Mice!!!

[nframe]

Hello everybody,

I bought a storage system from Ikea (http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/S49903470/) which I thought would be good for curing soap because it would allow air to circulate through it. I placed it in the garage and everything was fine until this morning. When I went in to check the soap I noticed mice droppings throughout the soaps and indentations in some of the soaps. The little buggers particularly liked my oatmeal and goats' milk soap. I had sprinkled some oat flakes on top of it and it is all gone! So are the poppy seeds that decorated the tops of another soap. The pine tar is fine (obviously they did not like that), so perhaps I should limit my soapmaking to pine tar in the future...

My question is: where do you keep your soap while curing and where do you keep it when it is cured. Are sealed plastic boxes OK or is it better to allow the circulation of air?

I brought all the soap inside the house now but I am worried that the mice will come into the house. I wonder if it is possible to make mouse soap :idea: ...

 

[Obsidian]

What miserable little creatures. I had mice get on my plant shelves and ruin some of my african violets, so far none has bothered my soaps though.

I use a shelf like this for curing and after 4 weeks, I put the soaps in paper bags and set them in the closet on a shelf. The wire rack is in a spare bedroom.

 

[shunt2011]

I cure my soaps on racks in my spare bedroom I have 4-6 ft 6 shelves each. I cure soap on 4 of the shelves the other two hold supplies etc. Once cured I either put them in plastic storage containers with holes drilled in them or in baseball card storage boxes and then label and stack them.

Mine are just like obsidian's but with more shelves. I've purchased additional units and then just used the shelves from them and added to my existing units.

 

[ShayShay]

I use the same Ikea Algot drawer system - but it's in my spare bedroom.

 

[NurseEmily]

I hate mice. Those little jerks can literally jump almost 2 feet. I'm so upset for you! I'd probably cry real tears to find out my beloved soaps had been the victim of such abuse.

Anyway, I HPCP but I still "cure" - (for probably no reason what so ever). After cutting them I place then about 1/4" apart standing up in shallow cardboard boxes from Amazon. I'll stack the boxes on top of each other and keep something not too heavy on top of the flaps to just keep them closed and keep dust and what not out.

Mine are all stored on my dining room table though. If I had more people living in my house I'd probably move them to a spare room or basement. Not my garage as it seems to be a magnet for black widows.

 

[nframe]

I hate mice. Those little jerks can literally jump almost 2 feet. I'm so upset for you! I'd probably cry real tears to find out my beloved soaps had been the victim of such abuse.

Anyway, I HPCP but I still "cure" - (for probably no reason what so ever). After cutting them I place then about 1/4" apart standing up in shallow cardboard boxes from Amazon. I'll stack the boxes on top of each other and keep something not too heavy on top of the flaps to just keep them closed and keep dust and what not out.

Mine are all stored on my dining room table though. If I had more people living in my house I'd probably move them to a spare room or basement. Not my garage as it seems to be a magnet for black widows.

The trouble is I already have soap on my dining room table! The most recent go there and then, as new ones are made and I run out of room, I put them in the garage (or rather I used to). I don't know what to do now!

 

[Dennis]

The trouble is I already have soap on my dining room table! The most recent go there and then, as new ones are made and I run out of room, I put them in the garage (or rather I used to). I don't know what to do now!

Under the bed on a large piece of wax paper covered cardboard or something similar. Reach under, slide out, slide back under.

 

[savonierre]

The mice shouldn't come in the house..They do love their soap tho, many retail stores have problems with mice in the soap..

 

[Pepsi Girl]

The little buggers particularly liked my oatmeal and goats' milk soap. I had sprinkled some oat flakes on top of it and it is all gone! So are the poppy seeds that decorated the tops of another soap. The pine tar is fine (obviously they did not like that), so perhaps I should limit my soapmaking to pine tar in the future...


It's not funny but it is because just yesterday my friend in Nashville called to tell me her dog woke her up at 4 in the morning upset with her sink cabinet. She got up and there was a rat eating the soap I had sent to her. She was so mad but the good news her dog took care of the rat!


I brought all the soap inside the house now but I am worried that the mice will come into the house. I wonder if it is possible to make mouse soap :idea: ...

I like your thinking:think:

Sorry about your soap.

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

I didn't half run and check my soaps for nibble marks and spiders after reading this! Never thought of these things. I have them in a badly sealed cabinet in the garage. I was only thinking, hey, might get dusty. No idea anything would want to eat them! I mean, it's soap. Might be time to relocate them. Sorry about your soap :-(

 

[soapsydaisy]

Time to get a cat

 

[Dennis]

Time to get a cat

Will work for food. Contract must include generous nap times.

 

[kryse13]

I also have multiple workers for hire. Or well pets and food.

 

[kazmi]

Sorry about your soap but thanks for posting. I was just thinking of putting some storage racks in the garage this winter for soap and never thought that mice could be a problem.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Maybe just put some stuff out to get the wee buggers? If you're not a fan of traps, there are also things that emit out a sound that keeps them away which some consider to be more humane but need a constant supply of power

 

[Obsidian]

I wonder if you could somehow fasten metal screen over the bins so the mice can't through?

 

[kryse13]

I wonder if you could somehow fasten metal screen over the bins so the mice can't through?

If they really want in they will chew through the plastic. And if you are leaving it open on the top they can always run over and pee/poop onto the soap. Maybe on its side with the metal screening?
Darn mice! Nothing is safe! Hopefully your not allergic to cats. Best way to get rid of mice. Or well, to keep them at bay.

 

[Dennis]

Bold little critters.

 

[kryse13]

Bold little critters.

Of course, had to be the cute deer mouse! Carrier of the hanta virus. Why are the cutest ones so evil?

 

[boyago]

Is mouse tallow good for soap?