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#1
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Rodent Deterrent?
I opened up my trailer today and found a live mouse in the cockpit.
Naturally, there was a lot of mouse poop in the cockpit and in the trailer. I had made at least one mistake of leaving a good supply of crackers and granola bars in the cockpit and up front in the trailer. Little bugger had a great home, complete with large food supply. Tomorrow, the glider will get its annual condition inspection and I'll be looking closely at tubing and wiring. I don't know if I'll have a chance to do a leak check tomorrow on the system, but I will soon. My quick look today didn't show any teeth marks. Does anyone know a deterrent to rodents? How can I keep them out of the trailer? The trailer stays parked outside, unfortunately. Would moth balls work if placed in both the trailer and the cockpit? Thanks, Ray Lovinggood Carrboro, North Carolina, USA |
#2
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Rodent Deterrent?
Ray,
Don't you have some ferrets?? They are your answer to getting the mice to de-ass your trailer! Brad see.............mousebgone.com On Jan 5, 3:37*pm, rlovinggood wrote: I opened up my trailer today and found a live mouse in the cockpit. Naturally, there was a lot of mouse poop in the cockpit and in the trailer. *I had made at least one mistake of leaving a good supply of crackers and granola bars in the cockpit and up front in the trailer. Little bugger had a great home, complete with large food supply. Tomorrow, the glider will get its annual condition inspection and I'll be looking closely at tubing and wiring. *I don't know if I'll have a chance to do a leak check tomorrow on the system, but I will soon. *My quick look today didn't show any teeth marks. Does anyone know a deterrent to rodents? *How can I keep them out of the trailer? *The trailer stays parked outside, unfortunately. *Would moth balls work if placed in both the trailer and the cockpit? Thanks, Ray Lovinggood Carrboro, North Carolina, USA |
#3
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Rodent Deterrent?
Brad,
Yes, my wife has a ferret, "Wolfgang". But I don't know if she'll like me for leaving her fert in the trailer that is about 56 miles from the house. But, she is in Belgium right now and will be there through early March (they call it "sabbatical". I call it an extended vacation...) I wonder what little Wolfgang would think about running up and down inside the fuselage? I'll also look into mousebgone.com. Thanks, Ray |
#4
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Rodent Deterrent?
Ray,
when you clean out Wolfgangs litter box, put a little bit of that special stuff in a small tray and put it in the trailer. Years ago when I was rebuilding my ASK-14 wings, I noticed when I removed the canvas there was a conga line of dead baby mice spread out along the spar. I had put some ferret stuff in the wing root cuz I heard mice running around inside. Apparently mom left and the baby mice went looking for her. Brad On Jan 5, 4:02*pm, rlovinggood wrote: Brad, Yes, my wife has a ferret, "Wolfgang". *But I don't know if she'll like me for leaving her fert in the trailer that is about 56 miles from the house. But, she is in Belgium right now and will be there through early March (they call it "sabbatical". *I call it an extended vacation...) I wonder what little Wolfgang would think about running up and down inside the fuselage? I'll also look into mousebgone.com. Thanks, Ray |
#5
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Rodent Deterrent?
Brad:
EXCELLENT! Little Wolfgang does leave a pile every day and I'll take some with me tomorrow morning. Ferret Poop in the Trailer! Hope my wife doesn't find out. If she does, she'll probably charge me for the service... Thanks for the info. And thanks for the link to mousebgone.com where they sell the stuff that I can get here every day. Ray |
#6
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Rodent Deterrent?
Ray,
The best way to keep mice away is to prevent them from getting inside in the first place. That means patching up every little nook, cranny, seam, gap, hole, crack that a mouse could get through. And they can get through amazingly small openings. 1/4 inch hardward cloth is good as is aluminum flashing. Self tapping sheet metal screws are wonderful. Then, make sure you leave nothing food-like inside the trailer. Then hang original style Napthaline moth balls by the handfull in old nylons in the wing roots, spoiler boxes, and fuselage. Remove before flight. Then put some of the really deadly (not warfrin) mouse killer bars in the trailer (in containers accessable to mice but not dogs and cats that might show up around the trailer some fateful day in the future) If you do all that you will probably not have any mouse damage come springtime. The damage can be considerable especially corrosion from mouse urine. The smell can be impossible to remove and is nearly fatal in an enclosed cockpit on a warm day. Matt On Jan 5, 5:37*pm, rlovinggood wrote: I opened up my trailer today and found a live mouse in the cockpit. Naturally, there was a lot of mouse poop in the cockpit and in the trailer. *I had made at least one mistake of leaving a good supply of crackers and granola bars in the cockpit and up front in the trailer. Little bugger had a great home, complete with large food supply. Tomorrow, the glider will get its annual condition inspection and I'll be looking closely at tubing and wiring. *I don't know if I'll have a chance to do a leak check tomorrow on the system, but I will soon. *My quick look today didn't show any teeth marks. Does anyone know a deterrent to rodents? *How can I keep them out of the trailer? *The trailer stays parked outside, unfortunately. *Would moth balls work if placed in both the trailer and the cockpit? Thanks, Ray Lovinggood Carrboro, North Carolina, USA |
#7
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Rodent Deterrent?
You are most welcome..............ferrets rule!
Brad On Jan 5, 4:24*pm, rlovinggood wrote: Brad: EXCELLENT! *Little Wolfgang does leave a pile every day and I'll take some with me tomorrow morning. Ferret Poop in the Trailer! Hope my wife doesn't find out. *If she does, she'll probably charge me for the service... Thanks for the info. *And thanks for the link to mousebgone.com *where they sell the stuff that I can get here every day. Ray |
#8
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Rodent Deterrent?
rlovinggood wrote:
I opened up my trailer today and found a live mouse in the cockpit. Naturally, there was a lot of mouse poop in the cockpit and in the trailer. I had made at least one mistake of leaving a good supply of crackers and granola bars in the cockpit and up front in the trailer. Little bugger had a great home, complete with large food supply. Tomorrow, the glider will get its annual condition inspection and I'll be looking closely at tubing and wiring. I don't know if I'll have a chance to do a leak check tomorrow on the system, but I will soon. My quick look today didn't show any teeth marks. Does anyone know a deterrent to rodents? How can I keep them out of the trailer? The trailer stays parked outside, unfortunately. Would moth balls work if placed in both the trailer and the cockpit? Thanks, Ray Lovinggood Carrboro, North Carolina, USA Ray Matt is right on...build them out. However, if one gets past that effort, a glue trap is very effective, especially if you place a small dab of peanut butter in the center. They can't resist the stuff and it is likely that they will cruise right on by the wires and tubing to get to the trap. Put a large piece of cloth in the cockpit because he might spread a bit of glue about trying to escape. Usually they get glue in the nose and mouth and quickly suffocate. Once a month or so, check the trap and replace it if occupied or refresh the PB if not. One word of warning...don't forget about it and sit on it for an entire flight. Ask me how I know this? Paul |
#9
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Rodent Deterrent?
years ago a friend and I checked out a homebuilt wooden motorglider,
think it was an Oldershaw? The wings were stored LE down in the trailer and the mice had moved in. The LE at the root rib was rotten due to all that mouse urine..........Matt is right on with that comment!. Brad On Jan 5, 4:29*pm, wrote: Ray, The best way to keep mice away is to prevent them from getting inside in the first place. *That means patching up every little nook, cranny, seam, gap, hole, crack that a mouse could get through. *And they can get through amazingly small openings. 1/4 inch hardward cloth is good as is aluminum flashing. *Self tapping sheet metal screws are wonderful. Then, make sure you leave nothing food-like inside the trailer. Then hang original style Napthaline moth balls by the handfull in old nylons in the wing roots, spoiler boxes, and fuselage. *Remove before flight. Then put some of the really deadly (not warfrin) mouse killer bars in the trailer (in containers accessable to mice but not dogs and cats that might show up around the trailer some fateful day in the future) If you do all that you will probably not have any mouse damage come springtime. *The damage can be considerable especially corrosion from mouse urine. *The smell can be impossible to remove and is nearly fatal in an enclosed cockpit on a warm day. Matt On Jan 5, 5:37*pm, rlovinggood wrote: I opened up my trailer today and found a live mouse in the cockpit. Naturally, there was a lot of mouse poop in the cockpit and in the trailer. *I had made at least one mistake of leaving a good supply of crackers and granola bars in the cockpit and up front in the trailer. Little bugger had a great home, complete with large food supply. Tomorrow, the glider will get its annual condition inspection and I'll be looking closely at tubing and wiring. *I don't know if I'll have a chance to do a leak check tomorrow on the system, but I will soon. *My quick look today didn't show any teeth marks. Does anyone know a deterrent to rodents? *How can I keep them out of the trailer? *The trailer stays parked outside, unfortunately. *Would moth balls work if placed in both the trailer and the cockpit? Thanks, Ray Lovinggood Carrboro, North Carolina, USA- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - |
#10
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Rodent Deterrent?
All,
Thanks for your inputs. The trailer is a "Swan", which is a clamshell, fiberglass top, trailer that looks a bit like an older Cobra or Komet. The only place I think they could get in is at the rear where the top comes down on the tailgate. Not sure if that is a tight, i.e., smaller than a mouse, seal or not. If that is the opening, I'll have to see what can be done to make it tighter. Don't think hardware cloth is the answer in this case. While I do enjoy the new trailer, I guess it has a fault: It makes a nice mouse home. While my old trailer had several faults, I can't blame it for attracting rodents. Heck, it probably repelled them with its sheer ugliness. Since it wasn't very weather tight, with large gaps between the rear (and only) door and the trailer frame, and could have allowed LARGE critters in, I'm kind of surprised this never happened when I had that trailer. Guess it was too ugly outside and too cold inside. I guess the little furries didn't find it as attractive as the nice new Swan. Wish I could live where the trailer could stay inside a nice building and my wife's pets could keep the unwanted critters at bay. But it stays tied down outside. Thanks, Ray |
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