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Hi all. Went to check if I still had lawn seed in the storage room and found bag ripped with seeds all of the place and lots of mice droppings. I did see one small mouse. A lot of the stuff in the closet is junk anyway and I am happy to get rid of them, but I was also storing things such as camping gear in there.
I need to clear that whole closet and disinfect. Pest remediation companies are quoting an amount that I can't currently afford, and I am not sure it's needed considering the problem is localized to the storage room (4x5 ft). What do you think?
Could I instead hire a junk removal company to haul everything and then I can clean floor and spray walls with bleach/water mixture. Would it be good enough?
The stuff I intend to keep, I can wipe as much as I can with a mix of water/bleach or another non staining product (any recommendations?) Now, some items like a small pressure washer, camping stove, might be difficult to know if every single area got wiped. Maybe I can leave it out in the sun as well?
Cheapest way is to eliminate the food source (seed) and then set up a few mouse traps with peanut butter for bait. If you've seen one mouse then there are probably a few more lingering around. Once cleaned up it shouldn't take long to eliminate the nuisance.
Hi all. Went to check if I still had lawn seed in the storage room and found bag ripped with seeds all of the place and lots of mice droppings. I did see one small mouse. A lot of the stuff in the closet is junk anyway and I am happy to get rid of them, but I was also storing things such as camping gear in there.
I need to clear that whole closet and disinfect. Pest remediation companies are quoting an amount that I can't currently afford, and I am not sure it's needed considering the problem is localized to the storage room (4x5 ft). What do you think?
Could I instead hire a junk removal company to haul everything and then I can clean floor and spray walls with bleach/water mixture. Would it be good enough?
The stuff I intend to keep, I can wipe as much as I can with a mix of water/bleach or another non staining product (any recommendations?) Now, some items like a small pressure washer, camping stove, might be difficult to know if every single area got wiped. Maybe I can leave it out in the sun as well?
Hi all. Went to check if I still had lawn seed in the storage room and found bag ripped with seeds all of the place and lots of mice droppings. I did see one small mouse. A lot of the stuff in the closet is junk anyway and I am happy to get rid of them, but I was also storing things such as camping gear in there.
I need to clear that whole closet and disinfect. Pest remediation companies are quoting an amount that I can't currently afford, and I am not sure it's needed considering the problem is localized to the storage room (4x5 ft). What do you think?
Could I instead hire a junk removal company to haul everything and then I can clean floor and spray walls with bleach/water mixture. Would it be good enough?
The stuff I intend to keep, I can wipe as much as I can with a mix of water/bleach or another non staining product (any recommendations?) Now, some items like a small pressure washer, camping stove, might be difficult to know if every single area got wiped. Maybe I can leave it out in the sun as well?
Well, that doesn't sound thorough enough. I think you need a flamethrower.
Seriously, it's just some mice. Where there are humans, there will be mice.
Just sweep up the droppings and declare victory. If you have some things like a camping mess kit or such that you might use for your own food, wash them in hot water and dishwashing detergent. You do not need to "...clear that whole closet and disinfect...clean floor and spray walls with bleach/water mixture..."
You're going to need to put some traps. Mice aren't stupid when it comes to food; if there's been food there before, they'll keep checking for it.
Now you know: never leave anything edible in a thin plastic bag where mice can get at it. Everything like that has to go in heavy plastic bins, you know, the Rubbermaid kind from the grocery store.
Removing as much stuff and all food/water from the area would be the first place I would start. Then sealing-up entrance-points.
Mix peanut-butter with baking-soda and place a gob in the middle of a bunch of glue-traps. Even if they manage to steal the bait, they die from the baking-soda.
Check the traps daily, you do not want the mice to suffer for too long. If you find a live mouse stuck on a trap, cover its head with something like glue or caulk, they go-out in less than a minute.
I’d avoid using any type of poisonous baits, especially if you have dogs/puppies or cats. The last thing you’d want to do is poison a pup. Much more fun to just play with pups!
Most things that are waterproof will be fine with just being hosed off, or washed with a good soap in a tub. Fabrics should be laundered, in hot water if possible. Anything that you use for eating or cooking or sleeping in/on should be thoroughly washed and sanitized, or just disposed of if not washable. Mice and rats generally don't control their urine so it just dribbles out wherever they go, so let that be your inspiration. I don't know how you could need a junk removal company for such a small closet. Just ask a friend with a truck to help you take the junk to the dump. It's less than a pickup load it sounds like.
You can use any type of mousetrap you want. There are plastic ones you just throw away with the dead mouse inside. Others like spring traps can be re-used if you're not squeamish about taking the mouse out and throwing it in the outside trash bin. There are the sticky traps, which are sad to me, because you have to kill the poor thing yourself to put it out of its misery. We even have live traps, and my DH will take the mouse to the woods if we get to it before it dies.
I understand not wanting rodent mess in your garage. However, I think some perspective is warranted. I live on a farm in the country. We manage and control rodents, but probably never completely eliminate them. You don't need to haul everything out and bleach the heck out of it, or dispose of it.
Manage the mouse situation by eliminating food and setting out some traps. (Or get a couple cats). Rodents are everywhere. Manage and control their access, try not to freak out if you think they have touched something.... they have probably touched everything.
Vacuum (shop vac) or sweep up the mess of droppings and seeds.
Wash or wipe down things that you think need that, and perhaps put particularly valuable or vulnerable things in mouseproof containers.
Call it good and keep monitoring for new activity.
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