How to Prevent Mice in the toaster (2025 Update)

replying to Dan Espen, Ms.C wrote: They carry deadly diseases!

replying to Pete, Ms.C wrote: This is what I do and the toast actually tastes better!

There are tons of mouse and fly trap videos all over the net, too.

Put toaster on stand - four thin legs 6" high and flat top.

Any self respecting mouse can jump a lot higher that 6".

I just switched to a toaster oven because they can be cleaned, unlike a toaster. It is very difficult to completely stop mice in a 170 year old house.

get one of those enamelled metal bread bins and keep your toaster in it. if you have a large toaster you might have to downsize to fit it in. you can even use it upside down and just cover your toaster with it. being metal, you won't have to wait for the toaster to cool.

I have a bit of news. 1st of all, before I found Xcluder (more on that later...) I had my coffee grinder on screens, on top of my toaster, as a guard, for years, once I had cleaned and saved it. I put two overlapping stove screens, the kind you get from lab supply companies to shield glassware from electric heat, and then my little Cuisinart grinder on top of them. Stopped the mice from getting in, 100%. But what REALLY solved my mouse problem was moving every appliance, and radiator cover, and stuffing Xcluder into all the holes in my floor. Water, electrical, tub access panels, poor moulding/wall architecture... anything and everything, BEST way to stick it to those cute but FILTHY little vermin is to NOT let them in inna 1st place. It's only been a few months but I haven't seen 1 single rodent since the Xcluder project. I HIGHLY recommend Xcluder. And also... I still have my little Cuisinart toaster, and I still love it.

mice build nests in ovens and grills. so this is not an option.

what a silly answer.

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If you have that many mice you should be thinking about an exterminator- or at least a bunch of traps/poison.

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I get an occasional mouse. And I trap him, and all his kin- then I don't see any [or any sign] for a year or two.

An appliance garage might make your wife less squeamish-

Jim

1. Get your wife to make a toaster cozy.
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2. Keep the crumbs cleaned out of the toaster.

1. Put the toaster in the refrigerator between uses.

2. Put the toaster in a plastic trash bag. Don't forget the twist-tie.

1. Toast your bread in the oven.

2. (My favorite) You can get little mice-like toys in the cat section of Walmart. They're like five for a dollar. Sprinkle these toys under the covers. This phobia cure is called "total immersion therapy."

cozy.http://www.camacrafts.org/kitchen_tca.htm>

Cats are not the answer...they can't get all of them. Why not get a wired net ,the type that they can't gnaw at, and use it as a cover for the toaster..or why not put it in storage of your dishwasher or range, if you have them, or microwave oven...But remember, keep the house clean of crumbs and after using the toaster, clean out the crumbs ...don't let them accumulate. I lined my kitchen drawers ( the rear ends ) and now they never get into them.

As others have said, set traps etc first. You need to figure out their entry points (typically under the fridge, dishwasher or sink) and trap near there. You can try some cayenne pepper in the toaster to keep them away from that, but I would focus your energy closer to the source. I too live in a heavily wooded area with an endless supply of the little buggers, but have never been defeated in my attempts to stop them getting in. It sometimes takes a few goes to find all the entry points, but it is possible and I encourage you not to resign your self to it being an inevitable part of life in the country. Here are the areas I've found them getting in:

• wherever utilities or air comes in or out of the house - foam/wire wool/caulk around AC pipes and gas and electrical boxes (just foam all the way around them to be sure. screw wire mesh (chicken wire) over vent outlets (eg for bathroom fans); for the dryer vent, make sure the flap is not blocked with lint, buy one of the mouse/bird proof covers, and be sure to clean it out regularly to prevent a blockage
• if you have siding, look at the lower lip - sometimes there can be a gap underneath. depending on the type of material, you can either foam it, nail it tight to the sheathing or insert a thin strip of wood to close the gap
• don't ignore decks - I've had a couple of instances where I've sealed everything up so well, except for under the deck; last fall I pulled off the first three boards of the deck, in desperation, and sure enough, found gaps in the sill plate where the ledger board was attached - easy to fix, and that certainly solved the problem.
• don't ignore the roof, or vents high up on the walls, they will certainly get up there (although they are much more likely to be coming in at ground level

In my experience exterminators don't help that much. They just set traps and bait, which you can do. They tend to be less than helpful when looking for entry points....they want the recurring revenue! I've heard a couple say that most mice get in through cracks in the foundation, so nothing you can do about it - that is BS. In my experience they usually come in where a pipe or vent comes into the house.

Good luck.

Only if OP promises that his wife won't read it :)

Maybe if you stopped using Google Groups you wouldn't be replying to threads last opened in 2008.

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You get droppings and body parts before wheat becomes toast; read up on food safety standards and you will find a minimum allowable level of stuff allowed. Envision a grainary and the feast it offers to rodents. Then picture the grainary being emptied and the wheat being milled for flour......rodents have lived and died in the stuff, and some unfortunate is bound to be milled along with the flour. You also get larvae in pasta and nuts, so be aware the world is not sterile outside of your toaster.

It only takes a few crumbs to attract mice - cereal, pet food, flour, etc. Clean up the kitchen thoroughly, every crack, crevice and cupboard. Put mouse edibles into sealed plastic or metal containers. Put traps in the nice, warm, cozy places that mice like to nest in .... around pilot flame, fridge motor. Mice need only about 1/4" opening to get into the house, but making the house less attractive is the key. I used to get a mouse or two every fall when the weather turned cold. It was easy to get rid of them. If the toaster is the only food source, mebbe storing it in a closed plastic bin would cure the visitors.