Yes, mice are easily able to chew through thin plastic bins. Thicker heavy-duty bins with tight-fitting lids slow them down a lot, but ordinary plastic totes will not stop rodents if they really want to get inside.
It’s good to switch from storing your items in cardboard boxes to plastic bins if your goal is to avoid rodents. But that won’t necessarily always solve your problems.
Rodent incisors grow continuously. Much like fingernails, they have to be worn down. So they chew and chew and chew on whatever they can find. Those teeth are able to cut wood, rubber, soft metals, plastic, and sometimes even concrete. A thin storage tote, the flexible kind that bows when you carry it, gives way easily.
Mice need edges to work on, so flat panels resist more easily than corners, lips, and seams. Once they find a crack or opening, they can start there. Once there is a small hole, they can widen it until they fit inside. A mouse only needs a hole the diameter of a dime to slip in.
You may wonder what could compel a rodent to bite through plastic. Bins with birdseed or pet food do the trick. The same is true for grass seed. They’re often hungry and seeking food. They’re not likely to go after your holiday decorations. They can, but that’s rare.
Heavy-duty plastic totes tend to do better when they have latching lids and a gasket. Metal containers like galvanized trash cans with tight lids do even better. It also helps to put storage bins on shelves rather than the floor since mice can more easily work at ground level. Also leave a visible gap along walls so any activity occurring isn’t hidden.
If mice are getting into your storage or your home, Mosquito Squad of Southwest Michigan can help. Mosquito Squad finds how mice are getting in, clears them with traps and bait stations, and seals the entry points with chew-resistant materials. Annual inspections will help you protect your property over time.
