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Our Mousehouse back to Greenhouse!
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Last year we had some real issues with mice and worse than that---the ticks that bred on them. But with our disaster, the greenhouse barely got any attention. We threw in some annihilation bombs for the ticks and set traps, etc. for the mice. Mice can wiggle their way into anything. We thought we had it sealed up tight.
NOT!
We had a lovely day last Sunday in the 70's, so I dashed out to the greenhouse and began ripping everything out on the North and West sides...YUGH!
I had on a mask, eye gear, gloves, long sleeves, and my pants tucked into socks, just in case, and a long BBQ tongs and a long fork to fish out all the insulation and anything 'mousey' that I might come across.
I filled three huge contractor bags of insulation and refuse: cracked containers/pans/starter bins.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Here is where they were coming in---on the eastside, apparently a bit of wash-out outside made it open underneath and they dug under the 10" beams on that side. The fluffy fiberglass insulation was full of icky..yep, really disgusting. How can mice live snuggled in fiberglass. Amazingly the North wall, to the left, was done in some left over foam insulation originally...this hadn't been touched and that wall was intact, apparently MOUSE PROOF????
We had origninally attempted to use left over fiberglass insulation from the the garage to save money,---MISTAKE!
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| oldnewgreenredo |
After stripping this wall of everything I sprayed the whole thing with a solution of bleach and soap!
Hubby just picked up three-4'x8' huge pink 2" thick insulation foam sheets. $$$$$ it's $25 more a sheet than before the pandemic. YIKES. And, also some rubbery waterproof surface facing panels to cover it.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
The next warm day I will do this side! We will add some more gravely stuff to the floor and then complete the floor with patio blocks fit tightly together. This should help eliminate the mice, ticks and anything else that wants to climb in and camp out.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Emptying an 8x10 greenhouse...
Not a big deal you say----well THIS is what was on those two sides of the greenhouse---I will be drastically culling, recycling, and then scrubbing anything that goes back in. Right now everything is sprayed with cleaner with bleach. We got 1.5" of rain last night so that will help clean everything, also. Sunlight will to---and it will all be out in the yard this month as we morph the
Mousehouse back into a greenhouse!
Hubby already started yesterday...he did get this far.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
The foam board is attached, glued and screwed, the plan is to trim it all in one swipe, when I help and hold a board as guide.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Hubby went right over the existing north wall in order to make the corners sealed and the walls even. Once the white wall sheeting is on it will be trimmed out, also closing off more ways for mice to camp in.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
We removed the shelving braces on the eastside to work on the walls and floor, but they will easily be replaced once the new floor is in. Patio blocks will also provide seasonal warmth and still allow for natural drainage, since I do spray when watering our big trays of plants.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
More stuff to go through. The large planters all get used, though we have given many away in the last few years. I think we have 8-10 watering cans. I will line them all up when I'm sorting, LOL.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
I'm going to make room for garden tools also this time around.
Luckily we have a month, before I will be moving plants to the greenhouse, maybe by Easter if everything goes to plan!
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| oldnewgreenredo |
I'm looking forward to enjoying working in there again.
Eventually it should look like this again, some older photos of the greenhouse at it's prime!
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| oldnewgreenredo= |
Full of plants, and organized and not cluttered.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
We have Water Hose hookup at the sink- which drains to the garden.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
The greenhouse has 5 windows and a screen/storm door which give great air circulation and an overhead fan that exhausts the ceiling when it's too hot.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Here's hoping for a few healthy tomato plants just like this in a month or so. Tomato planting really needs to wait until the last half of May at the earliest here in Chicagoland.
I can't wait!!!!!!
HOW'S YOUR
GARDEN
PREP and Planning GOING?
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Sandi
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Sandi, you don't do anything easy do you? But it will all be worth it when all those beautiful and loved plantings start producing. I cannot get off of anonymous and don't have a clue why it is happening all the sudden. I have tried everything to no avail. Will I ever get control of this crazy computer???
ReplyDeleteah, everytime the demons descend after an update---go back and check all your privacy settings and see if it kerfuffled in there. I know my comp was screwing with stuff every time it updated. Hugs, Sandi
DeleteSandi, P.S. I forgot to sign my name!! It's me the dummy that may or may not have anything to do with the computer!! xxoJudy
ReplyDeleteI figure it is you or my cousin...lol!
DeleteUgh. This is my basement but outside. I will be bringing up every shelving unit this weekend and hose it down, then the bleaching and all. But so rugged having to work on all that -- and toxic. You need a hazmat outfit! I hope you were masked, too. I really feel for you, my friend. All good wishes.
ReplyDeleteYea, they are little demons...I threw my clothes away...YUGH, ! Yes, masked an clear masked, eyes still bugging me though. The rain is working on the shelving, will spray again today.
DeleteHugs and hope you take care, too! Sandi
I really don't even wanna think about what's getting into the Garage Mahal. Being in a Mini Farm Community where people have Livestock and Crops that attract Mice, Snakes, Roof Rats, Raccoon and other Pests and Predators, it is a losing battle sometimes to eradicate them all and not have it become an infestation of whatever has decided to intrude.
ReplyDeleteWell, now that I'm out there everyday the traps are full, hopefully when we get this done. Maybe let your cat out there every now and then, lol. But, then our cat always brought back live 'presents'...! Hugs, Sandi
Delete