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Small Cabin Forum / General Forum / Help with mice
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bobrok
Member
# Posted: 25 Sep 2020 15:52
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I'm in need of mouse advice.

This has been a banner year for the little buggers and for the 1st time in well over a dozen years they have found their way inside our camp even though I've sealed every utility hole. My confidence has been shattered after all this time.

I know the culprit is the loose & warped siding because we hear them in the walls and attic. It's what is commonly referred to up here as Adirondack or Brainstorm siding and it was put on very carelessly by the builder some 30 years ago. It's at the point now where it's so cupped and pulled away from the studs that sealing gaps would not be an option.

I'm working on a plan to replace all the siding and I'd like to add a mouse barrier underneath. I'd heard of mouse mesh and similar materials and am curious if anyone has done something like this and what results you have had.

Ours is a 3-season camp and even though it's insulated there is no sheathing over the framework, only tar paper. I hesitate to install sheathing because I think not only can mice go through it but I don't want to have to adjust all the doors and windows to accommodate the additional thickness.

All ideas appreciated! TY.

DaveBell
Moderator
# Posted: 25 Sep 2020 17:31
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Click on search above for mouse. Several posts about mice. I terminated mine (16) outside with glue traps and bucket traps. Else they will continue to multiply.

bobrok
Member
# Posted: 25 Sep 2020 17:53
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Quoting: DaveBell
Click on search above for mouse. Several posts about mice. I terminated mine (16) outside with glue traps and bucket traps. Else they will continue to multiply.


I did search. One post from a few years ago suggested a 1/4" mesh because mouse skulls won't fit through. That's a good takeaway. I've also read elsewhere that 6mm x 6mm grid is minimum opening for no mice to squeeze through. That's even a smaller opening.

Trust me, I've done the traps. I set bait and glue traps inside. The glue trap won.

Have also done the bucket trap. It works like a champ, but the issue for me is keeping them out and not trapping them once they're inside.

Thanks for reply. 👍

ICC
Member
# Posted: 25 Sep 2020 21:50
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Quoting: bobrok
One post from a few years ago suggested a 1/4" mesh because mouse skulls won't fit through. That's a good takeaway. I've also read elsewhere that 6mm x 6mm grid is minimum opening for no mice to squeeze through. That's even a smaller opening.


6mm is essentially 1/4"; only 0.01" difference. It takes a careful analysis, a very careful look to find all those spots. The skull is the biggest part of a mouse. If it can stick its head through or into a space it can get its body through as long as it has good footgrip.

It sounds like the real fix is to remove all the old siding and then cover the framing. There should be no reason why OSB could not be installed and be sufficient deterrent to rodent ingress. I think they prefer to find a crack and maybe nibble a little if necessary. But if well fitted and all the cracks, etc around any prforations are properly filled it should be good. Yes, the doors and windows would be a pain. Just off hand I'm not sure what I would do.

Off the wall idea.... How much would it cost to remove all the old siding and cover the studs with sheet metal, then house wrap and new siding? That would bugger radio reception inside as well as probably foil the mice ingress.

bobrok
Member
# Posted: 26 Sep 2020 21:09 - Edited by: bobrok
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Quoting: ICC
It sounds like the real fix is to remove all the old siding and then cover the framing. There should be no reason why OSB could not be installed and be sufficient deterrent to rodent ingress.

...

Off the wall idea.... How much would it cost to remove all the old siding and cover the studs with sheet metal, then house wrap and new siding?


I have to research this more thoroughly but I seem to remember reading that mice chew through OSB.

One thing I know is that they won't chew through paneling. Our entire camp is paneled and we've never seen a sign of them coming in through the paneling.

Sheet metal...now that sounds very expensive and I don't know how tightly I can cut and fit sheet metal to corners.

My thinking on the screening or some sort of mouse mesh is that it is more pliable and can be fit into those corners more tightly. Plus I could overlap the mesh over the studs and eliminate gaps.

Thank you for your suggestions! 👍

bugs
Member
# Posted: 27 Sep 2020 19:53
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Ummm what species of "mouse" do you have??? Deer mouse, house mouse, field mouse.... The white mice from Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy???... they would be tough... Yes mice can become an issue... a couple of years ago we trapped almost 100 from our <100 sq ft shack... None got into the interior but they were in the walls making sleeping a tad of an issue as I am sure they put on the army boots and started marching back and forth...

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 28 Sep 2020 07:17 - Edited by: Brettny
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Poison. Lots of it outside of the cabin.

I think theres been about 4 threads about mice in the last 2 weeks. It gets cold...they start to come in, every year.

moneypitfeeder
Member
# Posted: 3 Oct 2020 17:19
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I'm not sure what did it, but as for paneling we had something (mouse, weasel, or squirrel) chew a hole almost the size of a baseball in our circa 1970s paneling.

bobrok
Member
# Posted: 4 Oct 2020 09:14
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Quoting: moneypitfeeder

I'm not sure what did it, but as for paneling we had something (mouse, weasel, or squirrel) chew a hole almost the size of a baseball in our circa 1970s paneling.


😫

FishHog
Member
# Posted: 4 Oct 2020 09:20
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Quoting: moneypitfeeder
I'm not sure what did it, but as for paneling we had something (mouse, weasel, or squirrel) chew a hole almost the size of a baseball in our circa 1970s paneling.


I’ve had pine squirrels chew right through my 1” thick rough cut pine walls. Since then it’s been all out war between me and the squirrels

moneypitfeeder
Member
# Posted: 5 Oct 2020 18:07
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Our "preferred" method of mice eradication, since our place has too many holes to patch is we take our cat with us camping She stays up all night hunting, and we have a tired kitty in the morning, win-win! Hubs does have to deal with the bodies though, that is out of my realm.

bobrok
Member
# Posted: 6 Oct 2020 11:30
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Quoting: moneypitfeeder
Our "preferred" method of mice eradication, since our place has too many holes to patch is we take our cat with us camping She stays up all night hunting, and we have a tired kitty in the morning, win-win! Hubs does have to deal with the bodies though, that is out of my realm.


Love it! 👍

LittleDummerBoy
Member
# Posted: 6 Oct 2020 19:10
Reply 


I leave a smoke detector chirping the low-battery signal in the Camp. It seems to drive them batty too.
I use a 4-AA battery-holder with the 9v clip (any electronics store) to feed my smoke detector a constant 6v.

Though not 100% effective, it makes a big difference.

UnstitcPeeve
Member
# Posted: 8 Oct 2020 23:22
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I got rid of mice just with glue traps and bucket traps too in our cabin.

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