The problem is my tenant leaves too much food stuff around and the mice are generally uninterested in any bait traps or poisons.

@Wesley Sherow a very real concern that is not mentioned is the scope and eventual cost of the total rehab.One of the most challenging projects I ever did was a rehab that converted a 100-year old five story concert building on Seattle’s waterfront to a storage facility.It was built and served as an ice plant that produced blocks of ice that was loaded in ships holds to transport food stuff to other parts of the world.This project and any major rehab of an OLD building carries much greater risk than one designed from scratch.In essence, the entire building is a “hidden condition”, which gives the general and its subcontractors a very wide lane to discover and charge for many change orders to cover the surprises they find along the way.You would be wise to use higher estimates for known costs and add generous contingencies for the unknown ones you are apt to run into.

While we take these conditions for granted in today’s age, bad vision and bad teeth would mean almost sure death at one point in evolutionary time.So, from an anthropological point of view, I find it interesting what one might think is needed for 6 months given the worst possible scenario – but yet not so bad that it could not be overcome with some food stuffs.

The new drywall had paint that is no longer a uniform color or texture, but rather consists of a mixture of crayon drawings, dried food stuffs and trails of sticky juice splattered on the walls.  

Gold, ammo, weapons, fuel, and foodstuffs go there...

It was a bunch of cans filled with cigarette butts and dog food stuff.