I lived in the woods in Massachusetts for more than a dozen years in three different places. The last six years I lived in a rural community of about 2600 people and our place was 1000 feet off the road, in the woods. We had the same problem and even dogs didn't really help. I bought a brand new Audi A6 the summer we moved into that house and that winter I had mice in the engine. The repairs to the wiring were over $1000 at that time. I guess they liked the heat from the engine. Where they went while I drove the car to work and other places I have no idea. We also found them in various other places in the garage. Finally I also used poison, feeling I had no choice.
Worse than that was that a couple of bats got into my attic and set up houskeeping there. A couple must have turned into a couple dozen before we noticed. Bats are protected and cannot be simply exterminated. I had to put in a system where they could get out but not back in and reseal all of the vents. That was also over $1000.
And then there was living without water when electricity went out because the well pump didn't work...
And the 25 minute drive
each way to a supermarket...
And the fact that if my house caught fire all they would (could) save was the cellar hole because there were no hydrants...
And the deer coming by to forage in the winter, destroying some of my evergreen plantings...
Despite all of this I loved it while I was there, and there are parts of it I miss. But being a mile or two from a supermarket, several shopping centers, the gym, a post office, a hospital, and a fire station does have its advantages too.
