home ingredients. Different oils and rodent repellents can give you the best result. Today’s tip will talk about some of the easiest repellents for voles.
Does mint repel voles?
Mint does repel voles. Mint has a strong aroma favorable to human beings but pungent to rodents. Mint plants spread a pungent smell in the air that ultimately repels the mice and other rodents. It also deters the voles. You can use mint oil in different ways to get rid of the voles.
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If you ask why mint repels voles and other rodents, the answer would be the smell. Rodents like voles cannot bear the pungent aroma of the strong smell.
Whenever it smells any scent, it leaves the place immediately. No matter how sweet the smell is or how better it seems to the human being.
You can use the mint plant to deter the voles from your garden. It will be a good practice to plant some mint plants around the garden and let the aroma remove the rodents and other bugs from the surroundings.
You can also make a spray of mist and water. Boil the water and add some mint leaves. After a while, it will become the best natural anti-rodents spray. You can spray anywhere, including plants, flowers, and the entire garden. It’s a safe spray for using your house too.
If you have voles’ holes, you can spray mint water around it. Hopefully, voles will leave the place. Here is the twist, if you don’t spray the entire garden properly, the voles will go somewhere else and find another living space.
To get rid of the voles from everywhere, you need to clean the surrounding, and spray mint water.
Does peppermint oil repel voles?
Peppermint oil does repel voles. It’s the best repellent for voles and works better than the mint and other repellents. Mainly, the peppermint contains a strong and pungent smell that is nearly impossible to breadth for the voles. Therefore, when you use peppermint oil, it repels voles.
Peppermint also belongs to the mint family, but it’s the pungent version of the mint. Mint spreads an aroma in the air. At the same time, the peppermint spreads a pungent smell. If you use peppermint oil and spray it around the garden, voles will soon leave the area.
Every rodent, bug, and insect dislike peppermint oil because they cannot bear the smell of peppermint oil. The oil is not safe for rodents’ health.
It creates breathing issues for the voles. Therefore, they leave the place eventually and give a rodent-free garden within a while.
But it might be costly to use the direct peppermint oil without mixing any water or anything else. You don’t need to spend some regular bucks on buying peppermint oil.
Water would be the most economical choice for you. You can mix peppermint along with some water and make a mixture.
Some other ways are also there to use peppermint oil or mint. We will cover them in the following section. So keep going and get some insights into using peppermint oil and mint to repel voles.
How to use mint and peppermint oil to get rid of voles?
You can use mint and peppermint oil in several ways to get rid of voles. Let’s take a look at them.
Making Mint & Water Sprayer:
As I early mentioned, you can use fresh mint leaves and some water to make a perfect repellent.
Mainly, you need to take some fresh mint leaves. Then boil one or two cups of water in a pan. After that, put those leaves in the water and boil them for a few minutes.
3 to 5 minutes would be enough to make the mixture. Once the water starts spreading a pungent smell, you will get the best repellent.
After that, pour the mixture into a sprayer, and spray around the garden. It will repel the voles within a while.
Planting Mint:
You can plant some mint trees around the garden. It will also repel the voles without any extra effort.
Once the plant is full of leaves, they will spread the aroma in the air. Eventually, the voles will smell it and leave the place as soon as possible.
Although it might be a lengthy and tiresome process to plant and take care of the mint, it is worth it. You can enjoy the mint aroma, take fresh breadths, and eat the mint as a vegetable.
Peppermint Oil Spray:
You can also make a mixture of peppermint oil and hot water. You need two cups of water and 15-20 drops of peppermint oil.
Then, mix them properly and boil to get the best smell. Once the water is boiling, you can pour it into a sprayer.
You can also let the boiling water cool for a few minutes, but try to spray the warm water mixture. It will work better than the cool mixture. Remember, you have to spray around the garden.
So, the strong aroma or the odor can spread out and deter the voles in every way possible.
Peppermint Oil & Mint Leaves:
Do you want to make a strong repellent for your garden’s voles and other insects?
If so, you can try this unique idea. Take a cup or small bowl. Then, add some water; 2 cups would do; pour 15-20 drops of peppermint oil.
You can set the mixture on the stove and boil it for 2-3 minutes. When the water is boiling correctly, you can add some mint leaves. The smell will make it so strong that you don’t want to breathe it for a second time.
Is peppermint oil safe for vegetable gardens?
Peppermint oil is safe for vegetable gardens. It doesn’t contain any chemical or harsh material that can damage the vegetable gardens. Instead, peppermint oil will deter the most harmful bugs and rodents from your vegetable garden.
Peppermint oil will also spread an aroma in your garden. It will help to reduce some bacteria and make the air fresh.
Some leafy vegetables will extract some good ingredients from peppermint oil. Thus, the oil also keeps your vegetables healthy and safe from insects.
What bugs and pests does peppermint oil repel?
Spiders, ticks, flies, roaches, moths, and other pests don’t like peppermint oil, and the oil also repels them with its pungent smell. If you use the peppermint oil sprayed on the vegetables, it will successfully repel beetles and ants.
In a nutshell, peppermint oil repels the most dangerous insects that are not good for the garden.
You may think of the helpful bugs and aphids. But the good news is that the peppermint doesn’t destroy or deter the helpful aphids because they can bear the peppermint smell. So, the mint oil or the spray won’t damage the aphid’s health.
Although peppermint oil is an excellent repellent for the garden, you cannot overuse it. It might damage the natural growth of some vegetables or repel all the bugs and aphids. So, try to use a minimal amount of essential oil in your garden.
What other smells do voles dislike?
Along with the peppermint and mint smells, voles also don’t like some other scents.
Essential Oil:
Voles dislike the essential oil smell. It also spreads a pungent smell that voles don’t like in the surroundings.
If you don’t have the peppermint oil, but the essential oil is there, you can use it instead of the peppermint. It will work best and will repel the voles quickly.
Home Spicy:
Some home spices like onion, zinger, and others also have a strong smell.
Voles and other rodents don’t like them at all. You can use them in your garden and repel the voles very quickly. It would be better to scatter some spices around the garden or plant the spice plants.
Castor Oil:
Here is another pungent smelly oil that voles dislike most. Castor oil is also an essential oil that contains a strong and pungent smell.
If you spray the oil around the garden or make a water and castor oil mixture, it will be the best repellent.
Final thoughts
Mint & peppermint can repel the voles through their strong smell. They both spread the smell in the air, creating breathing problems for the voles and other rodents. You can also use them to repel other bugs and aphids from the vegetable gardens. Therefore, planting mint would be a nice idea.