Repel the Mice by Insulting Their Senses
Mice have very acute senses of smell, taste, and touch. One way to protect the bark of small trees in the winter is to spray the bark and the ground around it with a repellent that will turn off any interest by a mouse. Garlic Barrier repels by smell and taste. Hot Pepperwas repels by taste and a burning sensation in the mouth. There are repellents that mimic the smell of the urine of the fox or other predator of the mouse. If you spritz the base of small trees once or twice during the winter, you will have few mouse problems in terms of eating bark.

Repel the Mice With A Pet Dog or Cat
Homes with either a cat or dog will generally have fewer mouse problems than those with no pets. If the cat and/or dog is allowed outside during the day, there is even less chance of serious mouse population explosions.