’Tis the season to store the produce from our gardens. While many fruits and vegetables will last for months when properly stored, keeping it safe from rodents and other pests is imperative.

This month, I purchased a box of apples from a local farm stand and kept them in a corner of the garage where it was cool and dark. I thought it was safe from mice because we haven’t seen any evidence of mice this year; plus, I set out packets from Grandpa Gus Mouse Repellent near the bags of dog and cat food, where they typically show up first. There’s been nothing near the feed, but obviously, we have an intruder.

Harvesting and Storing Home Garden Vegetables

Put up the Fruits and Vegetables

First, keep the produce off the floor. Mice can climb well, so put it on a shelf high enough off the ground that it’s not an easy leap for them. Many times, this is enough to keep them separated from the food.

Metal Hardware Cloth Shelves

A step up from simple shelves is creating a containment system with metal hardware cloth to provide a complete mouse-proof cabinet. Building one takes far more effort, but it will be in place for multiple seasons. Be sure to use a 1/4-inch or less hardware cloth because mice can squeeze through anything half an inch or wider.

Use Boxes and Baskets

You can always use tote containers if you can’t build a permanent structure. Humidity and air circulation are critical aspects of food storage. Totes work well if you drill holes into the sides and top with a 1/4-inch drill bit roughly six inches apart in a couple of rows around the main area of the tote. Of course, always choose a lid that fits tightly because even though mice are small, they can find their way underneath and might pop it loose.

Wire baskets, as long as the mesh is 1/4 inch or less, are another good option, as long as they have some means of closure or you can secure hardware cloth over the top.

For something like apples, I’d want to keep them between 32 and 34 degrees and around 90 percent humidity. Some people recommend wrapping each one in newspaper for long-term preservation. Apples are particularly sensitive to decay, and one proverbial “bad apple” can spread quickly throughout the entire box or layer. But if you are going to eat them within a couple of months, they should be fine without wrapping.

Hang Some Things from the Ceiling

Onions and garlic are two vegetables that can be stored for a long time hanging from the ceiling. Onions can be placed in a mesh or burlap bag and hung in a cool, dark place between 34 to 55 degrees and around 65 to 70 percent humidity. Garlic braided together well before being suspended, although you can keep it in mesh bags.

How to Harvest Garlic and Store it for the Winter

Losing any of your produce from the garden to hungry mice is frustrating. Follow these tips to keep your favorite foods out of their tiny little paws!