Cob: mice, rats, viruses oh my!

[bobodod at cox.net]

Although I consider this to be a little off the topic of Cob, home health 
and pest control is, I think, even more important to many owners of homes 
built with "alternative" building methods due to the fact that there is 
probably also a tendency to spurn common toxins used to kill pests. So 
here's some links that have helped me and things I've learned. Most of this 
is about mice, though I think that much of the info will apply to rats, as 
well.

I'd like to say, however, that I feel it's just as important to not live in 
fear of one's environment. It's my opinion that humans have much more to 
worry about from processed foods, commercial pesticides, an 
anti-preventative medicine health care industry, household toxins (bleach, 
etc.), antibacterials/antibiotics and each other than most anything in nature.

Mice are actually more of a health hazard than rats. From this article at 
the BBC website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1777712.stm
 >snip from the article<
Say "rat" and most people will immediately think of the Black Death, but 
thanks to pernicious propagandising by the likes of Walt Disney, the UK's 
400 million mice are often seen as the lesser of the two rodent evils.
"Mice are more of a pest and a greater risk to public health than rats," 
says Mr Strand.
Since mice are agile climbers and able to squeeze through gaps just six 
millimetres in diameter, they are far more likely to find their way into 
buildings. And once inside your home, mice are far more likely to set up 
shop for good in their favoured hiding places - under the cooker, fridge or 
bath.
 >end snippet<
 >more snipping<
Once installed, a mouse can also cause contamination seemingly 
disproportionate to its tiny size. A single mouse can produce 50 droppings 
a day, and - thanks to the species' utter lack of bladder control - leave a 
constant trail of urine in its wake.
 >end snippet<

The most public and tragic modern episode of Hanta Virus happened on the 
Four Corners American Indian Reservation in 1993. You can find out more 
about the disease in that instance and in general here:
http://www.hantavirus.net/
and here: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/index.htm

Personally, I don't like to poison, squish, mangle, maim, pulpify or glue 
mammals of any species. And I blame mice not a whit for the fact that they 
leave a urine trail everywhere they roam, for they know not what havoc they 
wreak. I have felt very angry when I've found a mouse dropping in a closet 
or kitchen nook. But there are simple steps to take to curb their indoor 
wanderings.

When my wife and I bought the house we're living in now, we found a mouse 
hole in one closet and an existing roach population that had been dormant 
due to Winter temperatures when we'd closed on the home. Soon enough, all 
the critters started stirring, more often than not showing us where we 
needed to focus our attention. Every gap over a quarter inch with access 
from inside the walls, under the house, etc., got treatment with coarse 
steel wool and every gap smaller than a quarter inch received latex caulk.

Steel wool is not to be confused with SOS pads. SOS pads have detergent 
(containing bleach, I believe, like Comet) impregnated in them. Steel wool 
can be found at any hardware store and many department stores, like 
Mal-Wart. It comes in varying degrees of coarseness, as it's most common 
use is as a sanding or buffing tool. I tend to use the coarser variety for 
plugging mouse entries. Contrary to what another person posted to the list, 
steel wool is not commonly treated with any chemicals.

Latex caulk is just about the least toxic form of caulk available. Unless, 
of course, you're allergic to latex. This stuff does off-gas, so we were 
sure to keep windows open and air moving for many days/weeks after using 
it, but beyond those considerations, it works like a charm and cockroaches 
won't eat through it.

Mouse traps:
 >RealGoods: http://www.realgoods.com/shop/shop2.cfm?dp=209&ts=1054493 (If 
you're not familiar with these folks, they're very expensive, but they tend 
to only carry the best of the best, so it's a good place to familiarize 
oneself with what's out there, then ask your local hardware store to place 
an order for the product you want. At least, that's what I do.)
 >Lehman's also used to carry a quality, live mouse trap, but it's no 
longer listed on their website. www.lehmans.com However, I'm sure they can 
still get it.
 >There is an inexpensive, plastic, disposable, live mouse trap called 
"Mice Cube" available from Mal-Wart and many hardware stores, but in having 
used them 15 times or so, I've only caught one mouse with the trap. I'm not 
sure why this is. Maybe they really are getting wise to my efforts, or 
perhaps oils from my hands, carrying my scent, were all over the traps due 
to handling them and the mice thought to avoid my scent. (I can hear them 
laughing maniacally now... lol)
 >I'm sure there're others out there. Again, a good local hardware store is 
probably your best bet.

A spectacular book for all things non-toxic home cleanliness is "Clean 
House, Clean Planet" by Karen Logan. Check it out at Amazon here: 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0671535951/qid=1049487686/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/104-2504200-3351137?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 


And lastly, if you have a roach problem too, see these links below. 
Roaches, it turns out, are not just disgusting, but miracles of nature. lol 
They actually have six or more definite stages of development. Not just 
larva, pupae and adult. They can live for a month without water and 3 
months without food. In a pinch, they can eat rotted wood or food soiled 
cloth.
The Cockroach Control Manual on-line: http://pested.unl.edu/cocktoc.htm
What is a cockroach?: http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel/cockroach.html
Identify your uninvited guest: http://pested.unl.edu/roachind.htm


I hope this info helps you in some way. If nothing else, maybe by the end 
here, you'll get a good nap out of it! lol

Sean
OkC