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Post by closetofchaos on Feb 6, 2017 19:14:46 GMT -5
I've had things ruined in storage and it was heartbreaking, plus I had wasted that money:/ I hope your things are safe and please let us know if you found something which worked please creativechaos☆
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Post by creativechaos on Feb 6, 2017 22:56:16 GMT -5
cyn, i'm so sorry those little buggers ate your carefully wrapped candles! i know that their teeth continue to grow, and i often wonder what is being eaten and gnawed in both units and i'm sure when i find out i will be very angry at the mice. for now, ignorance isn't exactly bliss, but it's one more thing i cannot deal with (overwhelm) and therefore all i can do is try to deal with the most valuable or important-to-me things FIRST. which is hard, when so many of them are buried under tons and tons of stuff. closetofchaos; i am so very sorry that your things got ruined in storage. i don't know yet what got ruined because i only can see the surface stuff- which makes me nervous - i can only do so much and lately that has stalled with the cat and now, the weather (snow and ice) but i am hoping the snap traps and smelly repellant are at least keeping the population down, and driving the mice into more "attractive" units in the building - ones storing food or where the owner is not present. a long term solution will need to be found, since the owner clearly does not care. i will let you know what works but so far, diligent use of snap traps and Fresh Cab repellant, which smells good to humans but not to mice ( sort of like a potpourri) is at least driving the mice to places where i can't see them - or better yet - OUT. it remains to be seen if the mice develop a tolerance to the stuff. You do have to replenish it monthly; that gets expensive, since 4 packets are about $13 plus tax. i see that i can buy 12 packets (3 month's supply) but it's really not cheaper to do that. i try not to think of the many thousands of dollars i have wasted paying storage unit owners, because i don't think like a "normal" person regarding what is valuable - so unlike others, who HAD to store stuff in units due to situational stresses, i brought mine on myself by hoarding!
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Post by peaceandfreedom on Feb 7, 2017 0:17:56 GMT -5
creativechaos, as we were dealing with rats that got into the house, the exterminators stressed the crucial importance of closing up all openings they could use as an entry point. I realize you have a different situation from having them in a house, but you might be able to spot some holes that you could stuff full of steel wool. It is inexpensive (around $3/pkg) and pretty easy to work with. Just pull off a clump of it and poke it into holes with a screw driver or paring knife. They said that if they try to chew through the steel wool it gets into their stomach and causes internal bleeding that leads to death. Every hole you can close up is a step forward. Might be worth a try. Today is day #12 with no visible rat activity here, so we are cautiously optimistic that maybe the two they got were the culprits. Traps are still in place, however.
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Post by cyn on Feb 7, 2017 10:47:24 GMT -5
creativechaos I had to get rid of a whole metal shed's worth of stuff once, because it was all covered in mouse ick. I know how overwhelming it is - I know how depressing it is. I allowed myself (duh, it sounds like I'm talking about a 2 year old!) to keep 1 item from each bag of clothing. Yeah - who keeps "bags" of clothing in a metal (aka mouse retreat) shed??? I had to, because I only had goat trails in the house and things were already piled high (not to mention alot of those clothes didn't fit me at the time) so it was out of sight and out of mind. Until I was told I had to move the shed. HA! I was given 48 hours notice. Thankfully that happened on a Tues. so early Wed. (garbage day) I'd bagged everything and went around to my neighbours and asked if anyone would let me add a bag of mine to theirs, since we're only allowed 2 bags. Oh boy, eh? Fun times! I think you might not lose as much stuff as you're worrying about, just because there's so many other places for them to go in your storage facility - especially if others are keeping food out, or using space heaters to keep it cozy. Using smelly stuff to repel them is a great idea, too. I noticed that my 1 drawer that *never* had mouse poop in it was the one I kept my nail polishes in. Not that you'd want your unit to reek of formaldehyde or acetone! But they do avoid certain scents, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that they find your unit *totally* unappealing and revolting, . Hugs!
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Post by creativechaos on Feb 8, 2017 1:52:12 GMT -5
thanks, cyn. i'm sorry you had to lose stuff in that way. i know it sounds weird but, except for my art, some of which i DO care about, i was pretty well steeled to toss out what i needed to. have piles and goat trails here at the apartment from bringing home fabric, so it can't all come in here! apt inspection has not happened, but one will, or can, at any given time - which is a reality of living in gov't subsidized housing. eek! our roads have been icy since Sunday, so the last time i checked traps at storage was maybe friday or sat. i'm getting anxious about that, but i absolutely cannot drive in this stuff; car wheels just spin out. if it's still icy tomorrow i will walk there, it's only a mile or so away. just a few more days and i will get back to checking the traps, but it's time to get back to work on the sorting at the unit and making things go away! would love to have a yard sale or something there, but it's still too cold and iffy. we just had another nor'easter stretch of cold, so more mice may have come in; i'll know soon! still sending them messages on the psychic mousey hotline to try to deter them from the jaws o' death and my units.
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Post by cyn on Feb 8, 2017 8:20:11 GMT -5
creativechaos I don't think it sounds weird at all! Obviously your art is very important - anyone would want to keep their art, even a minimalist, I think. Oh what do I know about minimalism. No seriously, it's not weird at all to hit rock bottom and imagine that the best outcome's salvaging what's *truly* meaningful. But this is where we're kind of messed up, IMO. We hoarders think it's all meaningful. I'm sure you don't need all that fabric (I'm talking to myself here!) and parting with it would make a big dent in the hoard, let some space in...it might be a good thing that you were only concerned about your art, because that's a big deal: you knew what was truly important. The rest? Who cares! Yeah, that's easy to say, lmao...but actually doing it...I know all about that... Stay safe in the ice, CC. We're all iced up too. I want some nice fluffy snow, like in the good old days.
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Post by Mystic Pegasus on Feb 8, 2017 9:22:46 GMT -5
If you have the money, try buying a few of those plastic storage crates with lids for your most treasured items. These items will then be protected from pee, poo and chewing. Even though the mice COULD chew through them, they are probably less likely to if there are other easier places to nest and things to chew... hopefully mostly in other units.
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Post by creativechaos on Feb 15, 2017 19:49:28 GMT -5
thanks, cyn - especially what you said about hoarders thinking it's ALL treasure; yep. trying to cure self of that one. i DO have good taste and i LIKE what i have. that's good. chances are, someone else will too when i get rid of it. well, regarding fabric - the first step for me with fabric is not to buy more! i do have 4 boxes under the table which are full of fabric that i can part with, so that's a start. Mystic Pegasus! so nice to "see" you! luckily i have a few of those storage totes with snap-on lids, of which you speak. i can use them once i clean them out of the sawdust from dahlia storage. i need to be down there at the units getting RID of stuff and piling stuff that is leaving for the swap meet i'll be doing in just 1 1/2 weeks - if i go through with it. seems it would be better to just do it at storage but who knows. have not been to the units much. keep checking the traps but have been layzee about re-baiting them since i really don't want to attract more! Thurs 2/16 - ETA - caught another mouse in the big storage unit. looked like a juvenile; all i have caught seem to be young adults, not very big. also found some baby sized poops in a corner i got into today when i was clearing out a shelf cubby to put some mosaic stuff in there. re-baited traps. apologized to mice and asked again nicely for them to leave - it's warmer now... hoping. the owner is going to get an earful by me and some others when he returns at end of March, i am sure. SUN. 2/19 - another mouse caught in large storage unit. found another place where they were pooping and moved a trap to that area. i have trapped and killed 6 so far, all in the large storage unit but since both units are piled so thick and deep, who knows what's happening on floor/wall level in " the underworld" - where all my art is being stored. i kind of don't want to know.
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Post by creativechaos on Mar 11, 2017 8:14:17 GMT -5
i've been checking traps and re-applying peanut butter every 2-3 days. haven't caught anything in awhile but hoping that they aren't just eating paper -such as my art, where i can't get to things down under all the piles in both storage units. i'm hoping the mice are moving outdoors or have moved on to someone else's unit with more food. the owners of storage get home on Tuesday - i hope they get some other complaints and that they will do something about it. the are going to have a lot of unhappy paying tenants if they don't.
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Post by creativechaos on Feb 18, 2018 3:19:47 GMT -5
i haven't posted here in quite awhile. i had not seen any signs of mice in the storage units but it is still so full, who would even know if i had them? well - i went to the big one about 2 weeks ago and saw fresh mouse turds (baby mouse size). i was so bummed i shut the door and left. i MUST go tomorrow if it doesn't snow (it's supposed to!) and deal with this - no more procrastination or excuses - and set the traps again. if it snows i can still walk there, it's only a mile or so. someone in one of the units must be storing food there or living there again. auuuugggggggh!!!!! there is no way to keep them out either; there are holes everywhere. i'm just glad it's not rats! (yet). will call the interim person who takes care of things when they are away for the winter, tomorrow. need to check the sm. unit and the little "arty store" unit and put traps in all, bin-up what i can, and buy some more Fresh Cab - but i am gonna bill it to the storage owners or ask their interim caretaker to reimburse me or buy it for me. she did that for me last year. they are away til April 1st.
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Post by ohblondie on Feb 18, 2018 7:38:32 GMT -5
Ugg, so sorry to read this. My storage unit fee just went up. Time to start emptying out....I should have one empty by the end of the month.
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Post by creativechaos on Feb 18, 2018 22:12:54 GMT -5
i hope you do better than i do with emptying out, ohblondie - i'm sure you will! went to lg unit today. also put quilts in plastic tub in my little storage unit "shoppe" just in case, and binned some fabrics in plastic tubs in large unit; ran out of bins. thanks to a battery operated lantern that dear Unswamping sent me, i was able to see - because we had our third major power outage this winter! this one comes with bitter cold arctic winds, and most of us here intown vulnerable because we have no back-up heat... the cold is nowhere near as bad as back east, mind... but cold enough! i didn't have the heart to set the traps today in that wind storm... poor lil mice. i'm hopeless i know. i went to buy the fresh cab repellant - the hardware store stopped carryiing it! it worked for me... so i guess i'll have to order it online now. will try again tomorrow with better resolve regarding the traps, or just keep salvaging what i can.,. wish i had more tubs to bin the rest of the fabric but i binned a lot of what mattered to me. my art is buried deep in the bowels of the other small unit. i don't even want to think what might be happening to that.
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Post by ohblondie on Feb 20, 2018 11:56:00 GMT -5
Creative-do you do a lot of sewing? I used to sew a lot, curtains, clothes, Halloween costumes, I altered the varsity cheer uniforms. Then I got busy and stopped. I have my machine somewhere, another machine somewhere and my original machine in the attic. I ask because I am giving myself a deadline. If I don't have a sewing room set up by a certain date I will be donating the material. My problem is in setting the date. And sticking to it.
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Post by creativechaos on Mar 11, 2018 12:40:12 GMT -5
No ohblondie, I don't sew much. It's my fantasy life. But I do enjoy sewing! I just need to make it a priority - which is hard to do with a hoarded-up apartment and 2 hoarded-up storage units. Sounds like you have real skills in sewing - i hope you get your sewing room set up and send good vibes and encouragement your way. All my hoarded "identity" items are tied up in being an artist, yet that self-critical perfectionistic part of me takes the joy out of it and instills dread in even beginning! i set the mouse traps last week and caught nothing. they usually go for the peanut butter! i wonder why i'm not catching anything. will check traps again today and add more peanut butter. don't know what to try next if that doesn't work. got some more fresh cab to put in there; i wish i could re-activate it, seems such a waste to throw away the little pouches. i may try some kind of herbal perfume i can bear to live with and see if it does the trick in repelling them. worked last year - although who knows how many mice in these colonies, where they're living, and what they have already ruined; the units are so hoarded up i can't get to anything. a lot of my art is in the small one. i can't think about that right now. uggggh - hoarding!
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Post by TML on Mar 11, 2018 12:49:51 GMT -5
For my house I hired the organic all natural pet control. They use vitamin D traps for mice. Essentially the VitD levels are toxic to mice and make them seek water presumably outside the house though another lady found one in her toilet since she left the lid up.
The good thing is that if the mice get eaten by cats, owls, foxes or etc that they are not toxic. They said would have to eat about 23 mice in short period to feel sick. Otherwise it is like a small vitD dose for the larger animal. I have cats thus I have a limitation on what i would be willing to use and this works.
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