Let's face it, no one likes mice in their
things. Whether it's in your home, your yard, your storage unit, camping
trailer, etc., they are not only a nuisance, but can be hazardous to your
health. Unfortunately, they are most likely to find their way into your
home/space once in awhile. However, there are some tips and tricks that
will help keep them at bay if you're not a fan of traps or don't have a good
cat.
One of the simplest and most common ways to keep
mice and other pests out is to keep a clean area. With your storage unit,
keep the unit tidy and keep it well swept. That also helps you see if you
have any fresh mouse droppings and you can take a new course of action if
needed.
Another simple way of warding off mice and
insects is to use cedar wood. You can do
something as simple as placing a few cedar blocks around your unit or you can
go to more extremes and sprinkle Western Red Cedar mulch, shavings and/or
sawdust around the outskirts of your unit.
The
secret to cedar’s ability to run off a whole host of unwanted critters are
aromatic hydrocarbons (phenols) and acids it contains that are toxic. The
phenols, which give cedar its delightful earthy scent, are what repels fleas,
moths, cockroaches, venomous snakes, mice and rats. And, in the laboratory,
autoclaved cedar shavings have even been shown to inhibit the growth of
micro-organisms. When rodents are exposed to cedar mulch/shavings/sawdust, the
aromatic hydrocarbons are absorbed through the respiratory tract and enter the
blood, damaging livers. The acids given off by cedar are very damaging to
rodent respiratory tracts, destroying cells that line the lungs and trachea.
Just
make sure you are purchasing 100% pure products as some may use other woods as
fillers and won’t be as effective.
If you don’t have easy access to cedar but you do have
some essential oils lying around your house, soak some cotton balls with either
peppermint oil or lavender oil. These
are said to deter mice if they are placed near their entry points. However, with this method, you will need to
soak them every couple of days for the smell to stay potent.
We also strongly suggest using plastic containers over
cardboard boxes and not keeping ANY food in your storage unit. Mice have been known to chew through anything
they can to get to food.
There are many more home remedies for deterring mice
and insects, but always find the one that works best for you and your
situation.