This Fresh Cab rodent repellent reviews the “all-natural” mice control pouches and the many questions you might have about it; questions you should have answers to before you buy it. There’s also the concern of some users claiming that it doesn’t work at all. We’ll dig into that problem and see why it doesn’t work for them, and when you should avoid using Fresh Cab because you’ll run into the same issues—no results.
What is It and What is Fresh Cab Made of?
Fresh Cab is a mice repellent. The pouches contain a blend of essential oils that mice can’t stand. For mice, the smell is so bad—partially thanks to their powerful sense of smell—they tend to stay away from the area where the pouches are. You can buy Fresh Cab from Amazon for some of the best prices. Otherwise, you may also find them locally for maybe a little more.
What’s inside these seemingly magical pouches? The pouches are plain old breathable fabric pouches. Inside them, you’ll find a bunch of corn cobs. While the exact science isn’t revealed to us, I can assume that the corn cobs hold the blend of essential oils—which is what blends to create the smell that drives mice nuts and compels them to stay away.
Fresh Cab ingredients include the following blend of essential oils:
- Balsam fir
- Lavender
- Spanish rosemary
- Cedar
- Orange
- Lemon
Is it Safe?
All the ingredients used for Fresh Cab are bio-degradable. They are safe and not harmful when used as intended.
The people who make this repellent even had their product tested by independent product safety labs. The tests found no known hazards to humans or the environment when used as directed.
Ok, so it’s relatively safe to use around children, but what about pets? Cats and dogs should not be affected by the smell. You should still keep the pouches out of reach for both pets and young children; because we both know they like to taste everything.
Risks
Are there any other risks to using this product? Safety wise, as long as you use it as directed, there are no risks to your health. Although, it’s not impossible that you or someone else in the house may be allergic to the essential oils used in the product.
Aside from a potential allergic reaction to the oils, another risk it has is towards your home and your furniture. The oils can cause stains if you place them directly on a surface. The manufacturer recommends you avoid putting the pouches directing in contact with stained or finished surfaces. I think you can quickly solve this problem with a small, disposable styrofoam plate. Even a tiny piece of plastic wrap underneath the bags will help prevent staining.
How Much Do You Need?
It’s recommended that you use at least 1 pouch of Fresh Cab for every 125 square feet (about the size of a small bedroom). I wouldn’t just guess the size though It’s worthwhile to take out that measuring tape and get some accurate number. By taking that extra step, you’ll know if it’s working as intended. If it doesn’t work for you, then you’ll know it’s not because you didn’t use enough of it.
The recommendation above is to keep the occasional mouse away. If you already have a mice problem, and there are higher numbers to deal with, then you’ll want to increase that number quite a bit. The recommendation then becomes 1 pouch for every 8 square feet. A little surprised at the drastic change? I don’t blame you, but there is are good reasons for that. I get into more detail about it further down. If you need to buy much more than the standard recommendations, buying from places known to have good deals like Amazon can help you save some money.
Where to Buy Fresh Cab
Where do you buy Fresh Cab rodent repellent? Is it a special order only item? If you haven’t heard much about this all-natural botanical rodent repellent, then you might be surprised to find out that it’s quite popular. You can find it at your locally. Some people prefer to order Fresh Cab from online stores like Amazon because they can find great deals on there sometimes. Have you been missing out on an incredible solution to your mice problem? Perhaps, but you’ll have to keep reading to find out if it could’ve helped solve your problem faster or not.
Since it’s a popular solution, you can purchase Fresh Cab at your some of your local home improvement or hardware stores. Just check the pest control section. What if you can’t find it locally? That’s not a problem because you can buy it straight from the manufacturer’s website. Although, I usually check Amazon for deals first.
How to Use It
Using Fresh Cab to keep mice away is reasonably straightforward. Just remove the pouch from the plastic wrapping (leave the fabric bag alone) and place it in the right spots. There are only a few rules of where to put the repellent and where not to put them.
Where to Use it
- Closets
- Near vents (dryer, attic, etc.)
- Under the sink (keep it dry)
- Inside cabinets
- Behind large appliances
- Other small enclosed spaces and rooms
- Near the entry points to room or place.
The best areas to use Fresh Cab are smaller, and enclosed spaces. A more modest area will allow the scent from a single bag (or just a couple) to concentrate in just that tiny space. Being enclosed, the smell will also linger longer because there is no air circulation to move the scent away from the treated area.
Where Not to Use it
- Under the bed
- Under the couch
- Other areas where you spend a lot of time.
- Areas where the pouches will get wet.
Notice all the areas where you shouldn’t use Fresh Cab are where you’re likely to spend a lot of time? Honestly, there isn’t anything wrong with using the repellent in those areas. The only problem will be the scent might get overpowering after a while.
The most significant reason why those areas aren’t recommended is that mice won’t likely nest or stay very long in areas where you spend a lot of time anyways. You would be wasting money because they aren’t necessary for those spots.
When to Use Fresh Cab
Fresh Cab is excellent to keep the occasional mice away. However, It’s only capable under the following conditions.
- If it’s your first time seeing a mouse run across the room.
- If you don’t have an existing mice problem in the house, and you want to keep it that way.
- If you are already actively using other more effective control methods to deal with you mice problem, and you want to make specific areas less desirable for those pests.
When Not to Use Fresh Cab
You should not attempt to use Fresh Cab to control a mice infestation. It does not control their numbers; it will only repel them. That means it helps keep mice away from the pouches, and nothing more. If you have an infestation, Fresh Cab won’t do anything to stop them from taking over, or get rid of them. To get rid of mice fast, you’ll have to turn to using snap traps and bait.
Why It Doesn’t Work
Under the condition above (where you have an existing mouse infestation), Fresh Cab will not work. When there’s a lot of mice in your home, there’s a high chance the smell alone from the Fresh Cab isn’t going to be enough to deter them from the treated areas.
If there is food within the area of treatment, they will tolerate it for the moment to get their food. The first thing on the mind of a rodent is survival. Food is way more important for survival than avoiding the stinky smell.
A lot of times when the mice population is too high, and there is overcrowding, the larger mice will also force the smaller ones out of their territory. If their choices come down to the stinky room or outside—where they’re more likely to die—then they’ll choose the smelly room.
Other Reasons Why It Might Not Be Working
- You’re not using enough. You might need to use more depending on your mice situation.
- You aren’t placing the pouches where they work best (near the entrances).
- If it suddenly stops working, you need to replace with new pouches.
A simple way to tell if you aren’t using enough Fresh Cab or if they need to be replaced is to smell it. Stand a few feet from the pouches. If the smell isn’t strong enough for you to smell it, then it’s not strong enough. Add more or replace.
Other Complaints
Most complaints users from some Fresh Cab rodent repellent reviews is about how this stuff doesn’t work in general. The following are some common complaints with a more specific explanation for why they feel Fresh Cab isn’t working.
Mouse traps still caught mice in areas treated with Fresh Cab
Let’s say that you have a small closet. You stuff it with a bag or two of Fresh Cab. No mice is going to go in there right? But you put a mouse trap in there anyway because, hey, it’s better to be extra sure they don’t stand a chance. The trap has a small piece of bait on there because that’s how traps are supposed to be used.
You check on the closet again in a few days, and what do you see? You see a dead mouse; caught in the trap. What comes to mind? Probably somewhere along the lines of, “this stuff doesn’t work!” I wouldn’t blame you or anyone else who ran into a similar situation. This repellent is supposed to keep them away, so seeing a mouse caught in the trap, you’re going to be a little disappointed, maybe even angry.
But let’s take a step back here and see how this could’ve happened. What did the mouse trap have? That’s right; it had bait. Remember above? Food is more important for survival. The mouse’s plan was probably to run into that stinky closet, grab the food and then move on to somewhere else—where it doesn’t have that foul odor. The only problem was, it didn’t make it out alive, and that’s where you found it.
Now, the mouse wouldn’t have stayed out of that closet 100% because repellents don’t work 100%. They help, but they are not absolute. However, it would’ve likely stayed out of there had there not been a tempting piece of food in there.
The lesson to take after looking at this common complaint is don’t’ tempt them with yummy food. Keep any food you are storing in the treated area safely covered—the way it’s supposed to be done when you have any pest problem.
Still seeing mice droppings where Fresh Cab is used
I think we covered a lot of the explaining in the first complaint. If you still see droppings in the area where this repellent is being used, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not working. Mice will still run through the area, but they are less likely to stay. If finding food, and survival itself meant dealing with the Fresh Cab then they’ll deal with it.
These pests will defecate anywhere, so there is still that chance they just happened to be in need to do so while they were quickly passing through. There’s a simple test you can do if you still see massive amounts of mice droppings.
Try placing a pouch right where you see the most droppings. Note the number of droppings there. Clean up the area of the feces and monitor it. If after a couple of weeks, the droppings return to the same amount then you can safely say it it’s not doing the job. But if you notice fewer droppings than before, that usually means it’s working—probably just not as well as you’d like it to.
Before you call up the manufacturer for that money back guarantee, think it over carefully. Does this general area provide access to food, water, or safe shelter? Is this the only area with this problem? If it’s only this particular area that isn’t working, there has to be a reason why it isn’t working; and it usually is because it’s providing or helping provide access to food and water.
Should You Buy Fresh Cab Botanical Rodent Repellent?
This Fresh Cab rodent repellent reviews some of the questions you might have about the product. It also looked at why it doesn’t work and when it doesn’t work. By now, you know that Fresh Cab is not a solution to get rid of mice. It is a solution to help keep mice away. If you’re looking for a way to get rid of mice, don’t use Fresh Cab. If you have a mice infestation, don’t rely on Fresh Cab. Instead, use some good old-fashioned mouse traps. There are better solutions to get rid of mice (such as traps and even poison). Otherwise, Fresh Cab is worth buying, and is an effective, natural repellent; and when used as intended, it does the job. If for some odd reason it doesn’t work as intended, then Earth Kind–the people who created this product–do offer a money back guarantee. Their guarantee is great and it’s reassuring.
Jojo says
SO i caught 6 mice in one day and went rambo, I sealed all openings with steel wool put peppermint oil soaked cotton balls near entrance ways and set traps in the basement. I have not seen any sign of mice in 3 days in my kitchen so I put fresh cab behind my stove and fridge and baked some peppermint tbags with added pepperint because I found droppings in my brand new stove. I am going back to the basement tomorrow and I am going to check the traps. If they are full should I set them again and then once they remain empty for a while then place the fresh cab and peppermint?
Michael Gilbert says
Is there a shelf life or expiration date? Can I buy a whole box … then use them one or two at a time?
Jayne Varga says
Will this work inside trucks?
Mary Charron says
My RV was heavily infested with mice. After cleaning away heaps (literally) of droppings, I generously introduced Fresh Cab. A few weeks later I went back to asses it’s effectiveness. I confess to having my doubts, but I was absolutely shocked & relieved to discover no further droppings! Thanks Fresh Cab! I will recommend your product to everyone. I just wish it were available in Canada. I definitely think there’s a market here.
Susan White says
We have used Fresh Cab in our camper over the winter for years. We spread them liberally, everywhere. The camper is well sealed but obviously nothing is ever completely sealed.
It always deterred mice from coming in, always. Except a year ago something took it off the market for a period of time, then it re-appeared so we bought it and put it around in November. We opened up the camper – and we have MICE! What changed in the formula???
Rolf says
Susan, it was off the market because they had to switch to a different supplier for one of the ingredients. That involved EPA regulatory paper work and it took so long they ran out.
As explained on this site, the problem is that once they moved in (due to the lapse), the are likely to stay. Got to get the repellent out in the late summer *before* critters make the fall move to winter quarters.
Frank says
Susan, Are you in Canada? I don’t know about fresh cab but many other products are rendered less or completely non effective due to Canadian environmental laws.
Toby and Nancy Trujillo says
Just Like most of the Recreational enthusiast, We love the outdoors. One summer we left our 5th Wheel up on our property in Northern Mexico, (wooded area) Not to our surprice will found mice droppings within the interior of the Unit. We sanitized the unit and used Old fashion mouse traps with peanut butter, and also heard about pure Peppermint Oil, and also Fresh Cab. I used the Peppermint Oil in a spray Bottle, and sprayed around the exterior areas of the 5th Wheel ( Tires, stabilizer Jacks etc), Fresh Cab was used within the interior (240 sq ft). We Left the Unit for two weeks at the same location, and to our surprice we found only a couple droppings within the entry area of the Unit. We left (8) packets of Fresh Cab within various areas for the Unit during those two weeks. No signs of Mice. We are sold on Fresh Cab, Peppermint Oil and Old fashion mouse traps.