Are you positive that it is mice eating the paper? Cockroaches and crickets can leave behind ragged edges that look like mouse chew marks. You might check for the presence of feces--cockroach feces are about the same size and color as mouse feces, but are blunt ended, mouse feces are tapered.
That said, an adult mouse can squeeze through a 1/4 inch crack, so it is entirely possible for one to enter an old filing cabinet. I would do the following:
1. Remove the bottom drawer and check the debris on the bottom of the cabinet to see if you can diagnose mouse or insect activity (use a flashlight). Then vacuum up whatever is there so you can tell tomorrow whether or not the damage is continuing. Check for holes in the bottom of the filing cabinet
2. For the short term, elevate the file cabinet about 3 inches off the floor (stick a couple of lengths of 2 x 4 or a couple of bricks under it). Mice and insects are both less likely to enter an elevated piece of furniture.
3. If there is room inside the filing cabinet beneath the lower drawer, set snap traps inside. If not, put glue boards inside beneath the lower drawer. Although I don't generally recommend glue boards for rodents, this situation might require them, and a glue board will also catch a cockroach or cricket if that is what you have. Also, set snap traps at the base of the fliling cabinet next to the wall.
4. If you are convinced that it is mice, and you have to restore the files to the cabinet after you elevate it from the floor, once the files are in, temporarily seal all the gaps in the cabinet (including holes in the bottom and where the drawers close) with the metalic-type duct tape you can buy at the hardware store for sealing up ductwork. This will not keep the mice out long-term, but will serve as a short-term deterrant until you can deal with the mouse issue on a building-wide basis with snap traps.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
--John
John E. Simmons
Collections Manager, Natural History Museum & Biodiversity Research Center
and
Director, Museum Studies Program
University of Kansas
1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7561
Telephone (785) 864-4508; FAX (785) 864-5335
[log in to unmask]
www.nhm.ku.edu/herpetology
www.ku.edu/~museumst
________________________________
From: Museum discussion list on behalf of Pamela Silvestri
Sent: Sat 8/19/2006 7:25 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Mice in filing cabinet
Today, I was quite surprised to have found that mice had chewed on dozens of file folders in a metal filing cabinet. This is very recent activity. These are 70+ year old folders and original records that were awaiting care and...though I know mice can get into things...I hadn't expected they could get into a metal filing cabinet (albeit an ancient one).
Since I discovered this occurrence at the end of the day today...I wasn't able to immediately deal with it. Tomorrow I'll have to empty out the cabinet and I probably do not even have enough boxes for all the records -all of which have been crammed into these cabinets to begin with. I'll stop by the hardware store to purchase traps and set them in the empty cabinet. I did actually have a 'sticky trap' in this storage room and in another room and never once have trapped a mouse. I'll be using tradition traps instead.
Two concerns: There is no fire suppression in this room nor adjacent rooms and I won't be back in the building for another 4 days. Chances are that this won't be a concern. But I'll have to wait longer to replace the folders back into the cabinet if I've not caught the mice during he 4 days. Also...how can I possibly prevent them from re-entering the file cabinet?
Several months ago I aimed to prioritize this project -I had been researching grants for a project to scan and duplicate these records (there are thousands) and I did an estimate for costs of supplies, time and labor -but I didn't include the cost of another cabinet. I also did an outline for the project. Do I have to have to have a professional assessment and recommendations before applying for a grant for this work and...does anyone know of any grants that are currently (and would be timely) available for this?
There is no inventory of these records and the labels on a least 2 dozen of the folders are totally gone now. These can be re-labeled, based on the contents (some of which were chewed through too). I can't foresee that I can take on this project - which includes caring for the original records (metal staples and clips need to be removed, etc), inventorying and reproducing them (hard copy and CD) as I only work part-time. It would be my hope that I could consult with a granting organization in regards to limited resources and other technical issues.
Thanks, in advance for any info/advice you're able to provide.
Pam
Pamela Silvestri, Seasonal Interpretive Guide
Northeast States Civilian Conservation Corps Museum
Connecticut State Department of Environmental Protection
State Parks Division
Shenipsit State Forest Headquarters
166 Chestnut Hill Road
Stafford Springs, Connecticut 06076
Telephone: (860) 684-3430
e-mail: [log in to unmask] or
[log in to unmask]
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