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Regarding dryer sheets to repel rodents

warnerwh

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Here is the Google AI answer:

No, dryer sheets are not a reliable or effective way to keep mice away
. While some people use them, experts say that mice quickly get used to the scent, and the effectiveness fades over time. Furthermore, mice may even use dryer sheets to build nests. For better results, focus on sealing entry points, maintaining cleanliness, and using other deterrents like traps.



Why dryer sheets don't work

  • Mice adapt to the smell: What might seem like a strong smell to humans is not enough to keep mice away permanently.
  • The scent fades: The fragrance of dryer sheets diminishes over time, reducing their potential effectiveness.
  • Potential nesting material: Mice may actually use dryer sheets as nesting material, which is counterproductive.
Here is the DuckDuckGo AI answer:

No, dryer sheets do not keep mice away. They may have a strong scent for humans, but mice are not deterred by it and can even nest near them.

Effectiveness of Dryer Sheets Against Mice
Do Dryer Sheets Repel Mice?
No, dryer sheets do not effectively keep mice away. While some people believe that the strong scent of dryer sheets can deter rodents, real-world experiences show that mice often ignore them. In fact, there have been instances where mice have nested near dryer sheets.

I've seen this suggestion posted more than once and hopefully nobody else will waste their time and money on dryer sheets.
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Strokerswild

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Interesting. Because I've personally seen dryer sheets to be 100% effective when storing cars in buildings known to have mice intrusion. You just have to put them everywhere, interior, trunk, and engine bay. As in many.

Bounce brand sheets were the ones that worked for me, off brands not as much. Not sure what the difference was exactly.

Mothballs work too, but your car will reek like them for the better part of a year. Been there.
 

daSNAK3

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Thank god we have AI to tell us what works in the real world.

I would disagree. I used mothballs one year and still had an asshole make his way under my back seat... the next 2 years I used bounce sheets and did not have any intruders.
 
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GrabberBargeCaptain

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Thank god we have AI to tell us what works in the real world.

I would disagree. I used mothballs one year and still had an asshole make his way under my back seat... the next 2 years I used bounce sheets and did not have any intruders.
Can't wait till the next Chatgpt-ass thread
 

Mach 307

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Mothballs are also toxic to breathe just so everyone knows.
 

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Mach 307

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For the rodents, glue traps, glue traps, and more glue traps.
 
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warnerwh

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For the rodents, glue traps, glue traps, and more glue traps.
Exactly my strategy. Have 10 large ones out and 12 more on the way. Plus I seal off the garage. Not a cat person but I have one that likes using my back yard.
 

Mach 307

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Exactly my strategy. Have 10 large ones out and 12 more on the way. Plus I seal off the garage. Not a cat person but I have one that likes using my back yard.
There you go. I’ve tried everything else and it just doesn’t work. The glue traps are a 100% success rate though. I’ve gotten a little crazy, and have 48 out right now in my garage from a large pack I ordered lol. I figure better safe than sorry. If you’re in a cold climate, look into Catchmaster Freeze Resistant/Cold Temp Glue Traps they stay effective down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. They sell packs with several different amounts, but domyown.com sells that 48 pack for $122 out the door. Any of the other stuff, sprays, mothballs, dryer sheets, etc. won’t work, even snap traps, they can just eat the bait off, I’ve learned the bastards are a lot smarter than we think. I even have a cat inside my home, and sealed my garage for winter, and I’ve still caught one or two since those two additions to my arsenal, they WILL find a way in, it’s just if you’re going catch them or not purely based on volume of traps.
 

G.T.

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Exactly my strategy. Have 10 large ones out and 12 more on the way. Plus I seal off the garage. Not a cat person but I have one that likes using my back yard.
Then we have cats. Hate that they party on top of the car and scratch it up.
 

raydog1

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Cats are also not very effective. Mice find a way around them if they really want to. Have recorded multiple cats chasing them around the outside of my house with a trail cam back when I had a mouse problem. Traps with peanut butter. NUKE THEM FROM ORBIT...only way to be sure.
 

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Millarduck

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I spray this under the car, on top of the tires, and in the engine bay once a month. I have the spray can and the big spray jug.
1762792021993-47.webp
 

ThePreBanMan

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Moth balls work really well. I don't put them in the car, though. I've also had great success with the snap traps, with fake plastic cheese on them. The trick is to know where to place the trap. Mice love to run along edges... edges of walls, etc. So tuck them into their path and they will run over them and get murdered in the snap trap. I must have killed a hundred mice with the same snap trap before it fell apart because the wood rotted out.
 

77Highboy77

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I've never had any luck with any of the repellants (dryer sheets, Irish Spring, moth balls, etc.) with my F250 that was stored for almost 20 years. I had constant issues with mice every year and tried everything that was supposed to repel them. Traps worked, but didn't deter new mice from moving in. What finally worked for me was stuffing copper wool in any hole they could get through. This has stopped mice from getting in the cab for the last 6+ years, but unfortunately doesn't stop them from getting under the hood and storing cherry pits and hazel nuts in the hood; luckily they don't have a taste for wiring though.
 

13GetThere

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My car is in a carport, and I live in the woods so mice are a constant worry. I've been using a peppermint spray of essential oil and water. I can't say it works, but I can't say it doesn't.
I need to spray it again since it just turned polar bear cold yesterday.
 

Rock&Roll

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Mouse traps, green poison crap on the floor and mouse repellent pouches every month placed on the engine towers is what I do.

Probably kill 6-8 mice a year with the traps. I see a dead one outside occasionally and my car hasn't been attacked in the 9 years its been in the garege :)


Sometimes I feel bad for the mice. They're just trying to survive 😥
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