I’ve never considered mice bringing ticks inside the home, that sucks. There’s several ways to trap them. Best option is to buy foam in a can & spray every little crack, under the sink around pipes, etc. I’ve noticed outside of some strip shopping malls trap boxes for mice. Treating the Lyme: research antiviral herbs. I wonder if ivermectin would help, or something like that. I mostly eat carnivore, cheat occasionally. I watch a lot of carnivore based videos, remember seeing it cures Lyme. It can’t say it’s true or false. I do think herbs would help. I’m in NC and don’t think we have the type of ticks that carry lime. My husband had Rocky Mountain spotted fever once. Another time his legs were covered in tiny seed ticks & I had to pick them off. That was crazy, finally used hot sauce to kill them. He got on antibiotics just in case. You really can’t prevent ticks. We have lots of tall pines, doesn’t help the situation. Thirty years ago I found a tick on my infant daughter under her diaper. She only went outside to go to car or the neighbors. Honestly I’ll take a non Lyme tick any day over fire ants. I’m a few hours inland in farm & hunting area. My daughter has house at the coast. I didn’t grow up with fire ants, they are terrible now. I literally walk with my head down to avoid bites. My husband sprays industrial yard bug spray at least once a month and they still come back. I’d rather deal with a snake than bugs. Do you have no see ems? You can’t see these tiny bugs and they sting like crazy. Even through a screened porch. I don’t remember bugs being this bad growing up unless you were in a wet swampy area. After hurricanes we get very bad mosquitoes from the tropics. Good luck with the mice, ticks & Lyme. Also look up essential oil therapy. Just smelling oils (aromatherapy) can help many health conditions. This site has good educational information & the oils are great quality.
https://www.aromatics.com/
Unfortunately, the old cabin is like a sieve, when it comes to mice, so no way to totally seal it unless we do a complete rebuild. It isn't even on a good foundation (just stones and logs :) ), so it is constantly shifting each year. I'm building a "small house" next to it, with a goal of it being mouse proof. It's on a good foundation and I am going to caulk, with brass wool, any crack bigger than about a mm. My wife says "good luck with that". :)
You should be fine with a new build. Building your house will be rewarding. Old house’s look cool but I’ve learned from experience it’s not worth it dealing with mice, things constantly need repair, etc. At least that’s how we feel because we have always done everything ourselves. My house was built in 1946, its cinder block. After we did the foam under cabinets we are good. My great grandfather built it, nothing is square but it’s solid. We’ve remodeled entire house. We have had a minor problem during remodel but we kept the spray foam handy. Nothing will mess with your head more than being sleepy getting up at night seeing one run by. A couple years ago he drilled hole in floor for his cb antenna wire. We had lots running around in the pantry. Didn’t know they would eat flour. We finally caught them all.
Did you incorporate stainless steel or brass wool when you caulked cracks? Mice will eat through caulk or spray foam, but the metal wool stops them (they don't like chewing on metal :) )
I’ve never considered mice bringing ticks inside the home, that sucks. There’s several ways to trap them. Best option is to buy foam in a can & spray every little crack, under the sink around pipes, etc. I’ve noticed outside of some strip shopping malls trap boxes for mice. Treating the Lyme: research antiviral herbs. I wonder if ivermectin would help, or something like that. I mostly eat carnivore, cheat occasionally. I watch a lot of carnivore based videos, remember seeing it cures Lyme. It can’t say it’s true or false. I do think herbs would help. I’m in NC and don’t think we have the type of ticks that carry lime. My husband had Rocky Mountain spotted fever once. Another time his legs were covered in tiny seed ticks & I had to pick them off. That was crazy, finally used hot sauce to kill them. He got on antibiotics just in case. You really can’t prevent ticks. We have lots of tall pines, doesn’t help the situation. Thirty years ago I found a tick on my infant daughter under her diaper. She only went outside to go to car or the neighbors. Honestly I’ll take a non Lyme tick any day over fire ants. I’m a few hours inland in farm & hunting area. My daughter has house at the coast. I didn’t grow up with fire ants, they are terrible now. I literally walk with my head down to avoid bites. My husband sprays industrial yard bug spray at least once a month and they still come back. I’d rather deal with a snake than bugs. Do you have no see ems? You can’t see these tiny bugs and they sting like crazy. Even through a screened porch. I don’t remember bugs being this bad growing up unless you were in a wet swampy area. After hurricanes we get very bad mosquitoes from the tropics. Good luck with the mice, ticks & Lyme. Also look up essential oil therapy. Just smelling oils (aromatherapy) can help many health conditions. This site has good educational information & the oils are great quality. https://www.aromatics.com/
Unfortunately, the old cabin is like a sieve, when it comes to mice, so no way to totally seal it unless we do a complete rebuild. It isn't even on a good foundation (just stones and logs :) ), so it is constantly shifting each year. I'm building a "small house" next to it, with a goal of it being mouse proof. It's on a good foundation and I am going to caulk, with brass wool, any crack bigger than about a mm. My wife says "good luck with that". :)
You should be fine with a new build. Building your house will be rewarding. Old house’s look cool but I’ve learned from experience it’s not worth it dealing with mice, things constantly need repair, etc. At least that’s how we feel because we have always done everything ourselves. My house was built in 1946, its cinder block. After we did the foam under cabinets we are good. My great grandfather built it, nothing is square but it’s solid. We’ve remodeled entire house. We have had a minor problem during remodel but we kept the spray foam handy. Nothing will mess with your head more than being sleepy getting up at night seeing one run by. A couple years ago he drilled hole in floor for his cb antenna wire. We had lots running around in the pantry. Didn’t know they would eat flour. We finally caught them all.
Did you incorporate stainless steel or brass wool when you caulked cracks? Mice will eat through caulk or spray foam, but the metal wool stops them (they don't like chewing on metal :) )
No just used spray foam & it was over twenty years ago. Knock on wood, no problems as of today.