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Ah, another tropical morning! Time to go inside the greenhouse and see the nice new leaves emerging on my prized Anthuriums. So I unzipped the door, poked my head in and. . . AGHHH! The new leaves were gone, chewed off at the stem, and no sign of the culprit anywhere. Such is the kind of hit-and-run damage that rodents can wreak on your favorite plants. I didn't really want to set those vicious traps, I just wanted the pesky critters to go elsewhere for gourmet snacks. Alas, a serendipitous tip came my way and it really worked! Read on. . .
The bite of your life
Few things are more exciting to a plant lover than seeing a new leaf or flower bud emerging on a prized rare plant. For this reason, few things are as anger-producing as finding the ragged remaining tip of what used to be that leaf or flower bud after some vermin has had its way with your plant. This very experience happened to me recently, and with more than one plant. My desire for sweet revenge burned deeply and I searched high and low for the culprit. I suspected caterpillars or snails, but could find no signs of their presence anywhere. I was nearly at my wit's end.
It is at times like these that serendipity is most welcome. A week or so previous to my disappointing discovery, I had happened upon a discussion online where a hapless plant fancier related how their prized Anthurium plants had been defoliated by some unknown pest. It turned out that the unknown pest was some kind of rodent, either mouse or rat. At the time, I felt sympathy for this unfortunate individual, yet happy that my plants were safe, being up on benches and in a secure greenhouse. Besides, I hadn't seen any mice or rats around my place, so why worry?
Sweet Revenge
Perhaps the knowledge of this possibility drew the reality to me like a magnet, or perhaps my star signs were in the wrong alignment, but I soon saw what this other person had been lamenting about happen to some of my own beloved plants! For days I pondered about what to do, thinking about what I might be dealing with and wondering about how I was going to handle it. Since I couldn't find evidence of snail or caterpillar, I had to consider the possibility that a little local mouse or rat was cultivating a taste for rare Anthurium leaves at my expense.
One morning I was out with my plants, looking at some and watering others, when out of the corner of my eye, a little critter scurried away amongst the nearby bamboo stalks. I knew it was no squirrel. It had to be my nemesis, the Anthurium leaf-pilfering scofflaw I had been searching for. At that moment I knew that I had to find a solution, and once again help came serendipitously. I had been searching the internet for information about natural pest control, not thinking specifically about rodents, but about other pests, when I happened upon a website offering information on repelling rodents using peppermint. This seemed straightforward enough, and certainly doable, so as soon as I could manage it, I obtained some peppermint oil from a local health food store. I proceeded to put drops of it on some pieces of cotton nail polish removal pads. These oil-charged pads were then placed strategically in each pot and/or tray where vulnerable plants resided. For good measure, I placed a few on the greenhouse floor as well. I put so much peppermint oil in there that I could smell it outside the closed greenhouse after I was done!
Next was the wait to see if the varmints returned for further mischief, or if they would allow my greenhouse a wide berth. After a week or so I checked to see if any newly emerging leaves had been chewed. To my immense relief, the new leaves were intact in my peppermint greenhouse.
Heaven-scent
Once the peppermint odor began abating, I recharged the pads with more oil, making sure there was enough so I could smell it even when outside of the closed greenhouse. Thankfully, I haven't seen any damage since I began this regimen, but of course I won't let down my guard now. It is just a matter of getting used to a peppermint Anthurium house. I've always enjoyed mint anyway, so I don't mind. Peppermint is now a heavenly scent for me, conferring protection on my plants, at least from gourmet leaf-seeking rodents!
Next for me is to figure out the solution for a dastardly squirrel. This crafty beastie has developed a penchant for shredding the little red roses on my dwarf rose plant! I wonder if peppermint works on squirrels . . .
Peppermint prepared as a deterrent for rodents is available as products you can purchase online. One source is Dreaming Earth Botanicals and another is Gardener's Supply Co.. And of course you can always do what I did with the peppermint oil from the health food store. If you ever have a similar rodent problem and try this solution out for yourself, let me know how it goes!
Picture credit: public domain and from WPClipart.com
About LariAnn Garner
LariAnn has been gardening and working with plants since her teenage years growing up in Maryland. Her intense interest in plants led her to college at the University of Florida, where she obtained her Bachelor's degree in Botany and Master of Agriculture in Plant Physiology. In the late 1970s she began hybridizing Alocasias, and that work has expanded to Philodendrons, Anthuriums, and Caladiums as well. She lives in south Florida with her partner and son and is research director at Aroidia Research, her privately funded organization devoted to the study and breeding of new, hardier, and more interesting aroid plants.
Posted by huntincolt (from Morriston, FL) on March 16, 2008 at 10:18 AM:
Help!!! My problem is rabbits, rabbits everywhere, even under my house. They are eating everything, even some marigolds I had planted this week(which I thought they wouldn't like) I live in West Central Fl. near the gulf in a rural area, every year I battle with these critters and lose. I have tried hair from the dogs, hair from humans, pepper spray and although I hate to admit it I've even let my husband take out a few with the shot gun, (that didn't seem to work very well either) Some have made a home in the crawl space under my home, I fill in their holes and block the holes with wood and they just find a new place to enter. And my flowers, my beautiful flowers really take a hard hit. I do not want to put up fencing, I need something that really works that won't cost an arm and a leg to deter these little jokers.... please if someone knows some kind of simple home remedy please let me in on it, (does grated ivory soap really work, I read somewhere to use that) Or maybe a list of flowers, plants, and bushes they won't eat!!
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Subject: lavender works too
Posted by 3doggardener (from New Columbia, PA) on March 10, 2008 at 9:05 AM:
I've used peppermint oil and fresh cut lavender as well as lavender essential oil too. We live in the country in an old farm house & in the winter, we have 'guests' of the rodent persuasion. Sometimes, we do resort to traps-- which I hate. But, i've found that fresh cut lavender or lavender essential oil on cotton balls helps keep them away. It worked even better than mint for me. Plus whenever I'd pull open the drawers, I'd get a big whiff of lavender-- very relaxing. Made me not so anxious about the guests :-)
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Posted by LariAnn (from Miami, FL) on March 10, 2008 at 10:10 AM:
Thanks for the wonderful tip! I'll keep that in mind for future rodent visits, plus the idea of the lavender smell is a plus.
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Posted by valzone5 (from Mountain Top, PA) on March 10, 2008 at 2:12 PM:
Will cut mint leaves work? I have lots to put around my newly planted sunflower plants which I believe moles eat up :-( Or how about wild oregano which grows in our field out back? Thanks, Valerie
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Posted by LariAnn (from Miami, FL) on March 10, 2008 at 2:51 PM:
I would think that cut mint leaves would work, but since moles burrow under the ground, you'd have to get it into their burrows for it to be effective, IMO. Oregano might also work but you'd have to try it out and see.
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Posted by swannie (from Springfield, MA) on June 3, 2008 at 11:47 AM:
Your ideas give me hope. Something loves to cut down my broccoli plants (doesnt touch the lettuce or cabbage) Also ate all the nasturtium seedlings in a flower box as well as the violas. I'm going to get out the peppermint and lavender oil and not worry about peppermint being invasive. Rather plus up spreading peppermint plants than have other stuff destroyed. Something ( a mouse I guess) ate all of my cantalope seedings before I got them into the ground. It's definately challenging!
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Subject: One more reason to love mint!
Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on March 5, 2008 at 1:55 AM:
Thanks for a great article, LariAnn!
I really love mint. I have 'Kentucky Colonel' spearmint all through the bed by my deck, and I've noticed that the bunnies leave the plants in that bed alone -- even the year that I sowed a row of snow peas! I clip back the mint periodically, and I chop up a big armload of stems and leaves to sprinkle around the vegetable garden... I think it confuses their little bunny noses, and they decide to stick with eating the clover. I can be friends with bunnies that eat clover! LOL
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Posted by nanny_56 (from Putnam County, IN) on March 5, 2008 at 10:23 AM:
Making a note of this for future use! Thanks for some very useful information!! Will see if it works on the chippies too.
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Posted by darius (from Marion, VA) on March 5, 2008 at 10:57 AM:
Good article, LariAnn. Now I wonder how effective merely growing mints adjacent to susceptible plants might be vs. using a mint oil product. Any thoughts?
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Posted by LariAnn (from Miami, FL) on March 5, 2008 at 11:03 AM:
I think you are on to something because I noticed what might be a coincidence, but I had a pot full of what I call Puerto Rican oregano, which is like a thick-leaved mint relative that smells like oregano, right next to my greenhouse. I moved it away from the greenhouse to place it in an area with more sun. Just after I moved it away is when the damage began in my greenhouse. So it may be if I had left it there, I'd not have had the problem in the first place!
It also implies the possibility that other aromatic mint relatives may be useful for this purpose as well. So I would say try the growing mint, and it might even be good for keeping mice from trying to get inside the house if you had it growing all around!
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Posted by darius (from Marion, VA) on March 5, 2008 at 11:11 AM:
Thanks... interesting concept!
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Posted by CapeCodGardener (from Mid-Cape, MA) on March 5, 2008 at 12:57 PM:
This is a great idea for rodent control! Thanks, LariAnn. I have used a variation on it, and I will soon find out whether it has worked. Last fall, just before putting up a very old car in the barn for winter-storage, we found evidence of mouse-inhabitation under the rear seat. I read about peppermint oil, but couldn't find any quickly. So I grabbed a few handfuls of the next most aromatic peppermint -flavored items I could think of--Altoid "Curiously Strong" mints--and sprinkled them where the mice had been.
We'll retrieve the car next month, and I'll find out if it worked!!
Our stars must be aligned LariAnn because I have been after the rat that ate most of my young bottle trees & has been burrowing into the greenhouse. You probably just did me a huge favour. I'll be growing peppermint in there by this afternoon.
Incidently, I've had some anthurium problems too but that was from leaving a terrarium in the sun. Can't blame the rodent there unfortunately.
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Posted by KyWoods (from Melbourne, KY) on March 5, 2008 at 8:29 PM:
I read somewhere that a couple drops of peppermint oil on a cotton ball will keep rodents out of your cupboards and drawers, too. And I've noticed that wherever Perilla grows, plants remain intact--it's a strong smelling relative of the mint family.
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Posted by Dutchlady1 (from Naples, FL) on March 5, 2008 at 9:43 PM:
Very handy, thanks.
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Posted by joycet (from Franklin, OH) on March 6, 2008 at 1:10 PM:
This is GREAT information, LariAnn. I will be using it for sure!
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Posted by Fitsy (from Hayesville, NC) on March 11, 2008 at 11:51 AM:
Dandy!!!! I sure hope that the peppermint will work
on whatever is crawling around underground in my veg
garden!!! It/they devoured my carrots!
Fitsy
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Posted by quiltygirl (from Wildomar, CA) on March 11, 2008 at 11:47 PM:
I was reading how society garlic keeps moles away and I know rabbits are not interested, so I plan on dividing my plants and putting plugs of it all over the garden in hopes of not only keeping the bunnies away, but maybe the gophers too! Besides, I love the looks of it.
At that moment I knew that I had to find a solution, and once again help came serendipitously. I had been searching the internet for information about natural pest control, not thinking specifically about rodents, but about other pests, when I happened upon a website offering information on repelling rodents using peppermint. This seemed straightforward enough, and certainly doable, so as soon as I could manage it, I obtained some peppermint oil from a local health food store. I proceeded to put drops of it on some pieces of cotton nail polish removal pads. These oil-charged pads were then placed strategically in each pot and/or tray where vulnerable plants resided. For good measure, I placed a few on the greenhouse floor as well. I put so much peppermint oil in there that I could smell it outside the closed greenhouse after I was done! 
