Anything sealed in #10 cans is basically rodent-proof. Also Home Depot or your local feed store will sell you 35- or 50-gallon steel trash cans -- put the lid on tightly and no critters are getting in or out.

 

If you in addition, put heavy bricks on top of the lid of those steel trash cans, then you'll even keep smarter critters out. However, those cans must be tight fitting, no dents in the lid to upper trash can's sealing area, because mice and rodents can fit in to very small holes - mice more so then rats.

If the lid doesn't fit tightly enough, you could just put aluminum foil over the trash can opening and then put the lid over that to get a tighter fit on the cheap.

 

I reuse glass jars with lids, and metal popcorn tins. I have not had any rodents eat into 5 gallon buckets.

 

I have a dead refrigerator I got for free. I pulled the compressor, etc out to make it lighter and use that to store stuff that is not in glass or cans. I cut a hole in the roof of it and put an aluminum filter from a stove hood in it to get some circulation in it and prevent mold. No problems so far.

 

MOTH BALLS !!!!

 

I read that rodents can chew through thin metal, thus if you had thicker metal round bins, they would not be able to get in them. #10 cans are even recommended to be stored in metal trash bins, because if a rodent is hungry enough, they will eventually get through the metal. Plus, you don't want their pee contaminating the outside of the cans anyway. Sorry, no resource link as I can't remember where I read this in the past several days.

 

Little A-holes WILL eat thru Spam cans…I use stainless trash cans…Have my Spam in surplus rocket boxes