Powerlifting and Strength Training

Rodent Proofing My Pantry

    Yesterday (1/19/25, Su), I spent my normal workout time rodent proofing my basement’s pantry area. I got a bunch of plastic storage containers and transferred all of the food I had in boxes (which I have found out mice and rats can eat through) and anything else that was not rodent-proof (which is to say, not in a can or bottle) into the plastic containers. That involved a lot of moving and rearranging of stuff, and cleaning as I had the areas cleared out, then sweeping afterwards. But it’s all done, and hopefully, my food will now be safe from the little buggers.

It Didn’t Work!

     All of the effort I made to rodent-proof my pantry didn’t work! The rodent ate right through the plastic storage container. That gave me another mess to clean up. I noticed it during my workout yesterday (1/23/25, Th), but I waited until I was done to clean up the mess and reconfigure my pantry once again. That took 1-1/2 hours and left me completely wiped out.

     The main issue seems to be the bulk foods I purchase at the co-op where I do most of my grocery shopping. The rodent is not getting into food in manufacturers’ packing. I think they are sealed and opaque, so the rodent cannot see or smell the food. But the bulk items are just in the compostable bags from the co-op or plastic zip bags, and the rodent can see or smell through them.

     Therefore, this time, I put those items in one quart yogurt containers and then those containers inside the larger storage containers. Hopefully, that will do the trick. If not, I will have to invest in some kind of metal or glass containers. But those are much more expensive and hard to find.

     Meanwhile, I have not seen the little bugger, so I am not sure if I am dealing with a mouse or rat and just one or more than one. That is why I am saying “rodent.” I have multiple traps set, but I haven’t caught anything yet.

Rodent Buster!

     My dad got me this galvanized stainless-steel bucket at Walmart on Saturday (1/25/25). He only got one, but it has enough room to put my most vulnerable foods into it. Just let the little buggers try to eat through it! Although, what I did previously of putting that food into yogurt containers and then into the plastic storage containers worked, in that I have seen any more chewed through containers.

     However, all of this reconfiguring of my pantry area has really gotten to me. The pantry shelves and those containers basically encircle my lifting platform. As a result, all of the smells from the rodents and from all of the new containers have been bothering me due to my sensitivities while working out, and all of the work has left me tired out for my workouts and even has been cutting into my work time. That is why I am linking to these rodent/ pantry posts in my workout logs.

    All of my struggles rodent-proofing my pantry area left me so wiped out I took the rest of the week off of lifting after my terrible workout this past Sunday (1/26/25). During that time, I ordered another galvanized stainless-steel bucket from Walmart and set it up on Thursday (1/30/25). The two buckets fit nicely on top of the two stacks of plastic storage containers I previously had stacked up, filled with pantry food.

     I still have not caught whatever it was that ate through one of those plastic containers. But with this final addition to my pantry, I should have protection for all of the vulnerable food items. Hopefully, that will keep the littler bugger from getting into anything else, so I can get back to training uninterrupted this Sunday (2/2/25).

     That just happens to be Groundhog Day. But I will not be observing it. With all of the problems I have been having with rodents, I will not be celebrating an oversized one! In any case, my next workouts will be added to Powerlifting Workout Posts and Videos: January to March 2025 (Q1).

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