What's a comfortable bed that mice won't nest in?

May 16, 2011 3:46 PM

Our old, mouse-infested cabin-in-the-woods needs new beds. Any suggestions for mattresses that won't turn into instant mouse-nests?

There is no way to eliminate the mice. We fight them constantly, but we will never win. The people who use this place the most are in their 40s, 50s and 60s. We aren't fussy, and we're pretty hardy, but beds that don't break your back are kind of important. And we're often there for weeks at a time. Does anyone have experience with fairly solid comfortable beds that are at least a little resistant to rodent infestations?

posted by aunt_winnifred to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (12 answers total)

Inflatable air mattresses. Deflate and put in mouse-proof chest when you leave.
posted by oneirodynia at 4:08 PM on May 16, 2011

I wonder how you would do with latex foam mattresses? I just tried to google for info on how mice feel about them, and couldn't find anything, so it's possible that the mice will nibble them, but as they're essentially solid there is no inside for a mouse to break through to and nest in. Personally I find latex foam really comfortable, it comes in a variety of grades but tends towards firm.
posted by crabintheocean at 4:54 PM on May 16, 2011

Waterbed?
posted by galadriel at 4:56 PM on May 16, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks! We've gone the inflatable air mattress route, but haven't found anything that's really conducive to a full night's sleep. I will look into latex foam - that might be a solution.
posted by aunt_winnifred at 4:58 PM on May 16, 2011

Aero brand inflatable beds are pricey but pretty damn comfy.
posted by gnutron at 5:22 PM on May 16, 2011

High density foam camping pads are smaller and easier to store in a mouse-resistant metal box. The metal cases sold for pickup trucks come to mind. Hmmm. Could you put up some hooks, and hang rolled mattresses during the winter? Jessamyn's comments in this thread are worth a read.

If it were me, I'd get camp mattresses, i.e., not very thick, probably foam, and remove them for the winter, combined with removing all food, and chinking well with steel wool. I'm pretty "meh" regarding air mattresses.
posted by theora55 at 5:51 PM on May 16, 2011

I really don't know a way to keep mice out of bedding without creating a physical barrier to it if you're not going to be around much. You might want to consider some nice-ish futons with some foam or feather mattress toppers on top of a normal bed frame and then locking them all up in a locker type thing when you're not there. You could get a few beds that would fold up small enough to go into a bench seat-sized area that would feel pretty bedlike. Really, anything that you leave with blankets or sheets on it will be a cold weather refuge for the little critters.
posted by jessamyn at 6:34 PM on May 16, 2011

Moth balls will keep mice away...but you wouldn't want to use them if you have pets or children around.... I hang bags of mothballs inside my boat (in the winter, in michigan) to keep the vermin out for 6 months or so while it sits outside..... could you use them to keep them out of your mattress (this is a shot in the dark)....
posted by tomswift at 6:48 PM on May 16, 2011

Stand the legs of the bed in water? Have to be pretty deep, or it would dry out I guess after a while. Is there some substance that you could put on a plate/dish that would do the same?

I presume mouse bait is off the agenda?
posted by GeeEmm at 7:20 PM on May 16, 2011

Response by poster: We keep all the bedding secured in snap-lock bins. We've done traps, bait, steel wool, cats and every year we do a major nest-purge ... you name it. The cabin is just not mouse-proofable, and there's always a fresh supply of the critters. The old beds have been there forever and it's time for them to go. There are nests in the box springs. We've lived with it. But now that we are getting new beds it's seems a shame to invest in something just for the mice to live in. There's no room for a locker big enough for futons. I love that idea, but it's not going to work in this case. Moth balls are out because there are both babies and pets around on a regular basis. I think we'll just have to suck it up. We'll try wrapping the mattresses in plastic and hope for the best.

Thanks everyone! You've confirmed for me that there's no easy solution we just weren't thinking of.
posted by aunt_winnifred at 6:22 AM on May 17, 2011

Up in cottage country I've seen mattresses thrown over the rafters for winter - maybe hanging in the middle of the room is less attractive to them? We used to not do any box springs, just squishy mattresses on wooden platforms. I don't know why we don't get mouse nests in our current beds - we have box springs now, and they'll still build nests in drawers or kleenex boxes, but not the new mattresses. Good luck!
posted by ldthomps at 7:00 AM on May 17, 2011

Thanks! We've gone the inflatable air mattress route, but haven't found anything that's really conducive to a full night's sleep. I will look into latex foam - that might be a solution.

Okay, try a really good air mattress with foam topper you can fit in a chest. Mice will get into foam if it is left out.
posted by oneirodynia at 7:09 AM on May 17, 2011