# How to Mouse Proof Food Storage?



## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

I posted about the mice in my attic a couple of months ago. Well, they are coming down now and I've been catching them. But they think my food storage room is a buffet. I've got a lot of my bulk stuff in buckets with gamma seal lids and so far they aren't messing with them. They are eating anything that isn't in a can or jar. I shop at Sam's Club so when I buy something like crackers I end up with a lot of crackers and they love that. I went down earlier to get something out of the freezer and heard a mouse in the metal cabinet. I didn't see the mouse but they had eaten all of the packages of Lance peanut butter/cheese and crackers. A couple of weeks ago I had to throw out a whole box of Quaker Oats because they got into it. When I bought a new box I transferred all the oats to four Â½ gallon jars, but I can't do that with everything I buy because of the price of the jars. My DH likes to have the Maruchan Instant Lunches to take to work and a mouse got into the case from Sam's and ate them all. How that little mouse didn't have a heart attack from all the sodium is beyond me. 

As you can see from my examples I have a lot of different sizes and shapes to protect. Please help me figure out how to store my food so that the mice aren't eating everything. My DH is off work tomorrow so I'm planning a shopping trip to pick up whatever I need to fend off the mice. 

Thank you


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## Homesteader (Jul 13, 2002)

I wish I could help more than this but I just started slowly buying plastic bins with tight fitting lids. I did a few bins every shopping day until I had enough. They have never chewed thru them but we only get one or two individual mice per year. Just recently as a matter of fact and I had not been so careful to have everything in tubs.

Now for a large amount of mice, I would maybe ramp up the killing them part first. I have good success with chocolate chips embedded over peanut butter on the snap traps. Mice seem to love chocolate and they work harder to get the choc chip unstuck from the p. butter so they get it to snap.

I wonder if they can chew thru those mylar bags, probably huh?


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## homemaid (Apr 26, 2011)

My first reply is Why do you have so many mice? Are there holes where they are getting in? I live in an OLD farmhouse and we get possibly 1 mouse every year or 2. I would put anything and everything they could possibly get into in a freezer or plastic buckets with tight fitting lids. Look on Craig's list for a cheap or free freezer even if it don't work to store your crackers, oatmeal,noodles etc. in. Then find out and seal up any holes they could be getting in. Good luck..


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## Brighton (Apr 14, 2013)

Heavy plastic totes, you can find them cheap, watch for sales.

Snap traps, if I had that kind of mouse problem I would have 10 to 20 snap traps down in the area my food is stored!!

Good Luck!


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

Ya know the printed tins of popcorn that are so popular around the holidays? Well put the word out to everyone you know that you want their empty popcorn tins.


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## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

I've made a dent in the mouse population with my Tomcat snap traps. I have a hard time setting the regular traps and I didn't want to have to wait for DH to set them. Because of the price of these traps I only have 4 down there in that room. I have 2 more in different areas of the basement and 2 upstairs in the kitchen. I'm planning on buying some more tomorrow, at $4 for 2 traps I couldn't buy a bunch at one time. They are loaded up with peanut butter, and I'll have to try the chocolate chips because I think some of them are too small to trip the trap. My cats, thank goodness, have decided to catch the few that have ventured upstairs. The mice used to drive me crazy scratching in the attic right above the couch. I haven't heard any scratching lately, but I don't know if it's because I've killed most of them or if they are all downstairs. We always get mice this time of year, but this year has been a lot worse. I think a lot of the problem is that there isn't anyone downstairs on a regular basis anymore. 

There is a large crack under the basement door that I'm trying to figure out how to fix too. It's on the list for the trip to Lowe's tomorrow. For the time being I shoved a towel in there and coated the floor in front of the door with cayenne pepper. I read somewhere online that the mice don't like the pepper. I don't know if it actually works, but I figured it couldn't hurt to try. I've filled all the other holes I can find around the pipes and such. 

I hadn't thought about the popcorn tins. I have two already that just have stuff stored in them. I'll clean them out and at least have something to put my crackers and snacks in.

Thanks

ETA: I was thinking of the plastic bins, but I'm afraid that they'll chew through them. They chewed through the one in the detached garage with the dog food in it, and I replaced it with a metal garbage can. I guess it would at least slow them down.


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

It's an ongoing battle. There is nothing that will stop mice exept plastic or metal containers. They can and will chew through anything else.


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## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

Does anyone know where I can buy metal containers? I don't care to spend a reasonable amount on the containers because they will last. And at this point I'm just throwing money in the trash with the ruined food.


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

You have a choice. Either stop the mice from coming in or resign yourself to setting and emptying traps from now on. Mice can and do chew through plastic containers. They do not chew through stainless steel or metal. Get several metal trash cans with tight fitting lids to store your food items. Weight the lids and make certain it's not possible for the mice to get inside the cans. 

You need to get rid of the mice because the longer they stay the more they use your home for their bedding and breeding. They can get into the appliances' insulation layers, the stuffing of your couches, eat into your walls and electrical wiring, and make a general health hazard of everything around you. 

If you rent then take this up with your landlord and don't back down until the problem is fixed.


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

KyMama said:


> Does anyone know where I can buy metal containers? I don't care to spend a reasonable amount on the containers because they will last. And at this point I'm just throwing money in the trash with the ruined food.


Sorry, I made my post before reading this. Go to the Dollar Store and see what they have. I've bought metal trash cans there a few years ago for around $8 each. Make certain you get the metal lids with them. If the Dollar Store doesn't have them get on the phone and start calling all the businesses that might carry them such as the feed stores, Fred's Discount, Walmart, etc.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Lowes has 31 gallon and 6 gallon rodent proof galvanized metal cans:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_94614-63872...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

http://www.lowes.com/pd_195272-6387...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=


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## Brighton (Apr 14, 2013)

Ardie/WI said:


> It's an ongoing battle. There is nothing that will stop mice exept plastic or metal containers. They can and will chew through anything else.


Mice can chew through glass? Actually it is is not heavy plastic, mice can and will chew through plastic.


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## CajunSunshine (Apr 24, 2007)

I used to live in an older home (and a few rented apartments) that had a mouse problem, and am happy to say I was able to completely and permanently eliminate the little devils. I generally followed the guidelines similar to the ones given in the links throughout this post. (I have not read every post in this thread, so please forgive any redundant suggestions here.) 

Did you know a mouse can squeeze through a 1/4" opening? I have seen it with my own eyes.  If you find it hard to believe, looksee:

http://www.skokie.org/HDMouseInHouse.cfm
http://www.phd1.idaho.gov/clinical/diseaseinvestigation/mice.cfm
http://www.health.ny.gov/publications/3206/


If all of the mouse-highways are not closed down, you'll be fighting a losing battle. Mice reproduce incredibly fast, and in large numbers. Plug every single 1/4" or larger opening with wads of heavy grade steel wool, or even better, copper wool: http://www.epestsupply.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?preadd=action&key=Stuffit Don't overlook water heaters, pipes under sinks, etc. 

Also make sure the bottoms of your exterior doors have a metal doorsweep similar to these: http://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-Ha...Hardware-Door-Repair-Door-Sweeps/N-5yc1vZc7kg They're cheap, easy-peasy to install and come with instructions.

I know mouse-proofing EVERY single opening can seem impossible, especially in some large older homes. But just think: you'll only have to do it once, and it will be well worth the trouble, especially in terms of lo$t food and potential health risks. Heh, for every one opening I closed, there seemed to be a gazillion more that I didn't see, yet. It was a slow process, but I just kept at it until eventually, I got the place completely mouse-proofed. What a relief that was! Bonus: zero insect pest problems as well.

The first link has lots of good tips, including this:

Check openings around pipes. Where pipes enter a wood wall, fit sheet metal (24 gauge or heavier) around the pipe. Where pipes enter masonry, force hardware cloth (24 gauge) into the opening around the pipe and fill with cement. Seal around basement windows and doors. 22 gauge aluminum or heavier should be used for frames and flashings.

_Mice are good swimmers so it is possible for them to enter homes through a house drain. Keep floor drains tightly fastened to prevent entry into your home._

This link contains lots of helpful info. Be sure to also check out the links provided by the site near the top of their web page: http://www.epestsupply.com/mice.php


Unfortunately, mice cause much more than food storage problems and monetary losses...

Some of the more common diseases transmitted by rats and mice or parasites are:

*Salmonellosis (acute food poisoning) -* is caused by a bacterium which can thrive in sewers, livestock facilities, septic tanks, cesspools, garbage, and other similar environments. It can be spread by fecal droppings by rats and mice.
*Rat Bite Fever -* is caused by a bacterium which can live in the saliva of both rats and mice. It has flu like symptoms that can last for days and is sometimes fatal.
*Plague -* which is spread from rats to people by the rat flea.
*Murine Typhus -* caused by a bacterial organism which is transmitted from infected rats to people also by the rat flea.
*Rickettsial pox -* also caused by a bacterial organism is transmitted by mites from mice to people. Mainly in areas of New York City and several New England Cities.
*Leptospirosis, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis, trichinosis, typhoid, dysentery, etc. etc.* -- http://www.epestsupply.com/mice.php

(I know that lots of people have lived with mice have never gotten sick, but on the other hand, more than a few have...)



.


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## MushCreek (Jan 7, 2008)

Living in my barn, mice have been an ongoing problem. There is no way to keep them out entirely with the big sliding doors. I was lucky enough to have a good metal cabinet from a shop, and I keep all of my edibles in there. It is well made, and doesn't have any openings big enough for a mouse.

I keep a bucket trap set up, and catch about one mouse a month. These are larger deerfoot mice, and they are big enough to negotiate the sticky traps without getting stuck. I did have the little gray house mice at first, but I seemed to have wiped out the colony.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Metal File cabinet. Glass gallon jars,metal tins, 2 quart canning jars( 6 for 9.99) even those large "drink" dispencers for partys. Usally I can find most of these at yard sales.


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## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

Yard sale coolers are always helpful. 

Matt


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## Rose1317 (Jul 26, 2011)

The popcorn tins are great, be sure you label what's in them. Once I forgot and left birdseed mix in one, a few months later it was disgustingly molded and rancid. Probably even the mice wouldn't want it then! If storing in metal garbage cans or tins in your basement, be sure they are on a piece of cardboard or wood underneath, because condensation from moisture (concrete floor?) will cause the bottom to corrode and then the little rodents just tunnel in under and have easy access.
If you were close I'd bring you a few extry barn cats, they keep the mice in check around here, they're outside cats but patrol the edge of the house and hang out by the feed bins, such good hunter-kitties. 
Also the water in a bucket trap works, and for a smaller version, we once forgot and left a plastic gallon jug partially filled with water that must have had some vinegar or sugar in it, in the summer kitchen - what a surprise to find several icky decomposing mice floating inside. Gross, but effective.


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

Get a few nonposionus snakes.


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## homstdr74 (Jul 4, 2011)

We have had some mouse problems over the years. We lived in a camper trailer as I was building and it leaked mice; I built out of green sawmill oak so as the wood dried some mice entryways showed up, etc.

So, at various times we have used: metal garbage cans; popcorn tins; metal boxes; plastic boxes; old cold war water storage cans (purchased at a war surplus outlet); plastic drums w/lids; 55 gallon steel drums w/lids; old refrigerators; and finally broke down and purchased a couple of large metal cabinets w/shelving (they are about 4 foot wide by 2 deep by six high), althoâ we still use some of the metal cans for bulk grains, such as rolled oats, wheat, soybeans, etc. In the barn, we also use 55 gallon drums for storing animal feed.

As for setting mouse traps, we always jam sunseeds or peanuts into the end, then smear peanut butter over that with a good glob left behind. They always try to tug the seed or nut out and itâs then curtains for the mouse act.


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## countrygal (Feb 14, 2010)

One thing I do not see in this thread is the suggestion to look for their nest(s). If you have a nest, you can keep killing the ones you see, but more will continue to be born. I found a nest this summer in the very back corner of a corner cabinet. I got rid of it, and it helped my problem right away.

You might be able to find jars and tins at thrift shops, yard sales, auctions, etc.

Good luck.


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## pinfeather (Nov 12, 2006)

Like most everyone else said, I use a mixture of 5-gallon bakery buckets, popcorn tins, glass gallon-sized pickle jars. Once the food was unavailable, the mice left.


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## Helena (May 10, 2002)

Put a coupld of cats in the attic for a few nights letting them out during the day..just might do the job. Also, heard this odd things about keeping mice out of the house. Get a gerbil or a hamster. They smell like other rodents to the mice and they won't come into the house ?? go figure...Wish you luck..seems as though we have all dealt with at one time or another.


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## ronbre (Apr 26, 2009)

put as much as you can in metal or glass..smaller containers could be stacked inside metal trash cans with metal lids..


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

Little know fact: Rodent skeletons aren't bone, but gristle. It's flexible enough for them to squeeze through crevices and holes that look a third their size.

I agree with those suggesting cats. We had a half feral one walk up about 8 years ago, and not only do we not have rodents, but moles and squirrels are on his menu too.


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## Beachbum (Nov 18, 2013)

Danaus29 said:


> Lowes has 31 gallon and 6 gallon rodent proof galvanized metal cans:
> http://www.lowes.com/pd_94614-63872...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=
> 
> http://www.lowes.com/pd_195272-6387...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=


I like the idea of the steel cans! I need to get a few. But I wouldn't recommend putting food directly in contact with the galvanizing. Some foods might react negatively with the galvanizing and ruin your food.


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## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

Those peanut butter/cheese crackers are one of my favorites. Got any left?


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## am1too (Dec 30, 2009)

KyMama said:


> I've made a dent in the mouse population with my Tomcat snap traps. I have a hard time setting the regular traps and I didn't want to have to wait for DH to set them. Because of the price of these traps I only have 4 down there in that room. I have 2 more in different areas of the basement and 2 upstairs in the kitchen. I'm planning on buying some more tomorrow, at $4 for 2 traps I couldn't buy a bunch at one time. They are loaded up with peanut butter, and I'll have to try the chocolate chips because I think some of them are too small to trip the trap. My cats, thank goodness, have decided to catch the few that have ventured upstairs. The mice used to drive me crazy scratching in the attic right above the couch. I haven't heard any scratching lately, but I don't know if it's because I've killed most of them or if they are all downstairs. We always get mice this time of year, but this year has been a lot worse. I think a lot of the problem is that there isn't anyone downstairs on a regular basis anymore.
> 
> There is a large crack under the basement door that I'm trying to figure out how to fix too. It's on the list for the trip to Lowe's tomorrow. For the time being I shoved a towel in there and coated the floor in front of the door with cayenne pepper. I read somewhere online that the mice don't like the pepper. I don't know if it actually works, but I figured it couldn't hurt to try. I've filled all the other holes I can find around the pipes and such.
> 
> ...


Remove all outside cover around the house such as plants. Grow only grass next to the house. Yes I know it looks ugly. But what would you rather have?


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Plastic buckets from the bakery with tight lids (gamma if you can afford them) will keep out mice. While mice might gnaw through heavy plastic, it won't be in an instant so if you are keeping a vigilant watch on your storage you should be able to prevent that. My food storage pantry is in the basement. I'm usually in the pantry several times daily to get food for meals. I usually catch the "mouse smell" immediately and start searching. We keep traps set at all times so best case scenario is the mouse is already deceased.

I also use gallon and half gallon jars, regular canning jars, plastic buckets, totes and my favorite, popcorn tins, for storage. I write the contents on a slip of paper that hangs outside the can so when contents change its easy to re-label. If you watch garage sales and thrift shops, you can usually find the tins for 25Â¢ to $1 each. Personally I won't pay more than 75Â¢ for a tin. Check the inside of the tin isn't all rusty. As for the plastic buckets and lids from the bakery, I keep a rubber mallet to pound the lids tight and have a special devise that is used to open the buckets. As I can afford to do so, I'm buying gamma lids as they make access so much easier.

We have an attached garage and the mice come in from there -- where house and foundation meet. Dh used spray foam to close up the space which has helped but we still have a mouse or two fairly regularly. We use a combination of snap traps and sticky traps baited with peanut butter set out at all times. We also keep poison bait in the garage.

Many years ago a landlady told me to use rancid bacon for bait and sewing thread to tie it to the trigger. At the time I was catching up to a dozen mice a day. With the bacon tied on you didn't have to rebait each time you dumped the trap. I was always amazed that the cockroaches didn't set off the traps as they were worse than the mice. It still makes me shudder remembering the 18 months we lived in that dump -- and the worst thing wasn't even the mice and cockroaches it was a malfunctioning gas furnace that about did ds and me in. If the place hadn't been so drafty, we would have died. Of course, living in that place gave me an education and perspective i.e. a few mice on occasion don't really upset me and I know how to wage war against them.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Helena said:


> Also, heard this odd things about keeping mice out of the house. Get a gerbil or a hamster. They smell like other rodents to the mice and they won't come into the house ?? go figure..


Strange! But come to think of it, we had hamsters from our first winter here until about 10 years ago. About 10 years ago we started having problems with mice despite installing new doors which seal much better than the old doors.

I've caught 2 in the snap trap this week. Chocolate frosting is deadly. LOL


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## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

oneokie said:


> Get a few nonposionus snakes.


I can deal with the mice, but I'll give the house to the snakes. My sister called my dad one day to ask what to do about a snake in her kitchen drawer and he told her to burn the house down. 



countrygal said:


> One thing I do not see in this thread is the suggestion to look for their nest(s). If you have a nest, you can keep killing the ones you see, but more will continue to be born. I found a nest this summer in the very back corner of a corner cabinet. I got rid of it, and it helped my problem right away.


I've been assuming the nest is in the attic, but it takes an acrobat to get up in there. I'll be going up there soon to seal up everything to keep the bats out. Hopefully I'll be installing a new attic access to make it easier to get my tools up there. 



Helena said:


> Put a couple of cats in the attic for a few nights letting them out during the day.


From what I read online the insulation can kill the cats because they breath in the particles. I can't take a chance with my kid's cats or they would already be up there.



Snowfan said:


> Those peanut butter/cheese crackers are one of my favorites. Got any left?


Nope, all I have left are empty packages. 



am1too said:


> Remove all outside cover around the house such as plants. Grow only grass next to the house. Yes I know it looks ugly. But what would you rather have?


I guess my house already looks ugly because I don't have anything growing around the house. My brown thumb takes care of everything so my "flower beds" have nothing but a layer of mulch and some small garden statues. 

My plan is to pick up some more Â½ gallon jars this evening and we are going to check a couple of stores to see if I can find larger glass or metal containers. If all else fails I'll be grabbing some garbage cans, but it's a small room so I'm hoping to find something to fit on my shelves.

Thanks again for all the replies.


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## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

Danaus29 said:


> I've caught 2 in the snap trap this week. Chocolate frosting is deadly. LOL


I'd probably catch my husband more than mice if I used chocolate frosting.


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

We used to live in a drafty old place. I left for about a month over haying season and oh my goodness. Those nests, FYI, will contain mouselings of many ages.

My spayed former mama cat killed all of them in days. She had been gone with me, so the adage holds true. In one day she brought me thirteen mice. Thirteeen. Shudder.

Lock the cat in the food storage area. Buy as little as possible for awhile. Mason jars are great storage for grains and beans, and check thrift shops for vacuum seal canisters. We now have a mouse issue in the garage, but setting snap traps proactively handles it.

Mice can absolutely destroy your home. They chew wires and everything else. I would find the cash for an exterminator if I didn't get them gone quick... winter won't help the problem.

About the cat thing.... I have two. One will rarely chase a mouse and is more likely to wait on the female to bring him one (she loves that lazy bum and I don't know why) . Slayer females are your best best. Spayed nt slayer, funny autocorrect.


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## katlupe (Nov 15, 2004)

I have had an ongoing battle with the mice in my old farmhouse too. Some years, we wouldn't get any. Other years, we'd trap a large amount. One year we trapped more than 17 in a single winter! I have 3 cats who go in and out and sleep at night in the house. But my pantry is closed off to them, in order to keep it cool. I have one big tomcat outside and him and the other two who go outside have had a very busy summer, mouse bodies all over the yard daily.

What I had to do, besides using the tom cat traps, which I like too, is to put most of my food in the plastic totes. I have 2 metal cabinets in my pantry. One houses all my dishes and the other one, the baking supplies and staples that are in tins or glass jars. I keep something right against that door so they can't squeeze in. I also have cotton balls saturated with peppermint essential oil in and on top of the cabinets and elsewhere. 

All my home canned jars and any packaged store bought foods is kept in the plastic totes also. Since we are in the process of remodeling our house and then I will be using the root cellar too, but we have to mouse proof both areas first. My husband is going to insulate the pantry, close up the window that is there because we don't want a window in there anyway. Then he is going to put up sheets of wood, then cover that with sheets of metal. He is going to do the same on the floor and ceiling. Making sure the metal is securely attached so a mouse can't squeeze through the tiniest space. He put cement inside the walls at the bottom, floor level, and that stopped them from coming in that way. They found another entrance!

They have never chewed through my plastic totes. What I find they go after the most is cat or dog food. So I try to protect that. One year, my husband replaced the ceiling in the living room, when he tore it down, there must have been a whole big bag of cat food stored up there. We always heard them running back and forth at night in that ceiling and now we know why. 

As we work on our house, we close up more and more spots where they could get in. Also we have been mortaring the cellar walls. Field stone looks great, but it is easy for them to get in that way. I haven't had one mouse in the house this past summer or fall, but that doesn't mean they won't show up. I have considered, and still am, buying metal cabinets with doors that shut tight and using them in the pantry. I cannot stand those creatures getting on my food containers, even if it is something they can't break through like the canned food.


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## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

Thank you to everyone for their help. 

I bought two 2-gallon jars and 2 Ziploc plastic totes to get me started. I can't find a link for the totes, but they seem like a thicker plastic and they have a seal under the lip of the lid. Hopefully, they will keep the critters out. The jars are currently holding all of our Ritz and Saltine crackers and I'm using the totes for the soup cups. Almost everything else is now store bought cans, home canned jars or in gamma lid sealed 5 gallon buckets. I didn't buy a lot from Sam's this month and I don't plan on buying anything else until I have storage containers to put it in.

Saturday I went down there and cleaned out one of the metal cabinets that they had gotten into. I hate to admit it, but I threw pretty much everything away that was in a box or package. Most of that stuff was probably not going to be used anyway as it had been there for years. Overall, I just cleaned and organized everything. I also bought something to go on the bottom of the basement door to seal up the big gap. 

I knew I was starting to get the mouse population under control, but I think we've finally turned the corner. Friday I only caught one mouse and I haven't caught one since then. Normally I would be frustrated about that, but I'm not hearing or seeing anything so I think I've gotten them. Whenever I used to go in the food room I would hear them running away or sometimes they would come out and stare at me. The whole time I was down there Saturday I didn't hear or see one. Yay! 

On a funny note, my fat lazy cat decided to get in on the action last week. One night he brought a mouse to my son in his bedroom - trap and all! LOL I guess he was jealous of the other cat getting all the love and treats for catching mice.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Glad to see you're turning the corner with the mice! We have twice had ole houses infested with once mice, once rats. I will never forget the smell of their urine on things. The mice infestation went from a few to 100's in a few weeks of not aggressively going after them. 

I don't see anyone mentioning poison. I know it's not PC and you need to be very careful that your own animals don't get into it but we used it both times with great success. No stinky dead rodents for us anywhere either. They leave the house in search for water. But wow, does it work. I swear the houses (these were different places) was then marked with a big X somehow, we never had another one come in.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Something someone suggested to me last year was a mixture of powdered plaster and cornmeal. Supposedly forms a block in their stomach and kills them quick. I used it in a storage building and the whole plate of it (about 1/2 cup) was gone pretty quick. Never did find any dead mice and it didn't seem to diminish the population. 

Mom swears by poison. So does one of my co-workers. But they both have on-going mouse invasion issues. 

I lost another snap trap this morning. Spent half the day looking for it (along with the one that vanished last year) and no luck. Ticks me off. Those good Victor snap traps are getting very hard to find. I may resort to poison. Kind of reluctant last choice though. I'll never forget the stench of the poisoned mouse that died in Grandpa's jacket pocket.


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

I hate to keep chiming in here as though I know all about getting rid of mice cause I don't know the magic cure. Before we got wise and sealed off the foundation of this house we used trays of poison under the house. Here in the middle of dairy farmland many meeces frolic and play and we were tired of setting traps and did the poison instead. Oh such a sad mistake for us because a rat got into it and crawled into the outside wall behind our kitchen cabinets and decided to slowly rot away. I was ready to move it smelled so bad. It lasted for at least 6 months too. No more poison. 

All the vents on the foundation and in the attic are mouse proof and have solar chips that tell them to open and close according to the temperature. The chimney has an outside door for cleaning and has to be sealed up against mice. There's a steel mesh cap on the chimney top. The dryer vent has to be working properly and checked to make certain it locks back down after running the dryer. We also stuff stainless steel pads near the outside of this vent. The air can still come through. All of the gutters top and bottom have stainless steel stuffed in them. There's a below ground level access door for the foundation that has to be bolted in place and stuffed with stainless steel padding all around it. The mice have actually knawed on the wood of this door trying to get in. All of the windows and doors are new and air tight and mouse proof. All of the water drains have stainless steel screens. We don't bring sacks of potatoes or produce in the house. Those stay in the shop and are brought in as needed after washing. 

If all of this sounds paranoid then yep, you're right and it is WAR! but one you can win. I wish you the best of success.

Editing to add we recently thought we heard a mouse. It wasn't but it made us recheck possible entries and we had to stuff stainless steel around the floor where the tv cable comes in. Done.


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## Just Little Me (Aug 9, 2007)

All bakeries will let you have empty icing buckets and pails if you ask.Just be sure to pick up on time. They are thick and mice have trouble chewing thru. Restaurants have pickle buckets and glass gallon jars. As to poison, there is one out there that dries the mouse from the inside out so no smell.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Just Little Me said:


> As to poison, there is one out there that dries the mouse from the inside out so no smell.


Do you know what it is called? I need about 10 pounds of it. LOL


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Just Little Me said:


> As to poison, there is one out there that dries the mouse from the inside out so no smell.


Last time we put mouse poison out we found dried out mice in the woodpile! Never had an issue with stink. Maybe that's what we bought!


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

metal trash cans work well, they chew through plastic.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

my son used to work at a restaurant...he would save me the gallon glass jars the hot peppers came in. They seem to work for me for everything. I even designed shelves in a pantry to accommodate them. When I was in a deli the other day, I noticed them getting ready to discard one, and I said "I'll take that"...they laughed and gave it to me.


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

Danaus29 said:


> I lost another snap trap this morning. Spent half the day looking for it (along with the one that vanished last year) and no luck. Ticks me off. Those good Victor snap traps are getting very hard to find. I may resort to poison. Kind of reluctant last choice though. I'll never forget the stench of the poisoned mouse that died in Grandpa's jacket pocket.


Drags, tie a bolt or nut or something with a bit of weight to the trap with a string so they can't drag them off.


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

KyMama said:


> Does anyone know where I can buy metal containers? I don't care to spend a reasonable amount on the containers because they will last. And at this point I'm just throwing money in the trash with the ruined food.


 

When I was in your siduation and on a tight budget---I found that Goodwill and such stores almost gave old christmas Popcorn tins away--they were bulky and seasonal.==Discount paint to code items solved many problems.


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