looking for opinions on plant-based mouse repellents for winter

homeowner here, not pest control pro. have recurring mouse problem every winter. tried snap traps and glue traps, both work but dealing with them in cold weather sucks. poison works but risky with pets and the smell issue.

been reading about plant-based repellents. some say they're useless, some people swear by them. tried fresh cab last year, worked maybe two weeks. tried peppermint oil, didn't do much.

currently trying bugmd vamoose pouches. been using them about a month in basement and garage. haven't seen new droppings but also sealed some entry points so not sure what's actually working.

pros here - do natural repellents have any value or am i wasting time? should i just go back to traps? trying to find something that works through whole winter without constant maintenance.