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Post by danny15 on Jan 11, 2017 5:21:26 GMT -5
creativechaos, some other thoughts ~~~ I'm in a room right now with a mouse who has been in residence for some time. We've never been overrun (the cats help with that) but in the winter the mice will come.
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Post by ohblondie on Jan 11, 2017 7:56:35 GMT -5
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Post by sparkle on Jan 11, 2017 10:24:32 GMT -5
I know what you mean about poison. I hated to do it. I tried my best not to. Remember, though, the owner/managers, if they do anything at all, are likely to use poison. I'm glad your mice haven't ruined everything and glad you're not donating anything they've touched. Check for smell, too, not just 'evidence', before you donate fabrics or books. I hope your purge solves the problem.
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Post by phoenixcat on Jan 11, 2017 10:59:02 GMT -5
Mice and rats don't care how well kept the house is - still find their way. We have worked and worked on getting them from DM's. Things we have tried independent of traps - peppermint oil - dirty cat litter - steel wool in holes. None of that worked as well as the d-con (we are now using tomkat because d-con pellets aren't available) and we also have several electronic sensors. Machines that you plug into the walls and they send out sounds or vibrations that make the environment hostile. I think the sensors might help a bit in your place because they have other places to go nearby that would be more inviting. They don't work well if there is nothing else - the mice/rats will put up with the uncomfortable massage I think your rental management should take it more seriously. This could shut down his business and people could sue him. While they aren't responsible for the contents of the units - I think they are responsible for the condition of the environment - whether it is temperature controlled and safe. People are paying for that security. As for your art, I would encourage you to think on what is your ideal "end game" on all the art and whether this can motivate you to start now. Since you could never display it all - I would assume your plan was to sell it and probably out of a more ideal location than a storage unit. Do you have friends in the art community that could start including your pieces in their studios for commission - same for local galleries? Do you know local businesses that will display your art for sale - restaurants, schools, small businesses? E-bay? Craigslist? Wish you hugs and luck as you get through this. And you will!! PC
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Post by creativechaos on Jan 11, 2017 12:43:38 GMT -5
called, left msg with manager of storage units. not hoping for much from the owners - they are in Hawaii for the winter every year. i am hoping mgr will contact owner and that they will do something but not really counting on it. i will sort the 6 boxes i got out of there and when done, go get more. the "plan," if i have one, is to get stuff out as quickly as possible while i still can - and find a way to trap/kill them while hoping they will be going to someone else's unit that is more inviting. don't have much money now, due to the cat's hospital stay and vet bills but i can try to see if someone has one of those electronic things to repel them, and if someone can pick up pellets for me at the farm supply store on the mainland. again, thank you everyone for the ideas. it is supportive to read here, even if it's depressing too. those durned !!!! ETA: manager called back and got permission from owner to buy some traps. she will leave some mousetraps for me. i didn't specify which kind.
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Post by notanotherdecade on Jan 11, 2017 15:39:02 GMT -5
A thought .... The artwork was created by yourself. Once a painting is complete it could be compared to a book you've finished reading.. the process of reading and the process of painting are what have given the pleasure.... But it is in the past sense ... There is always another painting and another book,or another cake to bake .... Is it possible to allow the physical thing to be let go of. Perhaps to sell as it is, or as a canvas for another artist to reuse? It makes me think of the Konmarie concept of thanking a possession for all that it has given you in the past before first letting it go.. . This allows someone to acknowledge and celebratethe good things it has contributed to life, without creating negative guilt or regret for letting go of what no longer serves a purpose in the present.
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Post by creativechaos on Jan 11, 2017 17:53:11 GMT -5
agh notanotherdecade - i'm not sure about this - i get anxious just reading what you are suggesting...you are right... and... although i *hear* you intellectually, emotionally i freak out just thinking about this. i'm probably not ready to do konmarie on my personal artwork, other than tossing what i want no one else in the world to ever see. it's enough right now that i can get rid of ANYTHING. believe me, that is hard enough on a good day! probably, true to style as someone that gets so easily overwhelmed and depressed, i will just let life happen while i rearrange deck chairs on the titanic and let go of one box at a time. Man plans, mice laugh. maybe later... after inspection... i can think about Kon-marie-ing my artwork... if the mice haven't ruined everything by then. for now, just trying to keep the apartment from backsliding to high level two while i sort what i bring home. and then put the keepers... where?
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Post by imamess on Jan 11, 2017 17:56:29 GMT -5
My dryer had been in my storage building. When I finally got it installed in November, I was really surprised that it ran. I dried about 4 loads in it and then it overheated and never ran again. Today I had a repairman in to fix it. He took the whole thing apart and I mean everything. He found some chewed up fluff left by mice but the major thing was that a mouse had chewed a wire in two. We cleaned everything, he replace the wire and appropriate clips and it's working as good as new. I HATE MICE!!!!
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Post by phoenixcat on Jan 11, 2017 18:18:55 GMT -5
On retrospect - not even sure that storage units have regular outlets so unless it was battery operated - my sensor idea may be a poor one. ImaMess - DM has had damage to two different cars due to mice. They love to eat wires! Why we don't see more electrocuted mice around - I have no idea.
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Post by catcat on Jan 11, 2017 19:53:29 GMT -5
I agree with CLSS. Hantavirus can kill you. It can be cleaned up & when it is , items do not remain dangerous for a long length of time. Don't sweep or vacuum droppings, dead mice, etc. Best to read the CDC article. It is rendered harmless when soaked with bleach. You can't breathe it in safely. Not all rodents carry it, however. The units need to air out before going in. Repeating myself, but read the proper ways to clean up on the CDC site. Best of luck. Sorry you have to deal with this. catcat
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Post by def6 on Jan 11, 2017 22:50:57 GMT -5
Hello creativechaosI'm sorry that you are faced with this problem right now. I just typed "repelling mice with sounds" into Google search. I found products and reviews about this. However you decide to tackle this...I'm sending you good vibes to zap your mice
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Post by notanotherdecade on Jan 12, 2017 2:27:10 GMT -5
A Challenge yes. Something for next month perhaps
The use of sound against mice might be worth looking into. I recall the corner shops tried something similar a while back to disperse teenagers , since they are more sensitive to high pitched sounds than adults.
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Post by Evelyn on Jan 12, 2017 2:36:44 GMT -5
I'd suggest snapping quick photos of things you are getting rid of due to mouse damage/contamination. Send one or two of the "best" to the managers along with an email or letter asking for timely action on the mouse problem and a rescheduling of the inspection on the grounds that you are too busy cleaning up their mess to be able to deal effectively with your own (er, you might want to word it a little more diplomatically than that). You may wish to mention that you are a tenant of thirty-five years. Send a cc to the building owner: mice can cause structural and electrical damage, and having mice in his building should concern him quite a bit. I've never yet had a rodent problem (knock wood), but have had a couple disasters (plumbing leaks & roof damage, mostly) that ruined a bunch of my stuff. I did find myself working at being grateful for the opportunity to let go of things - sometimes it was much harder work than others, but it helped get me through. It also encouraged me to store no more things than I could afford to keep in sturdy plastic tote bins*: a goal I have sometimes even met. (*I have no idea how good plastic totes are against mice, or for art canvases.)
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Post by closetofchaos on Jan 13, 2017 1:40:47 GMT -5
I wish I could bring my army of meow-makers and set them loose at your storage facility..where is it that you reside again? If only I'd be willing to let them past my propery . I'm an artist as well.
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Post by creativechaos on Jan 13, 2017 2:25:18 GMT -5
thanks everyone for all responses! ~ i've been bringing stuff home to sort through. some i will have to incorporate: fabric. yarn. soft goods. some was binned, others boxed in cardboard. no damage or teeth marks or soiling on those boxes yet. stuff from home will have to be released to make room for the incoming. i need time that i don't have right now to sort through the fabric. i'll also need repeat sorting on the fabric. fabric is one of my "hard" categories to release... and books. so those, i will have to either keep in my car or bring here for a time until i finish processing them. some art will need to come here temporarily too, until i can figure out what to do with that. good idea about the inspection, evelyn. The upper-level apartment mgrs won't CARE to hear my excuses; they want no excuses! However, if the storage manager writes me a note to show apt mgmt, that might work... i will just do what i can about inspection and be sure place is as clean as possible, and not a hazard. boxes will be stacked neatly on the floor and not a trip hazard, if there are some that need to be here for now. ABOUT HANTAVIRUS: i read the linked article, thanks for your concerns. i promise i will either trash, or not donate, anything soiled by mouse pee or poop without properly washing or cleaning - i will not endanger anyone else! For myself, i cannot afford the fear of this virus and wear hazmat gear. I *heard* your concerns; thank you for caring! Now, please let's drop it - no more about hantavirus, please - so i can focus on the work at hand. i have enough stress on my plate without fear and worry about some deadly virus! THANK YOU! ( will try to remember to wear a mask for any cleanup or if i have to handle anything with mouse poo on it) i worked in large storage unit today. found some more droppings and an obvious "run"where they have been. no nest found yet. i am still too buried with stuff there. small unit is untouched except for the boxes of fabric i grabbed to bring home. tomorrow i will set some traps in the large unit. i have begged the mice to leave - and have told them that tomorrow, there will be traps and that i DON'T want to kill them if at all possible! i still need to "talk" with the mice in the smaller unit tomorrow.i will put some smelly repellant things in there too, and ask them to leave - and give them one day, then tell them i am setting traps the following day, and DO it. All living things should at least be respectfully asked to vacate first, IMO. If they choose to stay, then at least i tried to ask them nicely to leave. right now i am focusing only on the big unit. i put some smelly repellent stuff in there that is supposed to deter them - the manager for the storage units bought me that stuff, and two traps. i bought 4 more traps, and some good sticky peanut butter. tomorrow, i will set them. i hope the mice leave and that i do not have to kill them At any rate, i need to move fast on getting stuff OUT of both units. hoping the mice will not ruin all my books in small unit before i can at least get them to the library for donation. this is all so depressing - but - no time for that! i pray my back holds up through all of this. the owner of storage units will do nothing... i'm lucky he let the mgr buy a few traps and the smelly repellant stuff for me. he doesn't really care, he won't get sued probably, and i'm sure somewhere in our contract it says that he is not liable for any damage to our stuff, under any circumstance. i looked at the traps that electrocute the poor creatures - so expensive! i just couldn't get myself to be ok with electrocuting them. i am such a wuss about killing things (except yellow jackets, due to allergies to them). i may ask to borrow an electronic repelling noise thing - will put out the call on facebook or craigslist. i noticed all the shelves at the hardware store were empty of mouse traps etc. There-must be infestations everywhere on island. no one is used to winter cold here anymore, including the mice.
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