So last night I'm locking up and I start hearing a few somethings - squirrels, maybe mice? scurrying around inside the floor between first and second floors.

The building is cinder block from ~1960. The floors are your standard joists with drywall ceiling in the downstairs and plywood + linoleum for the floor above.

How do they even get in? I suspect there's a burrow in the NW corner and the crawl up through the holes in the cinder block, but still not sure how they break out of the block and into the intra-floor area.

I don't want to put poison in that burrow or they'll die in that area and start to stink, right? THoughts?

9 ...

Report Post

Posted by Trevaylin

south texas

Member since Feb 2019

5781 posts

Posted on 9/7/22 at 8:24 am to tadman

mice and squirrels are prime rattlesnake food. Under old houses is great living quarters for reproduction.

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by mtb010

San Antonio

Member since Sep 2009

4368 posts

Posted on 9/7/22 at 8:54 am to tadman

quote:
I don't want to put poison in that burrow or they'll die in that area and start to stink, right? THoughts?

Which would you rather, stench or finding some snake skin on your bed? I was in a hunting club in Mississippi and one of the members found a snake skin in his bed, and he never again slept in it and dumped a bunch of snake repellant and rodent poison around his trailer.

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by commode

North Shore

Member since Dec 2012

1139 posts

Posted on 9/7/22 at 9:11 am to tadman

The rodent poison usually causes them to leave and find water. If you find the burrow fill it with steel wool. It will cut/irritate their sensitive nose. Good luck.

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by Ol boy

Member since Oct 2018

2928 posts

Posted on 9/7/22 at 9:54 am to tadman

Put out a shite pile of sticky traps/kill trap like 20 or so to reduce numbers before putting out poison

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by SlowurRole

Arabi

Member since Dec 2011

797 posts

Posted on 9/7/22 at 9:59 am to tadman

Check around the building really good for any holes in the cinder block. Had a similar issue….We had two small holes in the brick where a pipe or vent was and removed but the holes where never filled.

This post was edited on 9/7/22 at 10:01 am

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by TimeOutdoors

Member since Sep 2014

12120 posts

Posted on 9/7/22 at 10:10 am to tadman

Have power? I don't think people give those ultrasonic devices enough credit. I have had great success with them. Just find one with good reviews. (Might want to turn them off when you have dogs around).

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by LSUballs

RayVegas LA

Member since Feb 2008

37718 posts

Posted on 9/7/22 at 10:14 am to tadman

quote:
scurrying around inside the floor between first and second floors.

You probably got bats mane. I've been in an all out war with them for a year at my camp. They're a very formidable opponent. God speed.

1 ...

Report Post

Posted by 9rocket

Member since Sep 2020

1199 posts

Posted on 9/7/22 at 12:52 pm to LSUballs

If he has bats, the urine smell will be horrendous. Probably Rats. Steel wool in any hole quarter sized.

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by cgrand

HAMMOND

Member since Oct 2009

38636 posts

Posted on 9/7/22 at 12:54 pm to tadman

when i was a kid mu dad and my uncle had a deer lease behind the pond store on the buffalo river...the "camp" was an old holsum bread delivery truck they'd gutted and dragged up there. it was full of mice at all times. one afternoon we got there and dad opened up the sliding panel door and a rat snake the size of a fire hose dropped right down on his head

we (the kids) slept in the tent after that

This post was edited on 9/7/22 at 12:56 pm

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by 257WBY