Mice have destroyed my preps, I'm heartbroken and lost

If they have military dump stores in your area , empty ammo crates are solid material to store your products in.

i got a empty 7.62 crate , its super solid material , might take a while before the pests get through.

Only problem is the upfront investment into these crates , could cost a few bucks.

a reply to: TheGreazel

The military used to have fairly large aluminum boxes for med kits on ambulances. They are waterproof and the one that I used to have was about 2 feet long by a foot and a half wide, maybe 8 inches deep. They have hasp closures that hold the lid very tight.
Here is a link to an example: Worth Point

What I use are Gamma 2 screw down lid pet food containers. Nothing is chewing through one of these things!! Plus, they're airtight too. They seal with a gasket. I keep rice, beans and all sorts of things inside them. Never spoils or gets rancid.

This is what I'm talking about...

www.tractorsupply.com...

A tough lesson to learn.... but a valuable one to learn at this safe time... Imagine if this happened 6mth into a SHTF scenario?

I would think five-gallon buckets with good lids would be safe?

certainly galvanized trash cans.

glue traps and poison? (this might poison the cats that eat the mice.)

I'm blessed to have a house to store my stuff in.

a reply to: MerkabaTribeEntity

Funny you mentioned a cat because that is what I was going to say you need.

Egyptians knew. That's why they revered cats.

Cats are easy to maintain. And they are very helpful when it comes to combating mice.

a reply to: EdisonintheFM

We've got between 4 or 5 that wander onto the property from time to time with 3 full timers, the only mice I've seen so far are the "presents" the regulars leave for us.

a reply to: MerkabaTribeEntity

Use your mylar to line buckets and or place in used cheap 55 gallon drums you can get from various places.

originally posted by: network dude
a reply to: MerkabaTribeEntity

If you decide to restock, remember the container you use for storage needs to be able to protect against mice as well.
(almost as good as an "I told you so" post.) Stackable plastic containers.

Mice will chew right through plastic. Glass and metal are the only sure bets.

Very sorry for all the loss, I too would be upset to lose my precious stored goods to mice.

The only info I have to share is one of the best mouse trap ideas I've ever seen that requires almost zero maintenance.
Get 1 wire coat hangar, 1 small rigid 4" x 2" tubular shaped empty container, like a disposable Morten Salt container (think tiny log rolling competition) and finally a fairly large galvanized steel pail (maybe 15-18" high and about 14-16" diameter).

Now first empty the salt container, poke a hole in the center of both the top and bottom, then straighten out the coat hangar and thread it thru your container, then put some peanut butter and some raw bacon inside the container but not so much that it can't spin freely, then you center the tiny log rolling contraption across the top of the metal pail and bend the wire down along the sides, then you put about 3-4" inches of water in the bottom of the pail and place it where mice can find it.

The mice can easily smell it and jump up to the edge to investigate, and are always too tempted since they can see where the smell comes from and always lose the tiny mouse log rolling competition.

Best of luck to you!

a reply to: MerkabaTribeEntity
Here's a link for making Rice Sake
It might be a good skill to learn. (I assume alchohol
will be a very tradeable item if SHTF)

As far as the shed is concerned I would get metal doors,
or at least clad them with sheet metal.

If the floor is dirt or wood, consider pouring a
concrete floor to prevent burrowing.

Also , don't overlook the roof!
I once watched in awe as a mouse scaled
an eight foot high concrete block wall
effortlessly and then jumped onto an I-beam.
If ther is any texture/roughness to the shed's
brick, a mouse will probable be able to climb it.
So, secure that roof soldier. This is war!