Sealing bottom of boiler house door to stop rodents?

justaquestion

Hi folks,

Boiler house is attached to house, but door has space at bottom that mice etc could get in, anyone know best way to seal that space such as strong rubber strips or anything else that would do the trick?

Many thanks

-taff

How much space?

Slinky

Is there anything to actually attract mice? You say boiler house, is it a conversion of an outside toilet? What else do you keep in there? If there's nothing in there to attract mice the gap may not be a problem, and you need some ventilation anyway for the boiler to operate.

Jackmydad

Slinky wrote: »

Is there anything to actually attract mice? You say boiler house, is it a conversion of an outside toilet? What else do you keep in there? If there's nothing in there to attract mice the gap may not be a problem, and you need some ventilation anyway for the boiler to operate.

Warmth attracts the little . . . rodents. At least in my experience.
Depending on the door and so on, you could fit a "Stormguard" threshold. There are lots of types.
Otherwise one of those heavy duty brush or flap door seals might work.
You'll have to provide ventilation though as Slinky says.

Gloomendoom

Our boiler room is separate from the house. It's all sealed up and no mice. We used to leave the window open when the cat lived in there but, oddly enough, we didn't have mice then either.

If the boiler is room sealed, with a balanced flue, there should be no need for any extra ventilation.

justaquestion

Thanks for replies. Well Its just a small boiler house that houses the oil burner and burner and has a few shelves. I have a lawnmower in there as well, kind of use it like an extra storage space though do try to make sure boiler has enough ventilation.

Why I am enquiring is that in past week I have had two leaks though ceiling from bath.room upstairs, its a one and a half story bungalow, got a bathroom added years ago but they used the plastic pipes for it instead of copper.

Plumber says it has to be a mouse that is chewing through pipes (you can actually see the bite marks) had a leak at start of last week and then on Friday again.

I have set eight good quality mouse traps, put down poison, now its Sunday and not a mouse in trap. Where is he hiding? as it does tend to stress a person out a bit, wondering when I come down in morning will there be another leak, seems to happen at night time. I don't hear any noise from them either.

Hence the reason for talking all reasonable precautions to keep them out.

I was just wondering is it possible that these pipes have been chewed into these past number of years, mice have come and gone, and somehow its only now that the pipe can take no more and spring a leak, but two leaks in one week seems like its not that.

Paying the tradesmen, replacing plasterboard etc will cost me at least at least £300 for these little incidents and maybe up to £400. So turning out to be an expensive episode overall.

I am thinking of contacting the local pest control, but what more can they do, than I haven't done?

Thanks once again.

shaun_from_Africa

I've not had any experience of using one myself but if you have a spare socket in there, why not try something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yomitek-Ultrasonic-Electronic-Repellent-Fleas-SAFE/dp/B07JMW8QTY/ref=sr_1_2?s=outdoors&ie=UTF8&qid=1550434222&sr=1-2&keywords=ultrasonic+mouse (there are lots of different makes available)

I know that Amazon reviews can't always be trusted but this one does get good feedback and for £20 for 4, it might be worth a go.

Gloomendoom

Those things never worked for me.

OP, what bait are you using on the traps? I have just set over a dozen Little Nipper traps in my attic using hazelnuts smeared with Nutella and can guarantee that I will have at least two of the little blighters tomorrow morning. They can't resist it.

justaquestion

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Those things never worked for me.

OP, what bait are you using on the traps? I have just set over a dozen Little Nipper traps in my attic using hazelnuts smeared with Nutella and can guarantee that I will have at least two of the little blighters tomorrow morning. They can't resist it.

Was going to use cheese, but told that's a complete myth (though has worked for me in past) so using peanut butter this time.

greyteam1959

Peanut butter on the traps......they love it !!

Jackmydad

Bit of bacon rind always works for me in mouse traps.
Tie it on with a bit of cotton.