Exterior Wall Insulation vs Mice

[Pricestavern]

We purchased a cabin on Rattlesnake recently and spent the first week removing the mice and the condominiums they built in the fiberglass insulation within the exterior walls of the place.

We'd like to re-insulate the cabin and would like to know if anyone has any suggestions for insulation or insulating techniques that might prevent or disuade any of the brown buggers from making their nests back inside my walls?

Have heard about blown insulation but don't think that the installation will be practical out on the island. Any experiences or suggestions would be helpful!

Thanks much,
Rich P.

[idigtractors]

Originally Posted by Pricestavern

We purchased a cabin on Rattlesnake recently and spent the first week removing the mice and the condominiums they built in the fiberglass insulation within the exterior walls of the place.
We'd like to re-insulate the cabin and would like to know if anyone has any suggestions for insulation or insulating techniques that might prevent or disuade any of the brown buggers from making their nests back inside my walls?
Have heard about blown insulation but don't think that the installation will be practical out on the island. Any experiences or suggestions would be helpful!
Thanks much,
Rich P.

The type of insulation will not stop mice from building. Your first project is to rid yourself of the little critters. Do a search here on the forum for getting rid of mice as the subject has come up every spring.
Good luck as it does take a little time to do a complete job, but don't get discouraged as many have done it before ya.

[Chris Craft]

I am not sure of the legality of this but I know some one that put poision in the walls for mice and also ants and so on before he insulated. Seems like a good idea. They will make a home just about any place that they can get in. I think that they only need an opening like the size of a dime or something like that. Go around your house and look for such openings, most people are amazed with how many that they have. I have found the things you plug into the walls did not work in my camper at all.

Good luck

[Rattlesnake Guy]

Welcome,
We are enjoying our fifth year on the mouse loving island. Since you asked, I will give you some of our tried and true practices.

1) Find as many of the holes they can get in as possible. We had a huge improvement when we filled these with steel wool and expanding foam. Our best technique is to wait until night and send a kid under the camp to look for the boat spot light being shined in every nook and cranny from upstairs. When they see light, you fill it with foam.

2) Every time you make a new hole, seal it tight. It does not take a very big hole.

3) Put some Decon pellets in the wall when you replace the insulation. My biggest problem was around the electrical panel. The mice came though the holes in the floor and nested under the breaker panel. The stupid buggers ate some of the insulation. I had to do a bunch of repair to reduce the fire risk.

4) When we leave each week , we put an ultrasonic mouse device in every room and leave them running in the winter.

5) Even when we don't have a problem we keep traps set with a bit of peanut butter. If one gets in we want it out quick before the nesting and other fun stuff.

With these practices in place, we have hardly any problems compared to what we found when we moved in.

Good luck and again welcome.