3 Simple Steps to Mouse Proof Your Home and Food Supply
Table of Contents
*All information in this post is my opinion and gathered through my own research. Please do your own research before following any information in this post. This is for information purposes only. Also consult your doctor before taking any supplements*
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Today’s post comes from a fun experience that me and my family had recently. It all started with finding a shredded roll of toilet paper in our basement bathroom.
NOT FUN TO FIND!!!!!!!
After finding this I was still holding out hope that either the kids or the dog had gotten to the toilet paper and had their way with it. We have seen crazier things in our house.
My wife was set on the fact that we had mice. To my defense we have lived in this house for almost 15 yrs and had no signs of mice in the past. Keep reading and you will see who was right.
Finding The Culprit……..
Fast forward a couple days later and we were all getting ready for bed when my son yells ”Dad there is a mouse in my closet”. I go in and sure enough there is a little mouse that had been munching on my son’s stash of easter candy.
So now we have a mouse, hopped up on chocolate, cornered in my son’s closet. Before I can grab anything to capture him with, he takes off out of the closet, into our hallway, and into my daughter’s room.
You can imagine all the chaos and screaming that ensued between my two daughters and the dog.
Long story, short, he got away and in the process of looking for him we discovered “they” had gotten into several totes full of the kids old clothes and had a big old pooping party all over them.
My poor wife had to pull out all the totes, clean them and the clothes, and then clean the closet. I also found that in the basement the mice had eaten thru a couple packets of seeds we had for our garden.
This is when operation “get rid of and keep away the mice began.” We have a stockpile of food right beside where they had eaten the seeds so the last thing I wanted was for them to have their own little smorgasbord with our emergency food supply.
Long story short, a few days later we had 6 mice that are no longer living in our house and haven’t seen signs of any since. This started my research on how to keep them away and how to keep our food from nourishing mice and not ourselves.
The rest of this article will be about me sharing the information I found during my research. I hope this helps you to not ever have to deal with this problem.
Let’s dive into How To Mouse Proof Your Home And Emergency Food Stockpile……
1. First Step: Eradication
The first thing I had to do was make sure I stopped the mice from chewing up and destroying anymore of our stuff. We decided to bait some cheap traps we got at our local hardware store with some peanut butter.
Like I said above, with in a couple days we had captured 6 mice. We still have the traps out to this day but haven’t gotten anymore since the first go around.
How to know where to place your traps?
What I personally did is first I put traps in all the places that the mice had chewed something up.
So I put one by the chewed up toilet paper, chewed seed packet, my son’s closet, and a run in the ceiling where I could tell they had been traveling on.
We caught a couple mice in each of these traps, besides the one in my son’s closet, it came up with a big zero.
Anyway we were very happy for these things to be gone. Like I said above they had already chewed up some of our stuff, had obviously built a nest somewhere with the chewed up toilet paper, and ruined a bunch of our kids clothes. The last thing I wanted was this to continue.
TYPES OF TRAPS
There is a whole variety of different kinds of traps. We personal chose to go with the cheap old fashion trap. As most of you know you bait the trap, set it out, and let it do its magic.
This worked out great for us and was a very cheap option. Just be careful while setting these kind, well any kind, because they can be sensitive and don’t discriminate between fingers and mice.
There are also live catch traps you can use if you plan on taking them out in the woods somewhere and letting them go.
I personally have just heard stories from people that have used these kinds of traps where they would let the mice go closer to their house and not too long after that they were back in their house.
If you go to google or amazon there are tons of different kinds of traps that will fit your needs and budget. Here are just a few that I found on amazon.
lllteri Humane Mouse Traps, Catch& Release
- Humane Designed: Catch and release mouse traps that causing no harm or kill. That works for small rodent, voles, hamsters or moles indoor and outdoor.
- Increased multiple breathing holes to prevent rats from suffocating.
- Reusable and Easy to Clean: Using new PC material, high-hardness and more durable. After releasing the mouse, use our carefully matched brush to clean the traps.
- This is an environmentally friendly mouse traps.
Mouse Traps, Mice Traps for House by Feeke
- Safe to use – No poison, no glue, no touch design, very safe to use and no more worrying of snapping fingers. Easy to clean odors and blood.
- Easy to use and set – Just put a bait in the cup, and put it back to the mouse trap, keep the trap clamp open, you can place the mouse traps both outdoor and indoor use.
Victor M156-20 Metal Pedal Sustainably Sourced
- Designed for Mice – Traps mice with a simple, straightforward design which offers a clean, instant kill
- Quick & Effective – Once a rodent interacts with the pedal, the precision trigger immediately springs the bar closed to eliminate the pest
- Time-Tested Performance – Our original wooden snap trap has been trusted to control mice for over 120 years and is the trap of choice for consumers and professionals alike
2. Step Two: Perimeter Check
Now that we have established that all of the mice are out of our house we now need to try and figure out how they got in.
This can be a long and meticulous process. According to my research mice can fit through any hole a fourth of an inch or smaller, so you have to check the perimeter of you house to see if they are any entrances.
Now that you have found an entrance you need to make it so the mice can no longer make it through it. As you know mice are very good chewers so you need to think about what kind of material you will fill the hole with.
You don’t want your filler material to turn into a future mouse nest material.
A lot of things that I have read recommended putting steel wool in the hole to plug it up. Then if you wanted to go the extra mile you can cover it with caulking. This should be a nice little barrier to keep them out.
Another thing to look out for is the fact that mice can climb trees or bushes and make their way to your house. So while you are checking your perimeter also check to see if there are any bushes or tree that could be a springboard for them to get into your house.
3. Step Three: Protection
Now that we have made sure there are no more mice in our house and have checked our perimeter to the best of our ability, it is now time to shore up the protection of our food supply.
Hudson Exchange 5 Gallon ( 3 Pack) Bucket Pail Container
- Food Grade | BPA Free | HDPE Plastic | Made in the USA
- 5 Gallon Capacity, 11.75″ Diameter x 14.5″ Height (without lid); carton contains 3 buckets and 3 gamma seal lids
- Our Gamma Seal lids turn any standard utility bucket into an airtight storage container.
- Great for storing pet food, livestock feed, charcoal, smoke chips and more. Fits 3.5 – 7 gallon buckets.
The first option is to find some food grade containers to be able to put my supplies in. Like the ones pictures above, they are made of hard plastic and sealed with a lid.
This would make it very hard for the mice to smell the supplies let alone get into the buckets.
I have heard good things about the buckets with the gamma lids. I am told it makes getting stuff in and out of the buckets relatively easy.
If you do a google search or look on amazon there are all kinds of containers that an available based on your needs and preferences. Here are a couple more ideas for you just to get your mind going.
Chef’s Path Airtight Food Storage Containers
- Stackable Food Storage Containers – Includes 24 BPA-free kitchen storage containers with chalkboard marker, labels and measuring spoon set for superior kitchen organization and storage.
- These food containers will add to the decor of your pantry while the lids are interchangeable allowing you flexibility.
- Wide Assortment – This pantry storage jar set comes with 6 tall (11.83 cups/2.8 liters,) 6 large (8.45 cups /2.0 liters), 6 medium (5.92 cups /1.4 liter), and 6 small containers (3.38 cups /0.8 liters).
- This is one premium set for all your storage needs.
Rubbermaid ActionPacker Lockable Storage Box
- VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE – Backed by a lifetime warranty, the impact resistant material withstands harsh temperature changes from 0-100℉.
- EXTRA STRONG LID – Double-walled lid fits tightly to protect contents. Grooved surface repels water, preventing it from pooling on the lid
- LOCKABLE LATCHES – Add a lock for extra security to keep the contents safe and tamper-resistant.
- For added stability a bungee cord can also be used. (lock and bungee not included)
VERONES Large Tall Airtight Food Storage Containers
- PERFECT FOR DIFFERENT STORAGE – Our food storage container set comes with 10 containers of 3 different sizes, making it a must-have in the kitchen.
- It includes 2 extra large containers (6.5 L / 220 oz), 2 tall containers( 5.2 L / 176 oz), 6 medium containers ( 2.5 L / 85 oz), 2 measuring cups, 20 labels and 1 marker.
- HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS – Made of food grade material, they are BPA free. These pantry storage containers are not only long-lasting, but they will also be effortless to clean, dishwasher safe.
- The transparent body makes it easy to know how much of an item is still left.
Check out this option for long term coffee:
Does Irish Spring Soap Work To Repel Mice?
I have heard several people say that placing irish spring soap around your house or camper will repel mice. We decided to do this in our camper after we went to look at a different camper and the dealership had irish spring soap in their campers on the lot. We figured it was worth a shot.
It seemed to work for awhile but after a month or two when we went to check on the camper the mice had actually started to eat the soap.
Maybe we just have some crazy mice around here because I know many people swear by this method, but it didn’t work our well for us.
Leave a comment below and let me know if you have tried this method and wether or not it has worked for you.
Ultrasonic Pest Repeller 6 Packs
- Ultrasonic Pest Repeller: The ultrasonic waves can stimulate the brain and auditory nervous system of pest to keep your home safe from all kinds of pests.
- Two light modes: the light can be chosen – on and off, it is more effective to turn the light on, the light can also act as a small night light.
- Wide coverage: Its ultrasonic wave can cover an area of 80 to 120 square meters. Since ultrasonic waves cannot penetrate walls and solid objects, it is recommended to put one in every room.
The last form of protect I want to talk about are these electronic pests repellers. I personally have no experience with these things but have read good reviews on them.
The ones pictured above are currently the best sellers on amazon.
These devices are supposed to repel rodents and pests by using ultrasonic waves and sound to make them want to leave your house.
You are supposed to be able to plug them in your wall and let them do their magic. Like I said I have never used these so do your research and see if it is something that would work for you.
Here are 9 foods you can use to build up your supply:
In Conclusion………
These are the 3 steps to consider when dealing with a rodent invasion. The last thing I want to do is have the food that I have worked for and spent time putting together to be eaten by something other than me and my family.
Check out the article below to see 8 of the top survival food companies out there:
