Mouse eradication continues.
We first realized we had unwanted houseguests when I opened an upper kitchen cabinet and bits of granola bar and shredded wrapper fell out. Everything was brought out, got washed in hot, soapy water and the shelves were cleaned and industrial strength caulking applied to all gaps. I employed several glass jars for anything chewable just in case but repeated searches prove they haven’t returned.
Mickey and friends have moved from the penthouse to the ground floor. Yesterday I did the whole cleaning/disinfecting thing with the lower cabinets and this morning I see evidence of a late-night visit, confined to one area which I identified as their likely entry point. I set up a perimeter of mouse bait so there’s no need for them to go further once they’ve found it.
It’s…unpleasant.
I don’t enjoy the thought of having a rodent near my wares and if I were you I’d buy stock in Dawn dishwashing liquid because I’m constantly scrubbing the hell out of anything within a six foot radius of any evidence. On the upside, this invasion has forced us to reorganize the cupboards which were already pretty darn organized.
In chatting with various colleagues and friends I’m finding that a fall visit from the cute-only-at-a-distance critters is common. The next step is for Derek to get (literally) inside the lower cabinets and find and seal any openings, no matter how small. Unfortunately I don’t bend that way so I’m on cleaning detail until then. I’m keeping the stuff we regularly use out of harm’s way. Dawn, vinegar and bleach are also within arms reach until the little bastards are permanently evicted.
Steel Wool is useful for blocking gaps, then caulk over the steel wool. So far, so good at my place. For larger points of entry try 1/4″ hardware cloth.