perlite and mice

[Emery Davis]

I've got some 100l sacks, in heavy paper, of perlite that I need to store.

Does anyone know if mice will eat the perlite? I know they love
styrofoam, in some ways it's not that different.

Thanks, -E



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

[Jeff Layman]

On 18/08/15 15:34, Emery Davis wrote:
> I've got some 100l sacks, in heavy paper, of perlite that I need to store.
>
> Does anyone know if mice will eat the perlite? I know they love
> styrofoam, in some ways it's not that different.
>
> Thanks, -E

I can't see mice eating perlite unless it has a taste they like. But,
just in case, got any hot chilli peppers, such as cayenne or habanero?
Just liquidise and paint the stuff on the outside of the sacks. Just
remember to wash your hands or wear gloves the next time you want some
perlite.

--

Jeff

[David Hill]

Mice wont eat pearlite any more than they eat Styrofoam, if they tried
they would get their guts blocked and they would die of starvation.
With Styrofoam they will chew into it exploring.

[Stephen Wolstenholme]

In my experience that does not work. Mice like chilli.

Steve

--
Neural Network Software for Windows http://www.npsnn.com

EasyNN-plus More than just a neural network http://www.easynn.com

[stuart noble]

Or use it to insulate their nests. I expect they have building regs too

[Emery Davis]

On Tue, 18 Aug 2015 15:55:25 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

> Perlite is a volcanic glass, bloated at high temperatures, like
> lightweight aggregate (Leca). I would be surprised if mice ate it, but
> you never can tell with mice. The paper sacks themselves are likely to
> be more nourishing and tasty, so you still might get holes where the
> perlite runs out all over the floor!
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perlite

Right, I do know it's not _actually_ styrofoam! :) But as you say, you
can never tell with mice, mine do tend to consume just about everything,
except coal, never known them to get into that.

The paper is I suppose as much or more of a problem as the perlite
itself: I've too much of it for them to make a real dent, but it is hard
to clean up. I'll put it on a palette and hope, I suppose, or try Jeff's
idea.

Thanks,

[Emery Davis]

On Tue, 18 Aug 2015 17:23:18 +0100, Jeff Layman wrote:

> can't see mice eating perlite unless it has a taste they like. But,
> just
> in case, got any hot chilli peppers, such as cayenne or habanero? Just
> liquidise and paint the stuff on the outside of the sacks. Just remember
> to wash your hands or wear gloves the next time you want some perlite.

That's an idea! Of course I love hot peppers so if I had some habanero
I'd be likely to cook with it instead. ;)

[Emery Davis]

On Tue, 18 Aug 2015 21:51:52 +0100, David Hill wrote:

> Mice wont eat pearlite any more than they eat Styrofoam, if they tried
> they would get their guts blocked and they would die of starvation. With
> Styrofoam they will chew into it exploring.

Well OK, they make a mess of it which was my point. I wonder if they
still sell those awful styrofoam insulated panels, the mice tunnel
through them and you're left cleaning up bits forever.

[David Hill]

On 19/08/2015 09:14, Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
> On Tue, 18 Aug 2015 17:23:18 +0100, Jeff Layman
> <JMLa...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>> On 18/08/15 15:34, Emery Davis wrote:
>>> I've got some 100l sacks, in heavy paper, of perlite that I need to store.
>>>
>>> Does anyone know if mice will eat the perlite? I know they love
>>> styrofoam, in some ways it's not that different.
>>>
>>> Thanks, -E
>>
>> I can't see mice eating perlite unless it has a taste they like. But,
>> just in case, got any hot chilli peppers, such as cayenne or habanero?
>> Just liquidise and paint the stuff on the outside of the sacks. Just
>> remember to wash your hands or wear gloves the next time you want some
>> perlite.
>
> In my experience that does not work. Mice like chilli.
>
> Steve
>

Did someone say chillies?
http://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/Speed%20Mouse_61506

[Stephen Wolstenholme]

On 19 Aug 2015 09:32:42 GMT, Emery Davis <lae...@esserda.oc.ku>
wrote:

They are a fire hazard. They are still sold to the public but not the
trade. I think most of us prefer mice to burning.

[Christina Websell]

"Emery Davis" <lae...@esserda.oc.ku> wrote in message
news:d3j0pq...@mid.individual.net...

At the risk of being unpopular, here in the Uk you can adopt from some of
the charities what is called "a working cat" They are usually ex-feral
kittens which have been tamed, but feel more comfortable living in, say,
your tool shed rather than inside. Provide them with a comfy bed there and
feed them twice a day and your mouse problems will be over.
I don't know if that would be feasible for you or even that such a scheme
exists in France.

My own "working cat" is now 13 years old and has moved into the house. He
was brilliant with mice and young rats but now he has semi-retired to the
duvet in the spare bedroom. He still does the occasionally sweep around the
chicken huts if it isn't raining.
Plus he was never a fierce cat, only very timid, he has alway been charming.

Tina


Tina

[kate harrison]

Perlite is poisonous. Even humans must most definitely not breathe it in let alone eat it...it can cause lung cancer.

Vermiculite is another not to breathe in.

http://www.pennperlite.com/msds.html
K

[Emery Davis]

On Sat, 05 Sep 2015 00:46:31 -0700, kate harrison wrote:

> Perlite is poisonous. Even humans must most definitely not breathe it in
> let alone eat it...it can cause lung cancer.

Thanks for your comment Kate. Pretty much sure perlite is not dangerous
however.

The dust is rather nasty. I keep what is currently being used in a
closed plastic rubbish bin, and I do make sure to pour it from the paper
sacs into the bin outside.

[Emery Davis]

On Thu, 03 Sep 2015 17:36:16 +0100, Christina Websell wrote:

> At the risk of being unpopular, here in the Uk you can adopt from some
> of the charities what is called "a working cat" They are usually
> ex-feral kittens which have been tamed, but feel more comfortable living
> in, say, your tool shed rather than inside. Provide them with a comfy
> bed there and feed them twice a day and your mouse problems will be
> over.
> I don't know if that would be feasible for you or even that such a
> scheme exists in France.

Because spaying a female cat is quite expensive here, most farmers don't
do it. Instead they drown the kittens or whack them. It's not very nice.

Kittens are easy to get hold of and as I've explained to you in another
thread we have one, now 12 but still very active. She kills about 2-3
mice/voles per day. Those are the ones I know about. We live in the
deep country and there is an endless supply of them. She is more
interested in hunting outside than in, which seems to be typical of the
largely outdoor cats around here.

How many per day does your cat catch?

In any case there is nothing comfortable about the storage area, it is a
400 yr old stone building, unheated and extremely damp. Although the cat
sometimes naps in the old hay loft, I doubt very much that any cat would
want to live in the downstairs rooms.

-E

[Janet]

In article <95006bb3-b034-4ded...@googlegroups.com>,
kate....@gmail.com says...

>
> On Tuesday, August 18, 2015 at 3:34:33 PM UTC+1, Emery Davis wrote:
> > I've got some 100l sacks, in heavy paper, of perlite that I need to store.
> >
> > Does anyone know if mice will eat the perlite? I know they love
> > styrofoam, in some ways it's not that different.
> >
> > Thanks, -E
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Gardening in Lower Normandy
>
> Perlite is poisonous. Even humans must most definitely not breathe it in let alone eat it...it can cause lung cancer.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4002636/

Perlite toxicology and epidemiology – a review

"Perlite is a generic name for an amorphous volcanic alumina–silicate
rock that expands by a factor of 4–20 when rapidly heated to 1400–1800?°
F (760–980?°C). Both the ore and the expanded product have extensive and
widespread commercial applications. Limited data on the toxicology of
perlite in animal studies indicate that the LD50 (oral ingestion) is
more than 10?g/kg and, from a chronic inhalation study in guinea pigs
and rats, that the NOAEL for the inhalation pathway is 226?mg/m3. Health
surveillance studies of workers in US perlite mines and expansion plants
(including some workers exposed to levels greater than prevailing
occupational exposure limits (OELs) conducted over 20 years indicate
that the respiratory health of workers is not adversely affected."



Janet