Gimme the skinny on mice vs. peppermint.

Factual Questions
1

I’m trying to find out just how effective peppermint is at repelling mice. Google searching turns up a few tips to repel mice using peppermint oil, but very few testimonials. So, here are a few questions:

  1. What types of (walk-in) stores sell peppermint oil?

  2. Does peppermint tea work, too? Bags? Brewed? (I put fresh bags of peppermint tea in my computer every few days; hopefully the heat plus the leaves plus the fans makes my computer a very unattractive place for mice.)

  3. Do mice ever overcome their hatred of peppermint?

There were a few mice threads on this board a while back:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=59647
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=10226

But there was only a passing mention of peppermint.

And…GO!

2

No clue about the peppermint, but I have to ask. You had mice in your computer?

3

In my old one, oh yeah. Since it was warm and dark and shoved up against the wall, they must have loved it in there. When I gutted it for parts for my new computer, I found a lot of mouse turds and those sticky waste piles that they create.

Dis-gusting.

I lovingly assembled my new computer, and it runs too hot to keep the case shut, so I have to take extra precautions with this one.

4

This site offers some suggestions. I don’t think the one about the cat litter will work for you, though, unless you’re really in dire need.

Sounds like you need something stronger than teabags, though.

http://www.thefunplace.com/house/tips/hhtips.html