[Strawbale] mice in SB

[Marcus Hardwick]

Jeff Ruppert wrote:
>  To all the mice wary, there is the possibility of rodent infestation
>  in any poorly built structure.  Bale walls are not any more
>  susceptible to rodents than any other type of wall.  The trick is to
>  make sure there are no holes for them to enter the walls once they
>  are finished.

Agree with Jeff and point out that openings for mice will also let other 
critters in as well. Here in NoCal we sometimes find bats living in the 
bale stack. Well detailed and plastered bale walls should have no 
problems keeping out rodents and bugs. Some creatures may be unlucky 
enough to take up residence in the walls before plaster but won't 
survive long when plastered in.

I don't think there is anything wrong with using a clay/straw mix for 
walls and there may be good reasons to do so but it's a lot of extra 
work and unnecessary if the only goal is to discourage mice.

Also agree about the boric acid. While I don't doubt that it can be 
effective against critters, it seems like a 'cure' for poor detailing. 
It comes from an extractive industry and uses energy to process and haul 
it around. Why add the extra 'footprint' when attention to detail will 
avoid the pests and make a wall that also better deals with moisture, 
air infiltration &c? Reminds me a bit of John Straube talking about 
pookie (caulking) used as a poor substitute for good detail design and 
execution.

And a word about mouse population: A few years ago in my little part of 
Sonoma County we had a sharp increase in the number of mice. I suspect 
it had something to do with the influx of wild turkeys in the area as 
I've heard they discourage snakes. I've seen very few snakes since the 
turkeys came. This apparently resulted in a lot of competition among the 
mice for food and nesting spots so they were showing up in places they 
would normally be reluctant to occupy. Over the next two or three years 
I noticed an increase of hawk and owl population and a decrease in mice 
(and lizards). So, I guess the point is, there may be a temporary 
imbalance in the local ecology related to some of the infestation horror 
stories.

Marcus