Commodious Rodent Entrance in Grob 103

[George Haeh]

Last year we cleaned out and restored our club G-103.

For rodent proofing we:

* stuffed part of a stainless steel pot scrubber around the brake hose where it comes out of the gear well

* made a magnetic cover for the CG hook, and

* a diaper to fit over the bottom of the the fin and rudder junction

* left Fresh Cab mouse repellent in the cockpit over the winter

Doing the annual after Covid19 delay, we found abundant mouse droppings in several areas along with one dead and one live field mouse caught by the vacuum.

I had another look inside the gear well and discovered an open tube about an inch in diameter below and towards the center from the brake hose.

Inside that tube supports the brake reservoir. Said tube now has a stainless scrubber stuffed into both ends.

Perhaps the tube is there for the retraction mechanism of the earlier model.

[Waveguru]

One of the most effective ways to keep rodents out of your sailplanes is to stop eating any food in the glider. If people are eating in the glider they invariably drop crumbs which will attract rodents.

Boggs

[Dan Marotta]

I've seen gliders stored in a hangar with the wheels surrounded by sheet
metal walls.Â* Don't know how well that works.Â* I've also seen "mouse
paper", a super sticky paper, spread around the wheels to trap them.Â*
Might be worth a try.

On 6/13/2020 8:33 PM, Waveguru wrote:
> One of the most effective ways to keep rodents out of your sailplanes is to stop eating any food in the glider. If people are eating in the glider they invariably drop crumbs which will attract rodents.
>
> Boggs
>

--
Dan, 5J

[AS]

On Saturday, June 13, 2020 at 10:28:05 PM UTC-4, George Haeh wrote:
> Last year we cleaned out and restored our club G-103.
>
> For rodent proofing we:
>
> * stuffed part of a stainless steel pot scrubber around the brake hose where it comes out of the gear well
>
> * made a magnetic cover for the CG hook, and
>
> * a diaper to fit over the bottom of the the fin and rudder junction
>
> * left Fresh Cab mouse repellent in the cockpit over the winter
>
> Doing the annual after Covid19 delay, we found abundant mouse droppings in several areas along with one dead and one live field mouse caught by the vacuum.
>
> I had another look inside the gear well and discovered an open tube about an inch in diameter below and towards the center from the brake hose.
>
> Inside that tube supports the brake reservoir. Said tube now has a stainless scrubber stuffed into both ends.
>
> Perhaps the tube is there for the retraction mechanism of the earlier model.

Employing a couple of hangar-cats may hep. Did the trick in the hangar of a club I used to fly with in the NE.

Uli
'AS'

[Roy B.]

Old fashioned method that still works:
Partially fill a couple of old socks with regular naphthalene mothballs and put the socks inside the cockpit and wings. Mice hate the smell and go away. Of course, you might too . . .
Roy

[[email protected]]

Gotta be the traditional naphthalene but it does work. Only thing I’ve found that does

[Nick Kennedy[_3_]]

This could go Into Story Time:

I'm in the towplane; were giving rides in our mouse laden L-13.
The pilot is strapping in the passenger in the front and I'm parked in the tug in front of the Blanik at a 45 degree angle, watching the scene, when a mouse drops out of the front of the glider to the asphalt , runs underneath the ship to the back and jumps back in. They canopy's are closed and locked and off we all go. I was cracking up knowing there was a mouse along for the ride.
We also used mothballs tied up in pantyhose and put around the mainwheel and tailwheel, this helped for sure but the mouse battle was unending. A electric rodent chaser based on high frequency noise also seemed to help, but you need power for that.
Nick
T

[Waveguru]

I was cracking up knowing there was a mouse along for the ride.

Sounds like a set up for another tow pilot fatality.....

Boggs

[Hightime]

Walk the plank in a 5 gallon pail works great
The new design means you can keep the lid on unlike the old design , it helps to keep dogs and smell and sensitive public eyes from seeing The dead mice
I use 50/50 to keep the mice fresh , then bury them
Just build a small walkway up to the opening in the pail , I don’t even bait the walkway anymore since mice go everywhere anyway , one after the other walks the plank

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/132445369253

[2G]

On Monday, June 15, 2020 at 10:31:15 AM UTC-7, Hightime wrote:
> Walk the plank in a 5 gallon pail works great
> The new design means you can keep the lid on unlike the old design , it helps to keep dogs and smell and sensitive public eyes from seeing The dead mice
> I use 50/50 to keep the mice fresh , then bury them
> Just build a small walkway up to the opening in the pail , I don’t even bait the walkway anymore since mice go everywhere anyway , one after the other walks the plank
>
> https://www.ebay.ca/itm/132445369253

The Rolling Log mouse trap works great and is self-resettable:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SIlYiiCGLI

Tom

[Delta8]

The most simple effective mouse trap . Use antifreeze in winter.
Put one in your hangar.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SIlYiiCGLI

[Shaun Wheeler]

On Saturday, June 13, 2020 at 9:28:05 PM UTC-5, George Haeh wrote:
> Last year we cleaned out and restored our club G-103.
>
> For rodent proofing we:
>
> * stuffed part of a stainless steel pot scrubber around the brake hose where it comes out of the gear well
>
> * made a magnetic cover for the CG hook, and
>
> * a diaper to fit over the bottom of the the fin and rudder junction
>
> * left Fresh Cab mouse repellent in the cockpit over the winter
>
> Doing the annual after Covid19 delay, we found abundant mouse droppings in several areas along with one dead and one live field mouse caught by the vacuum.
>
> I had another look inside the gear well and discovered an open tube about an inch in diameter below and towards the center from the brake hose.
>
> Inside that tube supports the brake reservoir. Said tube now has a stainless scrubber stuffed into both ends.
>
> Perhaps the tube is there for the retraction mechanism of the earlier model.

Mice will actually come after salt. Even if you eliminate foodstuffs from the cockpit the sweat in straps and belts is probably going to draw them in.

[2G]

On Friday, June 19, 2020 at 4:25:25 PM UTC-7, Shaun Wheeler wrote:
> On Saturday, June 13, 2020 at 9:28:05 PM UTC-5, George Haeh wrote:
> > Last year we cleaned out and restored our club G-103.
> >
> > For rodent proofing we:
> >
> > * stuffed part of a stainless steel pot scrubber around the brake hose where it comes out of the gear well
> >
> > * made a magnetic cover for the CG hook, and
> >
> > * a diaper to fit over the bottom of the the fin and rudder junction
> >
> > * left Fresh Cab mouse repellent in the cockpit over the winter
> >
> > Doing the annual after Covid19 delay, we found abundant mouse droppings in several areas along with one dead and one live field mouse caught by the vacuum.
> >
> > I had another look inside the gear well and discovered an open tube about an inch in diameter below and towards the center from the brake hose.
> >
> > Inside that tube supports the brake reservoir. Said tube now has a stainless scrubber stuffed into both ends.
> >
> > Perhaps the tube is there for the retraction mechanism of the earlier model.
>
> Mice will actually come after salt. Even if you eliminate foodstuffs from the cockpit the sweat in straps and belts is probably going to draw them in.

They also want dry, sheltered places (particularly from predators) to make nests.

[George Haeh]

Once one mouse finds a way in, every other mouse in the vicinity can/will follow the scent trail.