Demolishing the Store Building ...Sort Of

Rats had totally infested our stores building this summer. They were having a grand old time nesting, eating, and just squatting in there. Nothing we tried worked. We even resorted to poisons and it made a small dent in the population, but the destruction continued. The smell was so gross that even Mel had trouble breathing in there. Every week, we'd sweep out two or three dustpans full of droppings every week. They would knock canning jars off the shelves to pop the seals, and eat the contents. Every week jars of jams, jellies and other things I'd painstakingly put up were gobbled down equaling 3 jars a week. Added to the high humidity causing white mold to form over everything. Something had to give. Thanks for all the suggestions via newsletter subscribers.

We took everything out of the stores building. Think several hundred jars and shelves. It ain't a tiny building at 10'x 12'. All the jars and buckets were washed down with bleach water. The shelves included, were we ever glad that I bought metal and plastic shelves to go in there instead of building them in. They were so much easier to clean.We trashed 25 lbs of flour and sugar because the rats had chewed through the buckets.

Next came the demolition weeks two and three. We pulled each of the hand painted panels and fiberglass insulation. The insulation was the worst. Yes, we wore gloves, masks and took frequent breaks for this part. The whole process took the better part of two weeks just to do this. The indoor/outdoor carpets that we use in the back porch during winter protected the jars from the light while we worked and deterred the chickens from pecking at the jars. I'd forgotten how much insulation was actually in that building, but it was all shredded and messed up. Eight big, black trash bags full. Instead of one trip to the dump every three to six months became two trips in one month.

I read that rock wool insulation will deter rats and they won't set up house in it. At $700 worth for the building, it will be a while before we can insulate it again. Then there is the paneling. We may be using pallet wood boards for that or cheap, thin plywood. It'll mean a small space heater in the building to keep it from freezing this winter. Maybe, even turning on the air conditioner in spring and summer depending on how long it takes to buy the materials needed for this job. There will also be no place for the rats to hide with bare outside walls and framing inside. I wonder what the R value is of steel wool? I know they don't like that. It hurts their little mouths when they try to chew through it. Awww!

Anyhow, we'll be resealing all gaps after we wash the inside walls with bleach, water, and essential oils (rosemary, peppermint, cinnamon, and cedar wood) to erase the urine trails. The oils will only work in the short term. About every three months I'll be spraying the room with a water and essential oils mixture because mice, rats, and most insects hate the smell.  Every couple of months should do. I'm determined to not have this problem again.

Mel was thinking of trashing the contents of all the jars. I told her no! White mold is only on the outside of the jars. The rust on the lids is on the edges and some on top. While washing the jars, she checked the seals and scrubbed them with a ScotchBrite pad, bleach, and Dawn. It remove all the rust and mold. She only trashed the jars that had the seal pop (none did) or had signs of spoilage. The inside contents were still good with no signs of spoilage (3 jars).

Now when I go to use the jars, I'll wash them the same way. Instead of using the lid to strain the liquid off the vegetable, I'll pour it into a colander to be sure we don't get any residual rust in my food. I'll check the interior of the lid. If rust is present beyond the edges, it goes into the trash. I'll do the seal pop, smell, and boil for 5 minutes for cooking. Just to be safe. I don't want to poison myself or others. In fact, I do this with all home canned food.

So that's the plan. This was a three-week job with all the breaks.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo