Move your gas grill off the lanai!!!

[Happinow]

I looked out on the lanai this afternoon and saw quite a few black things on my lanai floor. I didn't think too much of it and later went out to inspect them. They were mice droppings! I couldn't understand how a mouse could get in the lanai. I was washing off some pool shoes and happen to look down at the screen and there was a hole chewed right through the screen. I called Massey and told them what I had observed. They asked if I had a grill on my lanai and I told them I did. They said that mice will eat through the screens in search of the fat/ drippings on the grill. At the time, I hadn't looked near the grill because there weren't any droppings in that area. Upon further inspection, sure enough there were two more holes chewed through another screen behind the grill and a lot of droppings under the grill. Massey was right, the mice were after the grill. We moved the grill outside and will now have to pour a larger slab to accommodate it. So, if you have a grill on your lanai you might want to move it outside. We now have to replace two large sections of screen.....so far. Massey will come and trap those nasty pests!!!

[thelegges]

Never thought a grill would be mouse bait. Yuck

[applesoffh]

Good move, Happinow, but that's still no guaranty that the mice won't go after the grill. My gas grill is outside the lanai, on a slab, and we've had mice also, especially when all of the construction was going on in my area of Charlotte. A friend of mine had a snake in her grill. I was so grossed out, I put everything I could through the dishwasher on the highest setting possible, and haven't used the grill in 2 years. I barely used it before.

[dbussone]

Good move, Happinow, but that's still no guaranty that the mice won't go after the grill. My gas grill is outside the lanai, on a slab, and we've had mice also, especially when all of the construction was going on in my area of Charlotte. A friend of mine had a snake in her grill. I was so grossed out, I put everything I could through the dishwasher on the highest setting possible, and haven't used the grill in 2 years. I barely used it before.


The key to using a grill in TV is to put it on the slab (a lanai does not qualify) and do not use a cover. Little critters love to use the the cover to crawl up into the grill.

[NIPAS K-9]

I looked out on the lanai this afternoon and saw quite a few black things on my lanai floor. I didn't think too much of it and later went out to inspect them. They were mice droppings! I couldn't understand how a mouse could get in the lanai. I was washing off some pool shoes and happen to look down at the screen and there was a hole chewed right through the screen. I called Massey and told them what I had observed. They asked if I had a grill on my lanai and I told them I did. They said that mice will eat through the screens in search of the fat/ drippings on the grill. At the time, I hadn't looked near the grill because there weren't any droppings in that area. Upon further inspection, sure enough there were two more holes chewed through another screen behind the grill and a lot of droppings under the grill. Massey was right, the mice were after the grill. We moved the grill outside and will now have to pour a larger slab to accommodate it. So, if you have a grill on your lanai you might want to move it outside. We now have to replace two large sections of screen.....so far. Massey will come and trap those nasty pests!!!
I never knew that, thanks for post.

[zcaveman]

Are you sure those are mice droppings and not anole droppings? They make a mess on my lanai. I am trying to figure out how to plug their entrance/exit holes. But then, I do not have the holes in the screens so it is probably mice.

I had a 9X9 concrete pad put next to my lanai before I moved in back in 2001. I usually grill weekly. Before I light the grill, I open it up and beat on it with the grill cleaner brush. This sends the anoles that live in the grill scurrying. Then I light the grill and watch the lazy anoles leave.

Not sure what I would do if I saw a snake in the grill. Probably get a stick and poke him until he left. And then cook.

Z

[Chi-Town]

You need a feline sentry.........

44385

[MikeV]

I've watched the little Anoles come in through the threshold under the screen door. It allows water to drain from the Lanai.

[boomerbaby]

just last week my husband was grilling outside and there were 6 palmetto bugs crawling around it. He killed them and we called massey who came out and did their thing and they are gone. Massey said they all go for the grease. First thing I said was thank goodness we do not keep the grill on the lanai. PS he said palmetto bugs, I am a nyc girl I say roaches. yuk.

[RedChariot]

Your killing me with all these horror stories. What about we that have summer kitchens? I can't take all this "nature." I hate bugs, mice, and any other crawlies.

[Barefoot]

We have a family of snakes that live under our air conditioner, which is well away from the grill.
The pest company said to leave them alone.
We back on a "nature" area, and we've never seen a mouse or a rat. So I guess the snakes take care of that problem for us.

[mixsonci]

You need a feline sentry.........

44385

My feline sees a bug and stares at it for an hour, but won't make a move to catch it. She reminds me of Garfield, love her to death, but she is a lazy little thing. Bugs don't impress her.

[bimmertl]

Has similar problems with mice on my outside patio near the grill. Buy some Dcon bait trays and place one on the ground outside. Then monitor them and see if the bait is being eaten, which means the mice will be gone in a short period of time. Always brings a smile to my face to see an empty tray.

D-Con Ready Mixed Baitbits - Walmart.com (http://www.walmart.com/ip/11027228?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=41833582510&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=19880599990&veh=sem)

[pbkmaine]

What Chi-Town said. Get a cat! Our cats love Florida because of all the interesting critters. They seek out and destroy everything that gets into our birdcage.

[Walter123]

Like Rosanne-Rosannadana said....."It's always something".

[red tail]

are you sure its mice? ill bet its roof rats!

[CFrance]

You need a feline sentry.........

44385
Ha-ha! That one looks well fed--by human hands!

[DianeM]

I knew there was another reason I don't grill aside from not being much of a meat eater. These stories are grossing me out completely. Yuck !!!

[John_W]

I found mouse droppings in the bottom of my outside grill about two years ago. I had left the grill uncovered so the only other option was using D-Con. It works, a few droppings at first next to the bait, then no more after that. About a month ago I opened the lid and a mouse took off in a blur. I looked in the bottom and the D-Con was empty, put a new D-Con in the bottom, no more sightings or droppings. If you have a dog or cat, don't let them near the D-Con.

http://media.waresdirect.com.s3.amazonaws.com/product/ZM/WDI-00101DRC-ZM.jpg

[TNLAKEPANDA]

Grilled mouse is rather tasty!

[NoMoSno]

If you have a dog or cat, don't let them near the D-Con.

or any mice that may have ingested it.

[Papa]

I looked out on the lanai this afternoon and saw quite a few black things on my lanai floor. I didn't think too much of it and later went out to inspect them. They were mice droppings! I couldn't understand how a mouse could get in the lanai. I was washing off some pool shoes and happen to look down at the screen and there was a hole chewed right through the screen. I called Massey and told them what I had observed. They asked if I had a grill on my lanai and I told them I did. They said that mice will eat through the screens in search of the fat/ drippings on the grill. At the time, I hadn't looked near the grill because there weren't any droppings in that area. Upon further inspection, sure enough there were two more holes chewed through another screen behind the grill and a lot of droppings under the grill. Massey was right, the mice were after the grill. We moved the grill outside and will now have to pour a larger slab to accommodate it. So, if you have a grill on your lanai you might want to move it outside. We now have to replace two large sections of screen.....so far. Massey will come and trap those nasty pests!!!

... and get rid of Bird Feeders!!!!

[goldfal]

Mice and snakes will eat off your grill. Putting it outside is a no-no.

[Happinow]

Massey was just here and set a trap. He said it was a rat! Yuck. I had kinda suspected that since our back yard is surrounded with that tall swale like grass. They probably live in there. He also said not to keep any food or seed on your lanai. Apparently some people keep bird seed out there. Hopefully this post saved others from damage to their screens. I wish someone would have mentioned not to keep the grill on the lanai to us before. We just had no idea. We are working on getting a space for the grill. I realize the rodents still may get into the grill but at least it's outside and not in my lanai. Just thinking about those ugly creatures wandering around and getting on my outside furniture makes me crawl. Yes, they even crawled all over my furniture. I must now Lysol everything. I always wondered why people kept the grill out on a slab.....now I know.

[rdhdleo]

Wow interesting stories! We have lived here 12 years in Springdale and have never had an issue. We grill regularly and have our grill outside covered but at times have set it inside our lanai during the rainy times. Even when our area was new and under contraction we had no problems. I am wondering if those with these issues are in the newer areas?

[getdul981]

I was washing off some pool shoes and happen to look down at the screen and there was a hole chewed right through the screen.

Upon further inspection, sure enough there were two more holes chewed through another screen behind the grill and a lot of droppings under the grill.

We now have to replace two large sections of screen.....so far.!

Wonder if you could replace the screen on the lower section of the lanai/birdcage with sheet metal and paint it the same color as the frame? I thought of having this done when we expanded our lanai, but had not seen it done, so I figured it wasn't allowed.

[applesoffh]

Wonder if you could replace the screen on the lower section of the lanai/birdcage with sheet metal and paint it the same color as the frame? I thought of having this done when we expanded our lanai, but had not seen it done, so I figured it wasn't allowed.

I had that done (after the mouse episode) just to keep mud and dirt from the plantings from finding their way onto my lanai after a rain. Works like a charm, and my handyman did it. I think it's about 18" high. BTW, when I get up the courage, I'll take the new cover off the now un-used grill. As gfor the grease that attracts animals, I always used disposable grease pans so as not to have that issue. In the words of the immortal Forrest Gump "It Happens."

[T-325]

With the critters going after the grill..has anyone found a summer kitchen to have an issue?

[PR1234]

That is EXACTLY why I don't want a summer kitchen in my house. Florida critters are the worst, hardy little buggers I have ever seen....and don't even get me started on these nasty little squirrels!!!

[Lovey2]

Massey was just here and set a trap. He said it was a rat! Yuck. I had kinda suspected that since our back yard is surrounded with that tall swale like grass. They probably live in there. He also said not to keep any food or seed on your lanai. Apparently some people keep bird seed out there. Hopefully this post saved others from damage to their screens. I wish someone would have mentioned not to keep the grill on the lanai to us before. We just had no idea. We are working on getting a space for the grill. I realize the rodents still may get into the grill but at least it's outside and not in my lanai. Just thinking about those ugly creatures wandering around and getting on my outside furniture makes me crawl. Yes, they even crawled all over my furniture. I must now Lysol everything. I always wondered why people kept the grill out on a slab.....now I know.

More than likely it's the cabbage palms, Happi! They live in those big time, at least they did at my old place. I used to keep ours really trimmed up, but you can't groom the golf course ones. :( Neighbor's on both side of me had rats in the house or the garage (!) because of their trees and being on the water. The Pest people advised me they WOULD NOT bait for them, because then I'd be drawing them to the house. Plus, I had my big Shadow kitty on patrol in the pool cage. Hey, that's it, you need a kitty...they will know it's there and not come around!!

[CFrance]

Massey was just here and set a trap. He said it was a rat! Yuck. I had kinda suspected that since our back yard is surrounded with that tall swale like grass. They probably live in there. He also said not to keep any food or seed on your lanai. Apparently some people keep bird seed out there. Hopefully this post saved others from damage to their screens. I wish someone would have mentioned not to keep the grill on the lanai to us before. We just had no idea. We are working on getting a space for the grill. I realize the rodents still may get into the grill but at least it's outside and not in my lanai. Just thinking about those ugly creatures wandering around and getting on my outside furniture makes me crawl. Yes, they even crawled all over my furniture. I must now Lysol everything. I always wondered why people kept the grill out on a slab.....now I know.
Well, make sure you preheat the grill! (JUST KIDDING):22yikes:

[billethkid]

10 years here with grille inside the bird cage (and 40 years before TV).....never ever a problem of any kind. The "droppings" are lizard drops.