Need the pirate 4x4 expert opinion.

I have a shed at the cabin that I'm planning on insulating, and adding heat to, just to have as a little work shop.

I want to mice proof the place before I insulate. There is nothing worse then hearing mice crawling around in your brand new insulation. So the floor is ply wood, and the beams holding the shed up are on pads. The Ply-wood is cut around the studs. I want to seal the floor from mice, the rest will most likely be easy.

My question is, what should I use to seal around the studs, I was thinking silicone. Can mice eat through silicone? Or what is a better stuff to use?

Thanks for the help.

buy a cat. or use spray insulation. I wouldnt think mice would eat silicone tho

stuff rock wool batt insulation in any cracks... they hate that and won't chew on it.
Fill the remainder with sprayfoam.
put shavings of green irish spring soap around the inside perimeter of said shanty.

enjoy.

they chew silicone and spray foam. Use the steel wool and silicone over it to keep them from pushing it out. Pack it tight. If its loose they will use it for nesting material and laugh at you.

go to your local machine shop and ask them for some metal chips, stick them in all the cracks.

they chew silicone and spray foam. Use the steel wool and silicone over it to keep them from pushing it out. Pack it tight. If its loose they will use it for nesting material and laugh at you.

This is probably the best. I was thinking of using wire mesh on outside walls and then foaming after. Currently, just foam in the house. It deters much better than fiberglass doesn't stop.

A couple of thoughts-

If you are sealing against mice, staple fly screen down on the seams and cover over with panelling adhesive. It will harden up and do a great job of resisting chewing. Next is to screw some empty soup cans in the corners and put mouse poison in them. So when the mice get in (and they will) they will only get one meal. You can monitor the poison and notice when some gets eaten.

Irish springs soap...works amazing. Since using it at the cabin, we haven't seen any mice in a couple years. We put it in all the cupboards, behind the doors, and almost anywhere else mice might move around. When building the cabin, we dropped a small pieces in the walls (not that it would do much now that it's dried out). Also used it in the trailer before we built the cabin with great success. Way better than moth balls

Anywhere wires/plumbing go into or out of the cabin has 1/4" heavy wire mesh around it and steel wool.

I'm about to do the entire perimeter of some lady's house with this stuff called 'stuffit' mesh. It's copper so it won't ever corrode, comes like a sleeve and long rolls. I'm planning on using beads of PL premium construction adhesive and then shoving this stuff into it so it hardens in place. I think it'll work. Orkin man said it's the best stuff to use, that or steel wool, but she wants the copper so it won't rust out.

Dude, it is impossible to have "no" mice in a shed like that :laughing:

BTW I filled the walls in my shop with warfarin laced bait as I put the batts in. There is about 10 lbs in there.

You can't really mouse proof a building, they'll squeeze through damn near anything and eat through it if they have to. So, you gotta do most of your control in the aftermath, it's a constant thing.

Got any rat snakes up there? Every time I'd be in the woods at the ranch and found a rat snake, I'd carry it back to the house/barn/shed and throw it underneath.

Do/will you have power? Black and Decker makes these little things that plug into the wall and emit some kind of frequency. We've been using these at the place for 10 years and at dad's property on 2 acres and ever since we've installed them I have not seen a single fucking field mouse. They really do work. Sams has them for like $12 a six pack. They don't work with big rats though.

http://img.walgreens.com/dbimagecache/05087553406_220x220_a.jpg

All of the above plus lots of poison/bait. I used to work at a place way out in the woods and mice/rats/chipmunks were always a problem. They would chew through plywood and door jams if they wanted to. We went on a killing spree one summer with traps and poison and got enough of them fast enough that it acutally effected how many we saw.

Hedge Apples.......farmers have been doing this for years.....

I have decided about ten years ago to give up the battle.

I find if you put out food and water they don`t destroy things I am still working on litter training and house breaking seems to be the hardest part.

Go figure if i have a woman over they freak out when the mouse comes up on the table to eat or drink.

I did have a cat but he didn`t last long I had no idea mice would hunt cats

Good stuff, got alot of ideas. I know I can never beat them, but I midaswell try. I think I'm going to go with a combination of steel wool, that brass shit, then panel adhesive. Then I will run a few of those black and decker units.

Its not really a slanty shanty, its more of a nice shed. I just like the name. Lol.

Thanks for the help. Maybe I will take some pictures of my endevour.

Snakes. Lots of snakes. They do a great job, makes cats look like rank amateurs..

Snakes. Lots of snakes. They do a great job, makes cats look like rank amateurs..

My ShopMoggy watches the little critters eat out of her food bowl.

The house cats are confused by mice.

I've found that beer cans make great material for keeping mice out. Cut patch, staple over hole, mice can't get in.