Rodent proof temporary storage

[Arc weld]

I could use some expertise and/or experience. I'm having a pole shed put up and will be taking some items out of a rip off storage facility. There are a couple items of furniture and a few boxes I need to mouse proof until I build a small type office in the pole shed. I might make it up on a mezzanine. I'm wondering if a small garden shed can be sealed to keep mice out if the stuff is basically put in it and the doors are closed and not opened. A sea-can or even a used van body from a truck are other thoughts but I was hoping to do it a little cheaper. I thought about putting it high on pallet racking and wrapping it up but have heard mice can climb steel posts. Just looking for a cost effective solution.

 

[Earl Ohl]

Get yourself some cats. We were seeing lots of mice years ago when the last of our old cats died off. About 3-4 years ago we rescued 3 male kittens. 1 died about a year ago but we still have the other 2. They're at about 13-14 lbs. now & we don't see any mice at all.

 

[fishheadbob]

Rodents are hard to eliminate. I vote for cats.

 

[Wagtail]

Re-pack the boxes into cheap plastic stackable containers. Put the furniture on cheap plastic tarpaulins, then lift the edges of the tarp up & secure.

That'll keep the little buggers out of your valuables.

 

[Looking4new]

Moth balls will work, but cats and a terrier dog will too.

 

[Pixguy]

Cats will do the trick but for insurance, Google Mice bucket trap.

 

[Arc weld]

Cats aren't an option as I don't live at the property. I was wondering if any types of garden sheds might seal good enough to keep them out?

 

[jix]

Lots of mothballs inside red weathertape- Well sealed plastic wrap, but stinky after removal. Frequent inspection on a daily basis. (mi9e may cut the plastic) A shed is good, but only if mothballs are scattered around
inside it. Use lotsa moth Balls, not crystals. (paradichlorobenzene (mothballs) are very carcinogenic, but will burn if placed in a fire, releasing toxic smoke) Moth balls will last six months, crystals only a few weeks. Wear gloves and breathing protection.

Jix

 

[jix]

Cats wlll not do the trick until after the mice have damage the stuffing of furniture, but they will piss on everything.

 

[jix]

Furniture movers warehouse comes to mind..if it is a good one. Cheaper, too

 

[boggen]

best doing is keep thins mowed. clean up area around the spot. (no trash, brush piles, etc..) get rid of all the nesting places.

it's going to be pretty hard to get anything "mouse proof" been there done that.

5 gallon bucket trap. lots of videos on youtube mainly kids showing off there mouse trap buckets.

drawers = no good. they get into drawers even tapped up drawers. from underneath or some little cracker in.

plastic bins. with drawers = drawers so that is no go.

plastic containers with tape around the edges of lid/box can work for a little bit of time.

regular cardboard boxes. with both bottom and top taped up can work for some time. but boxes should not be overloaded that you have hard time closing them. regular boxing tape more likely work better than anything out there. duct tape and like. just to thick and can "un-glue" itself from boxes. but the clear wider boxing tape seems to work. get a little handle held dispenser / roller. to deal with box tape. much easier. still a pain here and there when you loose the end of tape but. much faster / less fuss over all, once you go through enough boxes.

use same size boxes. and stack them neatly on top of each other.

====================
any sort of shed you might try silicons to "great stuff CLOSED CELL spray foam" generally comes in red can around here. and use silicon between lumber to lumber. and then put a line of spray foam once all done around all spots lumber to lumber come together. such as plywood sides or metal sheeting sides.

for cost of it all. you might consider renting a "storage space" while they can be expensive. the garage doors. if they have a good seal / weather strip on them can be descent. cost of a small shed for furnature and some boxes can get up there pretty quick compared to a storage unit.

on craigslist they sell "metal box containers" think large shipping containers on large ships out to see that they pickup and just drop on back of a semi truck. like shipping containers. just the door you need to worry about hopefully.

vehicles = no good. have found mice in them before. even on newer vehicles.

 

[DHD]

I've used a shipping container to store my Tacoma pick-up during the winter for the past 8 years and never had an issue with rodents.
I have other outside storage buildings all made of wood and rodents always find their way in, but the shipping container, so far, is rodent proof.

 

[ttriff]

I've used a shipping container to store my Tacoma pick-up during the winter for the past 8 years and never had an issue with rodents.
I have other outside storage buildings all made of wood and rodents always find their way in, but the shipping container, so far, is rodent proof.

+1

When a microburst took out our loafing shed I bought a pair of 20' Conex boxes for storage. They're wonderful. Ended up incorporating them into the new structure when we built it.

 

[TomSeller]

Amazing what people in some cultures eat. From google...

 

[bigtiller]

I wonder if rat tastes like squirrel.

My mother refused to touch a squirrel, she thought it looked like a skinned rat. Dad did all the squirrel cooking.

 

[ns_in_tex]

We have 10 outbuildings on our place. One 30x60 is mouse proof. Almost bug proof, but we do have spider webs from small spiders. It is just an enclosed pole barn (hay shed). Depending on how much you are trying to keep mouse free, we found another way to store feed, in a mouse filled barn and they do not get to the feed. We cut 5 fence post, about 6" diameter, about 2' long, stood them on end, then set a piece of heavy sheet metal on top of the post, with the post being about 10" inside all outside edges of the sheet metal.
We would then bring in a pallet of cubes, normally 1600 lbs & set it on top of the sheet metal. Never set anything close that they could jump from to the feed and you should be home free. We did this for many years with our winter feed for the cows. Never had mice in the feed, even though the building might be full of them.

 

[TomSeller]

I wonder if rat tastes like squirrel.

My mother refused to touch a squirrel, she thought it looked like a skinned rat. Dad did all the squirrel cooking.

Probably tastes like chicken.

 

[pat32rf]

Tree rats...

 

[Mysfyt]

Another vote here for the shipping container. My two garden sheds turned into mouse condos but so far with the container, not even a spider web.

 

[D2Cat]

I get protein feed in 1600-1800# quantities in those 4'x4'x4' fabric shipping bags. I couldn't keep mice, rats, possums, raccoons, skunks or anything else who wanted a snack away.

I got one of the totes with the metal supports outside. I laid it on it's side (made that the top) cut the metal and plastic off and hinged it back on to make a lid.

They still got in there (somehow) and ate through the bag to get the feed. I am sure now it is mice because the larger critters could not get in with the lid shut and pinned down.

I bought some of these Victor Mini PestChaser Night Light (3-Pack)-M753SN - The Home Depot and hung one right outside the container on the metal pipe.

It's been two years now and no mice in the feed. They work.