Knowledgebase

Mice contaminated fertilizer #874129

Asked June 21, 2024, 6:11 PM EDT

Last winter for the first time in 50 years of gardening I had mice get into some bags of Ironite I have in my shed. Also some blood meal. Never had this happen before. Blood meal I could maybe see why. Ironite I have no idea what the mice were thinking. It appears they ate most of the blood meal no real loss there. The Ironite it seems more like they tore open the bags and threw it around making a big mess. But a lot of it appears to be there just not in the bag. I have very high quality respirators from when I worked in the refrigeration industry. Could I wear one of them, clean up the ironite and apply it to my lawn? Or should I just pitch it. That seems so wasteful. I am leaning toward cleaning it up and using it. As far as cleaning up the residual mouse shit and piss inside the shed would it be safe to drench those areas where the mess was at, or the entire interior of the shed if need be, in vinegar and water or bleach and water? I know not to mix those two chemicals so don’t worry

Arapahoe County Colorado

Expert Response

Hello Frank,

I'm sorry to hear about mice getting into your Ironite and blood meal over the winter.

Here is information from University of Nebraska about how to properly disinfect your shed areas from the mouse excrements.

  https://newsroom.unl.edu/announce/lancasterextension/9262/54801

Please be advised that rodents (and their droppings) can contain numerous diseases, and you do not want their waste to become airborne and breathed in, so it is best not to sweep or vacuum their mess. There are step by step instructions for how to clean up after them in the publication above. Please make sure to wear all PPE, such as latex gloves, goggles and your respirator.

Considering the fact that you probably now have contaminated ironite, it would not be recommended to use it. Spreading it would likely allow any mousey contaminants to become airborne and could also possibly attract unwanted predators.

I hope this helps, thank you for reaching out to Ask Extension! Goodluck with your clean up and stay safe doing it.

Dawn

Dawn Fradkin Replied June 25, 2024, 11:37 AM EDT

Loading ...