thank you so much for the responses - i need to be more specific maybe - once again,,, i won't be having cats - if one shows up, as several of you suggested, i will have it removed somehow - anyway,,, i'm not planning on having hay or grains or anything like that in the barn initially - just storing my "stuff" - old tax records (paper), car seats, and other things i was concerned about the mice destroying - as i mentioned, peppermint oil was repeatedly recommended when i did an internet search - was thinking of putting seats in big plastic bags with a few drops of peppermint - have to take care of these seats, i lease my car :) - i wouldn't have been concerned about all this if someone hadn't said to me that mice will eat anything (including fan belts on cars??) - once again,,,, thanks in advance --------- p.s. any countryside fans near the fort scott, kansas area??? that's where i'm moving - don't know a soul...........

-- jane harlow (jane@tiw.net), November 14, 2001

Answers

Without appropraite predators to keep the mice population in check, the only 100% way to protect valuable items from damage from mice is airtight metal containers, put your stuff in them, and seal up the opening/lid with duct tape.

Even the best of baits and poisons have a "lag" factor before they attract all the mice and eliminate them. so you have to enclose your stuff with something mouse proof, ie., the metal containers. Trash cans are great, and cheap, duct tape the lids on tightly.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), November 15, 2001.

This one might be difficult, but we use to hang our saddles to keep the mice from getting to them. Kept them about three feet off the ground. The rope passed through a large funnel, which kept them from climbing down the rope. Why are you so dead set against cats? My male tabby, Mr. Kitty, greeted me with a six inch rat he got out of the chicken shed this morning. Our two cats, soon to be four as we will get two of their distance cousins this weekend, have cleaned up our chicken shed. They spend the night in there three or four nights a week. Don't bother the birds or anything else. I was never a big cat person until we moved to the country. They are an important part of your homestead. You can ignore them, or make them part of the family. Our two cats, and five dogs get along famously. One big happy family!

-- Rickstir (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), November 15, 2001.

Jane, I don't know where you are from originally but one tree we have all over eastern Kansas is the good old "hedge" tree. Also known as the Osage Orange tree. I have been told they are very good at keeping mice out of your house. I have used them for bugs so tried them for the mice(in the house) and it worked for me. We also have black snakes that are great for mice catching, but that usually takes some kind of grain or hay storage. I have the good old "barn" cat that takes care of the mice the snakes don't get. They do not live in the house, and there is no litter box. I do feed them, and deworm them. Even so, I have had mice chew on some of the rubber hoses on my truck.

-- Karen in Kansas (kansasgoats@iwon.com), November 15, 2001.

I've known of vehicles to catch fire because mice have chewed through the insulation around the wiring. We get regular mice plagues in Australia.

-- Don Armstrong (from Australia) (darmst@yahoo.com.au), November 15, 2001.