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 -

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