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So we have a mouse problem, and our landlords are pretty worthless when it comes to solving it. They're coming from underneath our kitchen units, which are all raised about six inches, with wooden skirting board in front of them. I've closed two small (2x2 inches, ish) gaps with thick cardboard and white threaded tape, but I'm unable to do the same with the dishwasher since the door needs to be able to open. Currently, we're shoving a towel in there whenever the dishwasher is closed, and removing it whenever we need to open it. It's inconvenient. Is there a better solution? Something that would fill the hole, but stretch, expand, or unfold when the dishwasher is opened?

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Plugging the hole will do nothing to solve the mouse problem. They will still be under the cabinets, in the walls, and who knows where else in the house. – Tester101♦ Jan 5 '12 at 11:44
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Can you post a photo of the gap you're talking about? I'm having a hard time picturing what you mean. – Martha Jan 5 '12 at 15:43

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They'll probably find another hole, even if you do cover that one up. Get a cat, or other pest exterminator; or reduce the food available for them. Or move.

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I'm pretty sure they won't, it's an almost brand new apartment and all other floors, etc. are entirely sealed. We had one trapped in there overnight, and he didn't manage to find another way out (i.e. we put the towel back with him in the room without realising). No option of getting a pet, there are already bait traps and lines of dust poison under the kitchen units, I'm talking about a physical solution I can take to sealing up the dishwasher. Pretend it's about a draft if you'd rather not relate it to the mouse problem, but something unchewable would be nice. – Luke Jan 5 '12 at 14:38
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"I'm pretty sure they won't" famous last words ... but for ideas related to sealing up the hole ... I think more info would be required to size/shape of hole. I don't understand why your dishwasher can only open if there is a hole in the skirting board. – NimChimpsky Jan 5 '12 at 14:51
It needs to open at an angle, so when opening it, that gap gets smaller. With the dishwasher closed, it sits about 3 inches further out than the skirting, so when opening it, that 3 inch gap closes to nothing, then goes in the opposite direction when the dishwasher is fully open (at a right angle to the skirting board). Whatever I put in there would need to stretch over it. – Luke Jan 6 '12 at 10:47
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It's not the interior holes you need to deal with...it's the external ones. They're getting in the house somewhere/somehow and that's what you need to block.

The simplest way to do that is find the holes, and stuff them with stainless steel wool. The rodents will not want to chew through that.

Plugging the interior holes/gaps won't do much. They'll just eventually chew a new hole elsewhere.

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