Making skirting rodent proof.

roycebluebill · Sun Mar 28, 2010 4:58 pm

Is it possible to make the vinyl skirting rodent proof? I think the way mice are getting in (which are house mice and field mice) is that they actually crawl up the vented skirting and squeeze their way in at the top. Either that or they are getting in through the vinyl siding where there is space for them. I sealed the bottom edges of the 4 corners of the home with steel mesh and none of it has been pulled out so that is not a way in anymore. But they still seem to get in underneath the home. The bottom of the skirting is all sealed and not tampered with. All that I can think of is that they are climbing up the vented skirting and squeezing through. Has anyone experienced this before? I put poison under the home and they eat it and disappear. I think they might be rotting in the underbelly which is not good. I had trouble last fall when I was insulating on the inside of the skirting last year and noticed the mouse droppings. I put mouse poison for about a month and noticed nothing after 2 weeks but left it under there the entire winter and is still the same. Now this spring I am noticing mouse activity again. Any help?

Greg · Sun Mar 28, 2010 5:13 pm

Check "A better Skirting idea" in the articles section. Mark used steel skirting, but the installation method may work for you. Greg

Greg S · Sun Mar 28, 2010 5:32 pm

It is virtually impossible to keep mice out if they want in. Your best option is to keep poison under your home at all times.
It is unlikely they are eating the poison and then crawling into the insulation. After eating poison they go to water and drinking is what kills them. The poison dehydrates them and as a result there should be no smell. Just a bony dust ball and hair.

dinotoad · Mon Mar 29, 2010 1:54 am

Greg S wrote:It is virtually impossible to keep mice out if they want in. Your best option is to keep poison under your home at all times.
It is unlikely they are eating the poison and then crawling into the insulation. After eating poison they go to water and drinking is what kills them. The poison dehydrates them and as a result there should be no smell. Just a bony dust ball and hair.

If you keep poison under your home, you will ALWAYS have mice under your home. Why? Because poison is bait and the mice can smell it from a distance and will come after the bait. It will be a never ending battle. Mice will die and then more will come.

Greg S · Tue Mar 30, 2010 6:21 pm

Doesn't exactly work that way. They eat the poison, die and can't reproduce.
You do not get more until new ones move into the area. But you should never get them nesting under or in your home when using poison.

Last time I used it was when I had an infestation at my cottage, trapped 32 mice in one week, and since then (3 years) have had no problems. I keep poison out all the time and am confident it is doing the job. I am sure they keep coming but I never see or hear them.