We had such a problem with voles in the garden this summer that Noi’sie the farm cat wasn’t able to keep up with the mice that nibbled their way into her sack of Whiskas in the garage.
We’re at the farm only on weekends, so wildlife can pretty much have its way the rest of the week. But when a tiny mouse made its way through a crack and into the pantry, John had to join Noi’sie in battle.
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Much as we hate to kill anything, the pantry is off-limits. Out came the traps, which John baited with feta cheese. By Sunday morning, he was keeping up with Noi’sie in the mouse-catching department. She didn’t seem to mind. What with it being fall, she had moved back into the house and was asleep on his chair.
John didn’t need the chair; he was too busy stuffing steel wool into any cracks that mice might breach.
Plugging holes through which animals might enter is important, according to the Humane Society of the United States, which has a list of tips for winterizing with wildlife in mind. Check the Human Society Web site at www.hsus.org/ace/19615.
Inspect your house for holes or cracks larger than 1/4 inch. Check behind appliances and plumbing fixtures and pipes (our mouse came in next to a water pipe).
Now, the Humane Society people might not think so, but most of us distinguish between mice and other wildlife. We’ll trap a mouse, but we really want a raccoon to leave on its own. The Humane Society says to make sure there are no animals hiding inside by plugging any holes loosely with paper, cloth or insulation and waiting a few days. Then “if the plug has been disturbed, contact a wildlife rehabilitator or visit www.wildneighbors.org for humane methods to encourage animals to leave.”
Once you’re sure there are no long-term wild visitors, “caulk small holes, staple hardware cloth over larger ones, or make a permanent repair. Fill holes around pipes with copper wire mesh and use expanding foam on cracks and along leaky windows and doors.” Hardware cloth is not a cloth at all, but a flat wire mesh; we’ve found that stuffing steel wool into holes before covering them with hardware cloth helps because mice won’t chew the steel wool.
Have your chimney inspected and if it doesn’t have a cap, have one installed.
Oh, and put the cat-food bag in a mouse-proof container.