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How to Keep Mice Out of Your Balcony Garden

I recently had the fun experience of helping decorate a friend’s new apartment. The fun part: what to buy for the new place. Interestingly, I have to say that my favorite part of decorating and buying for her new apartment was not the apartment at all, it was the balcony.

Table and plants on a balcony

Wouldn’t you know, the balcony of an apartment or condo is by far the most difficult area to spruce up. Most of them are small and narrow, and inconvenient to say the least. Luckily for my friend, she was allowed to have a grill and do pretty much whatever she wanted to her balcony. We found the most efficient, little hanging bird feeder to hang from the railing and balcony rail flower pots that we filled with Irises, Lilies, and Orchids.

It wasn’t long after her first maintenance bill arrived that she discovered a mouse living in her grill, which soon moved into her apartment. She thought something was going on when she found odd piles of dirt in the flower pots. She could never find any rodent droppings to narrow it down to a squirrel, mouse, or rat, as it was the same color as the dirt.. The mouse had also gotten into the bag of dirt and bird seed that was sitting just inside the door of the balcony. Needless to say, decorating her apartment turned into mouse proofing her apartment.

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How Rodents Get Onto Balconies

Even if you’re two or three stories up in an apartment building, these critters can still be an issue. Mice are excellent climbers and can easily find their way up to a balcony on the side of a building. In this space you’ll often find grills, vegetable gardens, plants, bird feeders, and even stored pet food. All of these scents, food sources, and warm places to nest make a balcony an ideal spot for a mouse.

If you live high up in an apartment or out in the country, have a deck, a patio or a balcony, having plants and flowers at your home means you will most likely discover signs of a rodent’s presence at some point. If you have a garden full of edibles in these areas, then your chance of experiencing rodents will be much higher. Rodents have been known to eat vegetables and leave lasting damage to your plants, not to mention the potential dangers that they can cause with the diseases they carry.

Though a problem with mice outside is better than having a problem on the inside, the outside is still where it starts. If you have plants or a garden, it’s important to take preventative measures to keep these pests out.

4 Ways to Keep Mice Out of Your Garden

One mouse can quickly turn into an infestation, so it’s important to act fast if you notice signs of these critters. Whether your garden is on a balcony or a patio, these DIY pest control tips can help prevent mice from your garden or plant area.:

  • Keep the area clean and free of excess debris that mice want to use for safety and shelter. This includes extra bags of dirt, bags of mulch, wood piles, overgrown vegetation, and any other potential hiding places.
  • Remove as many potential food sources as possible. Mice are attracted to gardens because of the readily available food. Clear away fallen fruits, veggies, and seeds regularly to minimize the appeal. Store garden supplies, such as birdseed or compost, far away from your garden and in tightly sealed containers to prevent easy access for mice.
  • Install physical barriers to further deter mice. Consider installing wire mesh or hardware cloth around the perimeter of your garden. Additionally, you can use individual plant cages or wire mesh fences around vulnerable plants to create a physical barrier that these pests cannot penetrate.
  • Implement natural deterrents in your garden to help. Rats and mice dislike strong scents and certain plants. Consider planting aromatic herbs like mint, lavender, or rosemary around your garden. Their strong fragrance can help get rid of mice.
  • Consider using a mouse repellent in your home to make sure the pests stay outside. Fresh Cab is a botanical rodent repellent that uses essential oils and other plant-based ingredients to keep mice out of an area. Place pouches in areas that you have noticed rodent activity. Look for trails, mouse droppings, or grease marks from their fur along siding or walls.

Whether you have a collection of plants, fruits and vegetables growing out on your balcony or out in your backyard, these gardening tips can help keep your space pest-free.

Shop Fresh Cab Rodent Repellent pouches online or in a store near you.