Peppermint Oil For Cars In Storage ?

[Don]

Source: Duncan Haimerl, Hartford ( CT ) Courant, free lance auto industry writer :

" Of Mice And Men ... And Peppermint Oil For Cars In Storage "

Q: In response to N.B. from Avon's question about keeping mice out of the car when being stored, I have had great success with natural peppermint oil. Not the extract you find in the grocery store, but the real oil you can only get from health food outlets.

It obviously leaves a very pleasant smell, is completely safe for children and pets, and really does the job.

You can get a pint of this online for under $30, and putting several small containers in the car does a great job.

I use it in my 1941 Hupmobile, and I also use it in my crawl spaces and the attic of my house. I live in the woods also, and I haven't had an issue with mice since I started using it.

D.B., WILLINGTON

A: What a great suggestion, using basically natural ingredients to chase away a natural pest. The Internet says peppermint was found in pyramids from 1000 B.C. and probably chased the mice away, which is why Egyptian cats look so skinny and underfed.

Maybe the automakers should use a little peppermint in wire coverings to hold the mice at bay.

******************

Other choices mentioned: Scented dryer sheets, moth balls, Mouse Magic ( " It contains powerful yet non-toxic essential oils of spearmint and peppermint in a base of granulated corncobs. " ), compact fluorescent light under the hood left on all the time (" mice are normally nocturnal creatures, pennies to run. " )

http://www.gardeners.com/Mouse-Repel...efault,cp.html