Title: When your heater acts up: quick fixes that saved my winter
I’ve always wondered about the peppermint oil trick—does it actually keep squirrels away for long, or do they just get used to it after a while? I’ve tried mothballs in the past (outside, not in the ducts), but honestly, I’m not sure if it did much besides make the whole area smell weird.
On the hardware cloth front, I’m with you. Those vent screens they put in by default are basically tissue paper. I swapped mine out after finding a mouse nest in the return duct. Ever tried cutting hardware cloth to fit those odd-shaped vents, though? I ended up with more scratches than I care to admit. Is there a trick to getting it snug without leaving gaps?
Shop vacs are a double-edged sword. I once sucked up a handful of drywall screws and spent an hour fishing them out of the hose. Do you guys ever open up the vac and find stuff you didn’t even know was missing? I swear, I found a house key in there once and still have no idea whose it was.
The Lego guy made me laugh—reminds me of the time I pulled a Hot Wheels car out of a condensate drain. How do kids manage to get toys into every possible crevice? Makes me wonder what else is lurking in the ductwork that I haven’t found yet.
Curious if anyone’s tried those ultrasonic pest repellents near vents? I’ve heard mixed things, but never actually seen one work. Are they just snake oil, or is there something to them?
Peppermint oil never did much for me, honestly. Squirrels in my area seemed to treat it like air freshener after a week or two. I get the appeal of those ultrasonic pest things, but I’m skeptical—they sound good on paper, but I’ve seen mice run right past them like they’re not even there. As for hardware cloth, tin snips are your friend, but yeah, you’ll still end up with a few battle scars. I’ve started wearing gloves after slicing my knuckle open last winter... live and learn.
I hear you on the peppermint oil—tried it once and the rodents in my attic seemed to just enjoy the new scent. But I gotta say, I’ve had a bit more luck with ultrasonic pest devices than you did. Maybe it’s the brand or maybe my mice just scare easier, but after plugging one in near the heater vent, I noticed a drop in the little “presents” they’d leave behind. Not a miracle cure, but it took the edge off.
About hardware cloth, yeah, those edges are brutal. I’ve started wrapping duct tape around the cut ends before handling, which saves my hands some grief. Not exactly OSHA-approved, but it beats bleeding all over the crawlspace. And if you’re sealing up heater gaps, I always recommend a dab of expanding foam after the cloth’s in place. Keeps drafts and critters out, and you don’t have to wrestle with sheet metal for every tiny hole.
- Peppermint oil’s a joke in my book—just smells like a candy shop for the mice.
- Ultrasonic gadgets? Mixed bag. I’ve had tenants swear by them, but in my own place, the critters seemed to treat it like background noise after a week or two. Maybe they’re city mice, who knows.
- Hardware cloth: totally agree, those edges are nasty. I use leather gloves, but even then, you get nicks. Duct tape’s clever—might steal that.
- Expanding foam is solid for gaps, but I’ve seen it chewed through if you don’t have the mesh underneath. Learned that one the hard way...
- Sheet metal’s a pain, but sometimes it’s the only thing that holds up long-term. I guess it depends how stubborn your pests are.
- Gotta push back on the expanding foam—if you use the stuff rated for pests, it actually holds up better than folks think. Not perfect, but I’ve had fewer chew-throughs since switching brands.
- Sheet metal’s solid, but man, cutting it in tight crawlspaces is a nightmare. Sometimes I just double up on mesh and foam if I’m in a rush.
- Ultrasonic gadgets never did squat for me either... except maybe annoy my dog.