ecosophia | Frugal Friday

Welcome back to Frugal Friday! This is a weekly forum post to encourage people to share tips on saving money, especially but not only by doing stuff yourself. A new post will be going up every Friday, and will remain active until the next one goes up. Contributions will be moderated, of course, and I have some simple rules to offer, which may change further as we proceed.

Rule #1: this is a place for polite, friendly conversations about how to save money in difficult times. It's not a place to post news, views, rants, or emotional outbursts about the reasons why the times are difficult and saving money is necessary. Nor is it a place to use a money saving tip to smuggle in news, views, etc. I have a delete button and I'm not afraid to use it.

Rule #2: this is not a place for you to sell goods or services, period. Here again, I have a delete button and I'm not afraid to use it.

Rule #3: please give your tip a heading that explains briefly what it's about. Homemade Chicken Soup, Garden Containers, Cheap Attic Insulation, and Vinegar Cleans Windows are good examples of headings. That way people can find the things that are relevant for them. If you don't put a heading on your tip it will be deleted.

Rule #4: don't post anything that would amount to advocating criminal activity. Any such suggestions will not be put through.

With that said, have at it!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Thanks everyone for your advice and tips!

Our neighbours have a few cats which like to hunt the mice around the outside of the house, but it's true, that doesn't help with the mouse already inside. I don't know if the smell of cats can penetrate into the walls to deter the mice, but I will look into it. We went out and bought a lot of steel wool, so we'll try that. And that's a good point to close off entry points from the attic to the walls.

Thanks again!

One of my daughters and family are in a rental for years now, so they have not closed off access from the attic as it is not their house. Evry now and then, a mouse gets into the wall from the attic and cant get out again. So they had to cut into the drywall after rolling the refrigerator out, and leave that spot with a screwed in but not taped patch, as they have had to do it at least 4 more times over the years. He actually gets it out alive and puts it outside, although they of course also have traps in various spots.

Get all the materials at hand to seal up openings, and to kill them. Once they are dead and gone, seal all openings so they dont get in again.

People say steel wool as mice and rats cant chew it, but they can push or pull it out. Spray foam over the steel wool, that holds it in place and the spray foam keep the smells and heat from enticing them, it seals better, they can in theory chew thru it, but they have no reason to think they would want to if they cant smell good things or feel the warm air coming out. And, the spray foam will make your home more comfortable by getting rid of air leaks, so a win-win. I have never had a rat chew thru myspray foam, they are certainly capable, but dont. Also, I screened off all access to attic and under house, the unheated areas, then spry foamed openings between those unheated areas and the house proper, so a double line of defense. I mean, rats chew thru wood siding and lumber, so the walls or roofs, they can chew thru if they wanted to, but they see no reason to, so dont. Generally what they will do if there is a crack between boards or corners, and then they smell food or feel the warm air escaping, then they have a reason to enlarge to gain access to a warm place to live, so they will chew that wood. If they dont sense any reason to chew thru our walls, they dont bother. Which brings up another thing, rodents leave a trail of filth where they walk/run, they basically pee whenever and everywhere, they dont hold it at all, or so Ive heard. Whatever the case, where they have had paths of entry, it will smell to other rodents like rodent, so that will also give rodents a reason to try and force their way in at that spot, they have reason to think something good could be at the other side -- so you realy should get a bucket and a vacuum and clean those areas to not entice other rodents.

I went years and years without rodents once I sealed everything ( excepting when the cat brings a live one in). Then, after the fire, the large native wood rats chewed straight thru plywood and into the garage and crawlspace. They did not gain access to the house proper as I had spray foamed around all plumbing and wire penetrations under the house, so the 2 tier defense worked. The only reason they did this was shear desperation as they were burned out of their homes in the woods, otherwise they do not just come over and chew thru walls of wood.

Good luck

Ask them to leave, give warning, which they most likely wont be attuned to, kill the ones that stay, apologize for the need, and it is a need. Then take the time to realy thouroughly seal. This should not be an ongoing thing. We have the tools to do a good job of sealing and cleaning and this is the kindest thing, dont give them access. Be diligent.

Atmospheric River

Frugal Friday

Re: How to deal with mice in the house

Re: How to deal with mice in the house