pest proofing

Our cottage has no foundation. It sits on cement blocks. We have never had pests until squirrels moved in underneath us. We’ve seen them zipping in and out, but we can’t get under the cottage to see if they’re causing damage. Can we just leave them be?—Willa Stevenson, Fredericton, N.B.

That’s a kind-hearted notion, but heck no. You don’t want anything living under your cottage “as a general principle,” says Alan Vaudry of Professional Ecological Services in Victoria. (You also don’t want anything living in the wall, attic, cellar, barn, or sewer. Watch some horror movies.)

Just because the squirrels aren’t making noise or causing any obvious damage doesn’t mean that this isn’t happening. “Squirrels are some of the most destructive creatures out there,” says Brad Gates of Gates’ Wildlife Control in Scarborough, Ont. “They chew all the time. And they will chew on things that you really don’t want them chewing on.” This includes wires, waterlines, and support posts. They could start to nest in your insulation. “They could even penetrate the floorboards,” says Gates.

Wild Profile: Meet the red squirrel

Not cool. The standard banishing strategy is to—when the squirrels are out—block access to the underside of the cottage with galvanized steel hardware cloth. Dig a trench, extend the cloth down six inches and out six inches at 90 degrees, and backfill with dirt.

This article was originally published in the May 2017 issue of Cottage Life.

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Got mice? Desperate times call for wildly desperate rodent-proofing. We ran four extreme strategies past the experts to find out if these wacky moves could actually work. (The answers will surprise you.)

1. Install a live owl
Or some other wild predator. A weasel. A family of martens. A snake. Maybe all of them at the same time.

Would it work? Sure would. “The presence of a predator in the cabin would deter mice from seeking refuge in the first place,” says Tom Sullivan, a professor emeritus of wildlife ecology and conservation at UBC.

Feasible-o-meter says Low. You might just be trading one bad roommate for another, possibly worse, roommate—one that regurgitates all the time and, by the way, isn’t actually that wise.

Cottage Q&A: Where did all the mice go?

2. Ditch the cottage; build a concrete bunker

The rest of the lake will hate you, but when the Doomsday Clock strikes midnight—vindicated!

Would it work? Well, yes. It’s not likely that mice could gnaw through a concrete wall, says Gary Ure of Second Nature Wildlife Management in Gananoque, Ont. Unfortunately, they could gnaw through everything else. So a windowless, doorless bunker, with no plumbing, electricity, or air supply, would really be the way to go.

Feasible-o-meter says Low. You’d never get a permit. (Pfft. Building officials.)

6 secrets to successful mouse trapping

3. Source tons of cats. No, wait. Source tons of cat urine
And spray it all over the place. Gather used kitty litter in decorative bowls, and set them out like potpourri.

Would it work? Not reliably. “Mice may avoid predator odours for a while, but longevity and consistency of repellency has so far eluded us,” says Sullivan. “I have worked on this problem for many years.”

Feasible-o-meter says Medium. Because the man’s not giving up: “I still think the idea has great potential,” says Sullivan.

Cottage Q&A: How do I keep mice out of my ATV?

4. Establish a decoy building
You’ve heard of the Decoy Wallet, right?

Would it work? Yes. If your somewhat mouse-proofed cottage is beside one that is not mouse-proofed at all, the mice will go for the easier target. Mice are opportunistic, says Ure. “They’re like us. Or maybe we’re like them.”

Feasible-o-meter says High. But only if your close neighbours are the laziest humans on earth.

Build it, fix it, get it done!

Get Dockside DIY, for tips on how to maintain your cottage…and then some