Peppermint Oil.
Are you having problems with mice eating your peas before they germinate or even eating your other precious crops before you have the chance to harvest them?
Mice do not tolerate strong smells, therefore anything that gives off a strong smell will deter them. This is an alternative to a humane killer.
Mice will not eat onions or chillies, but they love just about everything else. You can plant onions, spring or round ones as companion plants to the more vulnerable plants or you can put something that smells strongly amongst your vulnerable plants. Chilli powder will keep the blighters away as will peppermint oil. Peppermint oil is especially useful as it works just as well in your house and gives off a pleasant smell for humans. In the home put the oil on cotton wool balls and place them where there are suspected mice runs. The oil needs to be reapplied a couple of times a week because the smell does dissipate and hopefully after a couple of weeks the mice will look for a new home. Similarly, on the allotment put the cottons ball in a glass jar, slightly tilted down at the mouth to stop the rain getting in. Again, the oil needs to be replenished a couple of time a week, but the effort is worth if you save your crops. Although they may just wander over to your neighbour’s plot and devour their crops.
Peppermint oil is also good for ailments in humans. So, when you have got rid of the mice you can use it for a healthy digestive system, relieving sore muscles, as a bug repellent, for joint pain treatment, for headache relief, improved circulation and healthy skin amongst many other ailments. It almost sounds like a super drug. Just be aware it may not be suitable FOR YOU. Always read the instruction on the bottle.
Dennis Flaherty
Allotment Secretary