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 -

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

rlovinggood wrote:


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.

Wish I could live where the trailer could stay outside.

brrrrrr


Sarah

On Jan 5, 7:29*pm, rlovinggood wrote:
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

Probably the main reason they didn't get into your old trailer is
because you didn't leave food in the glider. Thats a sure fire mouse
invitation.

Park your empty trailer on some nice bright concrete on a sunny day
and get in and close it up. Then, just look around for all the light
leaks to find where the little *******s are getting in. A bright
spotlight inside on a dark night will work too. You might be
surprised when you really start looking. It only takes one tiny
opening and a reason and they will TRASH everything! Dont get me
started!

Is your old trailer available?

MM

rlovinggood wrote:
All,

Thanks for your inputs... 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...

Ray,

It almost certainly never happened because you never left food in the
trailer/cockpit, and, the trailer to overwinter unattended.

As others have already noted, food - absence of, really - is the key.
Mice aren't very bright, are nearsighted, and forage primarily for food.
Basically, they have Zero Incentive to go anywhere they don't have
reason to suspect food calls. Why would they waste energy exploring an
aerial desert (i.e. a glider trailer) - unless it's not really a desert?

If it's good for your soul to try and block all entrances, have at it,
but if you do only one thing to your glider/trailer...eliminate stored
food (including crumbs)!!!

Regards,
Bob - Mom's paid mousecatcher - W.

On Jan 6, 1:16*pm, Bob Whelan wrote:
rlovinggood wrote:
All,

Thanks for your inputs... *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...

Ray,

It almost certainly never happened because you never left food in the
trailer/cockpit, and, the trailer to overwinter unattended.

As others have already noted, food - absence of, really - is the key.
Mice aren't very bright, are nearsighted, and forage primarily for food.
* * Basically, they have Zero Incentive to go anywhere they don't have
reason to suspect food calls. *Why would they waste energy exploring an
aerial desert (i.e. a glider trailer) - unless it's not really a desert?

If it's good for your soul to try and block all entrances, have at it,
but if you do only one thing to your glider/trailer...eliminate stored
food (including crumbs)!!!

Regards,
Bob - Mom's paid mousecatcher - W.

The problem is that mice will bring food along and store it in your
glider if you haven't already provided them with some. They have a
lot of spare time and can pile up some impressive stashes. They also
like protected spaces to build nests for raising families. Any
material that they can shred becomes nest. Build them OUT is the only
sure way.

I forgot to mention in my first post that live traps are pretty good
too; better than poison.

MM

Ok gang, first of all, the old trailer was sold about two years ago.
Oh, you can't imagine how happy I was, and remain, to move into the
new trailer, even if it is a "mickey mouse" trailer now...

Today, after completing the Annual Condition Inspection, I spent a few
hours with vacuum cleaner, compressed air hose, wash bucket and rags
and attacked both glider and glider trailer. I also cleaned out every
bit of scrap food that I could find. I'm sure I have the cleanest
trailer at our field right now. Probably can't say that I have the
cleanest glider because I just can't get in every nook and cranny and
it is 38 years old, plus or minus, now.

As to shredding for a nest, oh yea. I had several blue shop paper
towels in the cockpit and some had been shredded for nesting. I had
some foam padding up front of the trailer and the little bugger had
dug a nice little spot between the two sheets. Not sure why he went
to the trouble because it was the "egg crate" style stuff to start
with. Oh yea, there was a plastic grocery bag that was shredded. And
mouse "croutons" in many places.

A quick check of the electrics didn't find any problems. By "quick" I
mean I connected the battery and turned everything on and did a "radio
check".

Not yet have I done a pressure check (vacuum check) on the pnuematics,
but that will come when I can find a reasonable weather day (I'll be
working outside...)

At the end of the day, I placed a small plastic container in the rear
of the trailer. Inside are the miniature "Lincoln Logs" produced in
one day by my wife's pet ferret. After the trailer was closed up and
tied down, I almost forgot the fabric softener sheet. I meant to
place it in the cockpit, but in a rush to go, I just placed it inside
of the cargo door. So there's poop in the rear and fabric softener up
front. Oh yea, she's gonna smell nice when I open it up! :-)

Ray

On Jan 6, 8:43*pm, rlovinggood wrote:
Ok gang, first of all, the old trailer was sold about two years ago.
Oh, you can't imagine how happy I was, and remain, to move into the
new trailer, even if it is a "mickey mouse" trailer now...

Today, after completing the Annual Condition Inspection, I spent a few
hours with vacuum cleaner, compressed air hose, wash bucket and rags
and attacked both glider and glider trailer. *I also cleaned out every
bit of scrap food that I could find. *I'm sure I have the cleanest
trailer at our field right now. *Probably can't say that I have the
cleanest glider because I just can't get in every nook and cranny and
it is 38 years old, plus or minus, now.

As to shredding for a nest, oh yea. *I had several blue shop paper
towels in the cockpit and some had been shredded for nesting. *I had
some foam padding up front of the trailer and the little bugger had
dug a nice little spot between the two sheets. *Not sure why he went
to the trouble because it was the "egg crate" style stuff to start
with. *Oh yea, there was a plastic grocery bag that was shredded. *And
mouse "croutons" in many places.

A quick check of the electrics didn't find any problems. *By "quick" I
mean I connected the battery and turned everything on and did a "radio
check".

Not yet have I done a pressure check (vacuum check) on the pnuematics,
but that will come when I can find a reasonable weather day (I'll be
working outside...)

At the end of the day, I placed a small plastic container in the rear
of the trailer. *Inside are the miniature "Lincoln Logs" produced in
one day by my wife's pet ferret. *After the trailer was closed up and
tied down, I almost forgot the fabric softener sheet. *I meant to
place it in the cockpit, but in a rush to go, I just placed it inside
of the cargo door. *So there's poop in the rear and fabric softener up
front. *Oh yea, she's gonna smell nice when I open it up! *:-)

Ray

To me,those fabric softener sheets smell just slightly less hidious
than mouse poop and worse than moth balls. Maybe my friends lay them
all over their gliders to keep ME away. Sure works!

MM