How to protect a wooden house from rodents?

Home Materials

Date of publication: 05.12.

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• Weaknesses in frame structures
• Choosing a grid
• Advantages of this method
• Home protection during the construction phase
• Combination of mesh and other protection methods

Frame houses are popular due to the speed of construction and low cost compared to capital construction. However, such buildings also have disadvantages, one of them is the reproduction of rodents. Taking care of protection from mice and rats is still at the construction stage. A metal mesh will help to reliably protect the house from rodents. Let's talk about how mice usually enter the house, and how to select and install a mesh to protect against them.

Advantages of frame houses

This technology has many advantages. First of all, it is low cost and high speed of construction. Another feature of the frame house is the minimum shrinkage value. Such a house, in contrast to a heavy brick structure, cannot be damaged from structural errors and uneven shrinkage made during the construction process or from the characteristics of the soil. Construction does not require a massive concrete foundation - special foundation slabs, screw or bored piles are used. Special processing of piles not only simplifies the structure and increases its service life, but also makes possible subsequent repair of the piles. Thanks to these features, it is possible to quickly commission a turnkey house in a complete set.

The durability of the frame structure of the house is quite high. In such a house, all internal systems can fully function for 30 years without the need for repairs. After this period, it is recommended to carry out a planned overhaul of communications. But the supporting frame of such a house, with proper maintenance, will last up to 90 years.

Disadvantages of frame houses

Naturally, there are also drawbacks in frame-type structures. Even at the design stage, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the selection of the materials used. So, an attempt to save money can lead to the use of low-quality Chinese materials, for example, OSB-3 boards. In the manufacture of such plates, phenol-formaldehyde resins act as a binder. If the formaldehyde emission class is from E2 or more, then this substance will actively evaporate into the room air, which poses a danger to human health. Materials with a zero emission class are considered safe.

Short-fiber mineral wool and low quality basalt wool are a source of carcinogenic dust. Thus, the correct selection of materials used in construction will guarantee a high-quality and healthy life for people living in a frame house.

In addition, timber frame houses are classified as timber. This indicates an increased fire hazard. This drawback can be eliminated by using fire-resistant materials: special drywall, fireproof panels from LSU, DSP. The beams from which the frame is made must be impregnated with fire-resistant impregnations. Expanded polystyrene is selected class G1 or G2. The disadvantages include the low vandal resistance of such houses. The walls of a frame house can be destroyed by one person using a chainsaw, which cannot be done with stone walls. In addition, the materials of the frame and other structural elements are defenseless against the attack of small pests - mice, rats. This seemingly insignificant fact can make a person's life in the house absolutely unbearable.Rodents gnaw holes and tunnels in the insulation material, destroy expanded clay and glass wool, and can live in the walls of a frame house for a long time. This problem is especially relevant when low-quality foam was used as insulation during the construction of the house.

Mice in a frame house

Thanks to modern materials, frame houses provide a high level of comfort. However, uninvited guests can also wind up in the insulated walls of a frame house. Mice and other rodents like to settle inside the walls of a frame house, where they can find comfortable warm places for wintering. Controlling new rodents can present significant challenges for owners. Preventing the appearance of mice is much easier than getting rid of them in an already built house, so you should think about protective measures already at the construction stage.

Ways to solve the problem of rodents

Often, developers consider this question to be insignificant: a new house, what kind of mice? If they start, then we will do it. Meanwhile, the existing methods for the destruction of rodents have many disadvantages. Using mechanical aids such as glue and mousetraps is a hassle and ineffective. The use of poison creates the risk of accidental harm to one's own health and the death of pets. In addition, a mouse that died from poison in a hard-to-reach place (for example, inside a wall) will emit an unpleasant odor, and it will be problematic to remove it from there.

A variety of ultrasonic repellents are more effective, creating a zone of discomfort for most rodents. But one cannot ignore their effect on human health and well-being with prolonged use. In addition, such devices require periodic maintenance and consume energy. There remains a radical remedy - to have a cat in the house. One cat is able to lime mice within a radius of 200 m from the house, while giving the owner a lot of positive emotions. But if you do not like cats, you are allergic to wool, or just your particular cat will not have a penchant for hunting, the problem of rodents cannot be solved.

It is much better to provide ways of protection from rodents during the construction of a frame house. For this, ecowool is often used as a heater, containing up to 20% borax in the composition - it is believed that rodents do not start in such material. However, the environmental disadvantages of this material (it can cause allergic reactions, releases boric acid vapors) negate its advantages. An alternative is the creation of various mechanical barriers to the penetration of mice into the house, incorporated into its structure.

The most radical way would be to build a shallow slab foundation. A monolithic reinforced concrete slab as a foundation has a number of recognized advantages: it efficiently distributes loads, resists frost heaving of the soil and insulates the house from below. Thanks to the one-piece construction, such a foundation closes the outer contour of the house and prevents the penetration of mice into rooms and walls.

However, for light frame houses, a foundation of this type will not be optimal due to its high cost and labor intensity in construction. As a rule, more economical options for pile-grillage foundations are used in frame houses. You can protect a house built on a pile-grillage foundation from rodent invasion by laying a fine-mesh metal mesh.

Metal mesh protection

Metal mesh is today one of the simplest and most reliable ways to prevent mice and other rodents from entering the walls and premises of a frame house. As you know, mice easily gnaw a variety of materials (even cement), but metal is too tough for them.It is important that the mesh has sufficiently thick rods (not less than 0.4 mm) and a small cell (maximum 5x5 mm, preferably 2x2 mm), since mice and, especially, mice have the ability to crawl through the smallest holes.

For the protection to be durable, it is better to use a galvanized welded or expanded metal mesh, for example, a CPVS. At a fairly low cost, the CPVS can be applied in two layers, providing a cell size of up to 2x2 mm. It is undesirable to use a "black" (not galvanized) mesh, as it is susceptible to rapid corrosion, as well as a knitted mesh: due to its low strength, mice can easily overcome such an obstacle. The rods of the mesh must be rigidly connected to each other, otherwise the rodent will be able to push them apart and get inside. Therefore, the use of meshes of the "netting" type does not make sense.

The metal mesh is laid outside, over the entire surface of the foundation of the house. The use of mesh on the subfloor, although it prevents rodents from entering the premises, will not be able to protect the inner parts of the walls from them. It is advisable to lay a net also over the area of ​​the house from below in order to block the path of mice through the underground space. On the sides, the mesh rises along the walls to a height of at least 1 meter from the base, since mice can climb quite high. The corners of the house are also upholstered with fine mesh in two layers. After the upholstery, the mesh is covered with a cladding to give an aesthetic appearance.

In addition to protecting surfaces, it is necessary to block all technical and ventilation openings in the house. This can be done by using the same mesh (for ventilation) in two layers, expanded clay or gravel filling in the places of underground communications. Plastic pipe and cable entries are protected by a robust metal casing. If the house has a ventilated facade, it is also necessary to block the access of rodents to the ventilation gap, since mice can rise along it to a height of several meters. The ventilation gap is overlapped from below, with two layers of fine-mesh metal mesh.

Of all the variety of means of protecting a frame house from rodents, the optimal is the use of a galvanized metal mesh of the CPVS type over the entire surface of the foundation and at a height of at least one meter along all walls above the basement. This method is quite economical, provides reliable and durable protection from mice, and does not require maintenance and operating costs. And a cat, if desired, is also worth having.

Rodent protection during construction

The best option is to take care of rodent protection even at the design stage of the house. So, sometimes building blocks are sprayed with a solution of borax or ordinary lime. It is advisable to install ecowool in the floor slabs on the lower floor. This material is 80% wood pulp and 20% borax. Such a composition acts as an antiseptic and prevents the appearance of pests.

Various components can be added to the insulation that scare away rodents. It can be dry grass with a pungent aroma - wormwood, mint, pine branches, burdock. Ash, slag, tobacco give the same effect.

Metal grid

The installation of a metal mesh is very effective, which will physically prevent rodents from entering the house. It is installed in places where mice are most likely to penetrate, for example, in the floor or walls. The mesh should have a fine mesh pitch - the most optimal - 5 by 5 millimeters. Small rodents have a very flexible body and can crawl through rather small holes - less than one centimeter in diameter. In addition, there are cases when rodents cut through a wire 1.5 mm thick.

Sometimes the mesh can be replaced with sheets of structural steel, the thickness of which is up to one and a half millimeters. When processing walls in this way, the mesh is set to a height of approximately one meter. Also, the mesh is laid along the foundation.The point is to lay such a grid at a depth deeper than mouse holes. This depth is up to 80 centimeters. The mesh or sheet metal can be laid not close to the foundation, but retreat a certain distance, and then fill it with rubble in the gap between the mesh and the foundation. Instead of a mesh, you can dig a trench around the perimeter of the house, which can be filled with coarse gravel.

Protection of the frame house from mice

Experts note that there is a weak link in the cladding of the house - this is the place where the insulation goes into the cladding. To prevent the arrival of unwelcome gray guests, these places should be covered with a metal mesh with fine meshes. The mesh should go up to the walls to a height of 40 millimeters.

There is another place where mice often enter the house - this is a plinth with insulation. Experts recommend using a fine mesh metal mesh. After the building material has been laid, they are plastered on top. When the mouse tries to gnaw a hole, it stumbles upon a metal mesh that the animal cannot gnaw through.

But here comes the nuance of the installation. If the net is installed clearly from the ground to the top, then here the mice have no obstacles to getting inside the room. The animals calmly make their moves under the base. To prevent such a move, the net should be at least 80 centimeters from the ground level in the ground.

The foundation can be protected with a sheet of metal. this becomes relevant when there is no building grid. But then the thickness of the metal should not be less than 1.5 millimeters..

But not only the basement and foundation become the site of attack by rodents. Floors are also a weak spot for mice to walk freely, causing destruction and harm. Protection is installed at the stage of building a house. The strapping is used at the bottom. A metal mesh is used as a material.

But it is not always possible to immediately perform protection. Before laying the waterproofing layer on the subfloor:

• Roll out a mesh with small cells;
• Fix.

Now you can insulate and then the floor.

To protect the lower part of the house from the invasion of gray intruders, the old method is used, which was popular before the installation grid was invented. For protection, a 30 cm layer of expanded clay is poured onto the sub floor. The surface is leveled and covered with plastic wrap. OSB - 3 slabs are laid on top. Two such layers will be needed in total. An embankment of expanded clay is made on the slabs. This time, a layer of 10 centimeters will be enough.

You can soak wood with boric acid. This will only be effective protection for the first time, since mice do not tolerate the smell of this chemical. But over time, the substance will disappear, rodents will freely penetrate into the dwelling.

The insulation itself is an excellent material in which mice feel free. Therefore, you need to take seriously the issue of choosing a heater. For example, foam. In it you can find not just individual burrows, but residential quarters. It should be said that the use of foam does not give a durable result, the material quickly collapses and becomes unusable.

Thermal insulation with mineral wool leads to a decrease in the number of mice that entered the house. Modern builders suggest using a mineral wool called ecowool. The material consists of three components:

1. Insulation;
2. Boric acid mixture;
3. Bura.

After preparing the broth, you can use it.

The created solution does not pose a danger to humans, pets. In this case, the mice try to leave the site.

The right choice of insulation

Many people choose expanded polystyrene as insulation, since its cost is low and allows you to save money. But this is not the best option. Rodents will quickly gnaw through this material if they decide to climb into your home.If possible, it is better to combine expanded polystyrene with mineral wool, although this does not always solve the problem. Experts recommend using ecowool to insulate the structure. This is a material with a high degree of adhesion, it tightly fills even small gaps, although it is much more expensive. The use of ecowool will reduce the likelihood of rodents entering the house. In addition, the material does not generate dust, does not contain components hazardous to humans.

Important: ecowool is difficult to install, so it should be applied by a specialist who is familiar with the technology of such work. In case of errors in application, the material may lose its properties and shrink.

If mice start under the floor

The fact that mice have started up under the floor of a frame house can be easily recognized by the characteristic sounds. In this case, experts recommend making a so-called expanded clay castle. Expanded clay is a material that is obtained by firing low-melting clay. A layer of expanded clay about 30 centimeters thick is placed on the ground. This layer is covered with polyethylene and then covered with a double layer of OSB-3. Finally, the laminate is laid. Between the subfloor and the main floor, you also need to lay a layer of expanded clay 10 centimeters. This method is quite laborious, but it allows you to get away from the problem of damage to the floor by rodents.

Mouse under the floor - what to do?

So, the source of the night noise and squeak has been discovered, it remains to decide how best and for sure to get rid of unwanted guests. The most important question in this case is that the dead mouse does not remain under the floor, otherwise you are guaranteed a special smell of decomposition in the house.

Here's how to get rid of mice under the floor with the best results.

Mouse traps

The principle of operation of traps is based on the action of the bait that the mouse goes to. At night, the animal gets out of its mink or from under the floor and goes to smell. Mechanical mousetraps familiar to everyone are not always effective, the rodent manages to jump out before the mechanism works. One of the drawbacks of such mousetraps is that the corpses must be thrown away.

Swissinno Super Cat

The peculiarity of the trap is that the manufacturer offers a ready-made bait in which the five most attractive scents for mice are combined. Rodents are unable to resist such a seductive smell and try to get the bait.

• the grasping forceps kill the mouse, but absolutely safe for children and pets
• high sensitivity of the mechanism;
• replaceable baits
• price - from 350 rubles / 2 traps

View the ranking of the best mousetraps and buy a Swissinno Super Cat trap

The devices are installed near burrows, crevices and at the location of traffic. The peculiarity of the Swissinno Super Cat is that several animals can fall under the mechanism at once. Again, then they will need to be thrown away somewhere.

Electric traps Victor

A new type of traps based on the action of an electric discharge. The device operates on batteries, the charge strength is enough to destroy several dozen individuals. The main advantage of the device is that a person does not see dead rodents and can throw them out of the storage container without even looking in his direction.

The trap is a closed, neat house, consisting of two levels. The mouse, attracted by the smell of the bait, runs up the ladder and gets to the site located in the zone of the electric discharge. As soon as the sensors are triggered, the animal dies within one or two seconds and automatically falls into the container.

• Trap cost - from 8000 rubles

Read reviews and buy a Victor mousetrap at a discount

The device can kill up to 10 mice in one night. At the same time, you do not hear the sounds of a clicking spring or a squeak of an animal that has not been completely killed. Victor traps are in great demand among the population and are particularly effective.Devices are also located on the path of mice or in places of their possible appearance.

Poison baits

Modern poisonous baits are produced in three types - acting almost instantly, killing in a few days and mummifying. A special inconvenience of the first two methods is that the mouse can even crawl under the floor with the last bit of strength and die there. The smell of decay will tell you about the fact of what has happened, from which no ventilation will help. Poisons should be used with caution, especially in homes with children and pets.

Retailers and online stores offer mummifying baits. The body of the animal does not decompose after death, but begins to shrink. Even if the animal dies under the floor or in another hard-to-reach place, there will be no smell.

One of the most effective mummifying baits - Valbrenta Chemicals... The kit includes bags with different baits, a house and disposable gloves. The bait house not only attracts mice to look in there, but also prevents cats or dogs from getting inside.

• The cost of the set - from 395 rubles

Read reviews and buy discounted mouse poison

All formulations are processed with boric acid preparations and other substances, which does not allow tissues to decompose. Using the product at the same time in the house, in the underground, in sheds and in open areas gives an excellent result - the mice die and almost completely disappear.

Ultrasonic scarers

If you want to know the most efficient way, how to deal with mice under the floor, you will have to purchase an ultrasonic repeller. The devices emit ultrasonic waves of various frequencies, which causes discomfort in rodents. They cannot adapt to the chaotic frequency changes and are forced to look for a more suitable place to live. As a result of the action of the devices, there will be no corpses, the animals simply leave your home. You should be aware that appliances should be installed on each level (floor).

Tornado Repeller 400

Effective on an area of ​​up to 400 square meters... The device is a small plastic box that is installed in an outlet about 60-80 centimeters from the floor. At the same time, it is necessary to provide that no concrete obstacles arise in the path of the rays or furniture does not stand. For greater efficiency, you can connect several scarers in the same room.

• A small device, which is a rectangular box measuring 9 by 9.5 centimeters,
• weight - 0.5 kilograms.
• Its power does not exceed 10 watts.
• cost - from 2100 rubles

Purchase the Tornado 400 repeller and read reviews about it

RIDDEX

The Riddex pest repelling device has been developed in the 90s of the last century in the USA... A device for complex action on rodents and insects. The main difference from other similar devices is it is a combination of acoustic and electromagnetic effects.

The emitted impulses spread through the wiring of the entire house or apartment, create a force field in the area of ​​the wiring and affect mice and cockroaches. The device is absolutely safe for humans. After about two weeks, a significant decrease in the number of insects and mice becomes noticeable.

• Cost - 1390 rubles

Important... Ultrasonic scarers should not be used in homes where guinea pigs, hamsters and other decorative rodents live as pets.

Ultrasonic generators

What if the house has already been erected, and despite all the preventive measures, it was attacked by rodents? There are many proven methods of eliminating mice, among which a very effective and environmentally friendly one is the use of ultrasonic scarers. These are devices whose principle of operation is to emit sound waves that are not audible to the human ear.At the same time, rodents clearly hear an unpleasant sound, which forces them to leave the area of ​​influence of the device. Such devices are effective not only against mice - the installation of an ultrasonic repeller can also rid the area of ​​larger rodents - rats, moles and other pests.

The presence of a cat in the house, and preferably several, can prevent the appearance of small pests. Everyone knows with what pleasure cats-hunters exterminate rodents. Indeed, even the smell of a predator scares away rodents. But this does not always work. You may come across a cat that will live in the same territory with mice in complete harmony, without causing them any harm. Natural enemies of small rodents are weasels, stoats. Several of these domesticated animals are able to quickly clear the house of mice.

Mouse control methods

The presence of gray rodents in a house or apartment requires drastic measures. Using cats or cats is not always an option. In order to scare away animals use:

• Ultrasonic waves;
• Getting rid of mice at home is possible with an ultrasonic repeller. In its operation, the equipment uses a frequency that is not perceived by the human ear. When using scarers, mice develop a state of fear, which provokes the animal to move away from the site as soon as possible. In order for the result to be maximum, it is recommended to place the devices in several places so that there is full coverage of the house;
• Another way to get the animals out of the house is to spread the bait in areas where gray animals are most common. However, there is a danger that the rodent will die inside the partition. Here it will rot, and an unpleasant smell will spread throughout the house. Even with the exact location of the body, in order to be able to get the mouse, you will have to disassemble the walls.

If the measures taken did not help, then you should call the service that specializes in rodents.

You need to understand that mice are attracted to the smell of food. For food, gray animals are ready to overcome any fences and walls. Therefore, it is important that foodstuffs are stored in unopened packages without emitting a luring odor. Also, do not leave trash with household waste in the house overnight. When there is no livelihood for the mice, no adaptations or pesticides are needed, the rodents will leave the house on their own if they realize that there is nothing to eat here.

Mousetrap

This method of eliminating rodents has been known from time immemorial. A mousetrap is such a simple device that works when the animal pulls on the bait. Mice are not selective in their food, but cracklings or a piece of raw or fried bacon, cut off with the skin, are best suited as bait. Mousetraps are placed on a flat, hard surface where pests are most common. If you choose the right bait, then you can quite effectively eliminate all the mice living in the house. In addition, the method is quite environmentally friendly and cannot harm humans.

Rodent traps can be made by yourself. So, for this purpose, glass bottles are used, for example, from beer. It is necessary to pour a little fragrant unrefined sunflower oil into the bottle, and set the bottle itself at an angle of about forty degrees, securing it with a rope. As practice shows, mice often fall into such a trap and up to five animals can be in the bottle per night.

Another option for a trap is with a bucket and two planks. In a regular bucket, you need to pour water up to half. A plank is placed on the bucket, along which the mouse can climb up. Two more slats are installed on top, one is placed on the bucket itself, and the second is cross with the first, it should be somewhat shorter. You need to put bait on the edge of the short bar.The meaning of this design is that when the mouse gets close to the treat, the bar tilts under its weight and the animal falls into the bucket. Then the bar returns to its original position. This method is quite effective, but it is designed for enthusiasts, as it is necessary to carefully choose the length of the short board, and make sure that it returns to its place.

We solve the problem in advance: expanded clay castle

The method, which was already too late for me to use, but you may find it useful. The bottom line is that thanks to the expanded clay lock, mice will not be able to enter the house through the floor. In this case, expanded clay should be included in the floor cake. This is how it - the cake - should look (from bottom to top, i.e. from the ground):

• expanded clay (layer at least 30 cm thick);
• PET film;
• OSB-3 (in 2 layers);
• another layer of expanded clay;
• OSB sheets impregnated with synthetic wax and boric acid.

In such a cake, expanded clay will serve as a mechanical obstacle, and boric acid will serve as a chemical repeller (until it wears out).

Expanded clay will help in the fight against mice

Another efficient option is closure of gaps with galvanized steel strips... The floorboards are laid on logs, without heat-insulating material, and the gaps are closed with strips (their width should be about 10 cm), which are nailed to the floor. On top of this, already warming material and cladding are laid.

Expert opinion: E.V. Afanasyev

Chief editor of the Stroyday.ru project. Engineer.

Want to know more about rodent breeding and effective ways to control them? Read my detailed article - "What kind of insulation mice do not gnaw"

Prices for expanded clay in bags

expanded clay in bags

Chemical substances

Poison is the most effective way to control small rodents, insects and other pests in your home and garden. The method is not entirely humane, but it allows you to solve the problem very quickly. Such funds are available in a variety of forms. It can be hard briquettes, dough briquettes, poisoned grain, granules, which retain their toxic properties for a long time. In addition, the cost of the drugs offered on the market is very different, which allows you to choose the most suitable remedy.

The poison, entering the rodent's body along with the bait, causes the death of the animal, even if the amount of the substance was very small. This method requires caution, since when working with toxic substances there is a risk of poisoning yourself. Therefore, it is necessary to work with the poison with gloves and, preferably, in old unnecessary clothes, which can then be simply thrown away. The poison should be located in places that are difficult to reach for the inhabitants of the house, so that none of the household members can get poisoned. Pets should also be carefully guarded. Before starting work, carefully read the attached instructions, the description of the tool, evaluate your capabilities.

There is one point that can cause trouble for the residents of the house. If a mouse that has eaten the poison, before dying, crawls into a hard-to-reach place. In this case, it will rot, exuding an unpleasant odor for a long time. You will have to look for the source of the smell, open the floor or dismantle the walls.

Fact: modern producers of the poison offer such a product, after which the animal begins to suffocate and tries to leave the room. This, in some cases, helps prevent odors.

How to escape mice

The ubiquitous animals can appear anywhere - in the basement, underground, attic, kitchen and living rooms. The owners of apartments in multi-storey concrete buildings are extremely surprised to find that, for example, a mouse has settled in the bathroom, although the apartments are located on the 5th or 7th floor.But for her to climb sewers or ventilation shafts, in fact, is not so difficult. What, then, can we say about low-rise wooden buildings? For rodents, this is just paradise.

The activity of mice on the issue of settling them for the winter begins closer to autumn. They gnaw holes in the wall, which are not so easy to detect, get inside and nest where it is warmer and more satisfying. Wherein:

• destroy stocks of food stored in the house;
• leave the waste of their life;
• carry dangerous infectious diseases into the house;
• undermine wood;
• spoil furniture;
• gnaw through the wiring;
• frighten household members with their unexpected appearance;
• crawl into small cracks, which are less than the thickness of their body;
• fill the space with unpleasant odors.

In fact, mice can nest everywhere - in insulation and polystyrene, in sawdust and underground bedding. They should not be left alone, since they breed very quickly, and thanks to natural instincts and herd living, they easily gain experience in how to avoid the traps set in their path. There are often cases when too smart representatives of gray pests manage to eat the bait in a mousetrap without getting into it.

Remedies for mice need to be changed from time to time, as they quickly get used to danger and try to avoid it.

The fight against rodents should be started even at the stage of construction of a wooden house. To do this, the following is chosen as a heater:

• ecowool - contains an antiseptic and a component that causes suffocation and a strong feeling of thirst in mice, but the material is completely harmless to humans;
• expanded clay - a 10-centimeter layer directly under the floor is enough to protect wooden beams from rodents.

Installing fine metal mesh underground and on the surface of the plinth will help create a barrier that pests will be difficult to overcome. The ash scattered in the supposed places of penetration of mice, which irritates their mucous membrane, also helps. When settling in a finished house, it will not be superfluous to have a cat. Even if she does not turn out to be a diligent hunter, she will still be able to scare away unexpected gray guests with her smell and formidable appearance.

In the event that mice appear in an already residential building, first of all, you will need to put it in the appropriate order:

• to close up cracks and discovered holes, having previously filled them with broken glass;
• place stocks of cereals, flour and sugar in metal or glass containers with lids;
• carefully hide food leftovers;
• remove the rubble of old clothes and other trash;
• remove containers that have not been used for years from the house, etc.

Only after that it will be possible to hope that more effective protection of the wooden house from mice and insects will bear fruit. Some remedies act instantly, others - gradually, and still others turn out to be inappropriate in the current situation, and therefore completely useless. There are modern ways to combat rodents, but many prefer to use the old-fashioned methods, which, in the end, turn out to be no less effective.

Let's list the most popular rodent protection options:

• traditional mousetraps - often animals simply do not pay attention to them, since this danger is already in their genes;
• poisoned baits are dangerous for pets;
• ultrasonic devices - capable of scaring away mice from an area of ​​up to 100 square meters, and not only from a small house;
• special means - it is recommended to use it outside the home, since rodents, before death, can huddle in a hard-to-reach place that cannot be detected, but the unpleasant smell will remain in the room for a long time;
• pungent-smelling substances such as naphthalene or kerosene are unlikely to be suitable for living rooms, therefore they are used in ancillary buildings;
• ash - when it gets on the paws, it causes severe discomfort;
• lime mixed with sugar and a container filled with water placed next to it - effective, but controversial from a humane point of view.

Despite the fact that the fight will be against pests and troublemakers, you should choose a more gentle way of getting rid of them. It is best to use, of course, ultrasonic repellents. And although they are not cheap to stand, they can be used for a rather long period of time, transferring from home to a barn, summer kitchen, bathhouse, etc.

Other methods

The struggle of man with rodents has been going on for many centuries. People are constantly coming up with new ways to protect the house and property from damage by pests. So, burnt wooden bars and branches are laid under the flooring. The smell of burnt wood scares off mice. In addition, you can use other aromatic repellents - pine, mint, tobacco, added to the insulation. Red hot pepper is poured around the perimeter of the house and, if possible, into the walls. It is also known that rodents do not tolerate the smell of burnt wool. The old method is to put a piece of wool in an old unnecessary saucepan, make a few holes in the saucepan and set the wool on fire, then put this container in the basement. The smoke smell will slowly spread throughout your home, chasing the pests away.

A source