Portable Ice House Storage

[Zaraspooks]

I purchased a new Yukon portable this season and will be storing it in my shed out back. Any suggestions on how to make it rodent proof. I heard that fabric softener sheets work. Any other ideas would be appreciated.

[Dan Thiem]

If the tent part comes off the floor part unhook it and fold it up. Then put it in a plastic tote that has a tight lid.

I put dryer sheets and peppermint oil in it, then I put it in the Rubbermaid tote. It's probably gonna reek when I get it back out.

[Phred52]

Zaraspooks, Rodents can and will use dryer sheets for nest material (as per a local Plunketts Technician). I have successfully been using oil of peppermint on cotton balls for the last 5 or 6 years for boat storage and haven't found as much as a turd in my boat in spring(and it smells a lot better than mothballs too!). As for my fish-house tents, I have a Yukon (I've converted to snaps) and a 5600, so I can remove the tents and store them in the house. Phred52

[Nutty Fisherman]

I have done the moth ball thing, and it seems to work. They used to get in my out board motor cover, and chew the wires off before I started useing the moth balls.

[Redwalleye]

I tired fabric softner sheets in all of mine, and nest they will do. I now have the softest squirell furs in the state and the best smelling mice. I think moth balls or a cat are the safest.

REd

[RoadRunner]

Phred52, That's a great idea. Do you just use those silver push snaps or do you use something different that works well?

[picksbigwagon]

I have a voyager and I am building a new work bench in my garage so I can slide it under the work bench. the bench is going to to 40" wide, by 7 feet long by about 46" high, so I can put a shelf on top of the voyager. I'm 6'7" and a 46" work bench will be just about right.

[pathogen]

Moth balls are what I've always used. It doesn't take much airing out to get rid of the smell, maybe set it up in the back yard a day before you go out for the first time in the fall. The one time I didn't use moth balls....my house magically developed several holes over the summer!

[Phred52]

Roadrunner, I went to the fabric store and bought 2 pkgs of their heavy duty, plated brass snaps, Yes, "push snaps".Where the tent was fastened to the sled with that channel and screws, I just bored out the screw holes to 3/16" so I could pop rivet the "male" 1/2 of the snap on the bottom side of the lip of the sled. No new or extra holes in the tent, all the snaps "line up", and you're pulling the snap to the side rather than "straight off". In other words, It's easy to snap the tent on, but it is almost impossible for the tent to come off by itself, eg,strong winds or tugging while setting up, etc. $10 in snaps and NO storage worries. It's worth it too me.

[poutpro]

That is a great idea Phred. I too just bought a new voyager, and don't really want to get another one next winter. I'll probably have to try your idea.

[Riptide]

I have a Voyager and i took 4 hooks and screwed them into my ceiling garage trusses. Then just had 2 ratchet straps looped around he house and tightened the house right to the ceiling which is sheetrocked. I don't have a rodent problem at my house but it keeps the house out of the way for the summer.

[RoadRunner]

Thanks for sharing!!!

[fishkid]

my dad and i have a yukon so wwe just put the travel cover on it and duct taped the edge of the tarp to the plastic sled and put it on the garage floor. we thought it could work.

[BlackLabGuy]

I (like Riptide)have a Eskimo QFIII and am storing mine hooked to the ceiling in the garage. I removed all the pole & seat hardware from the sled (only a few bolts) so that the height/depth is only the sled rather than the extra needed. Worked great and doubt if mice will get it there !

[nytelyter]

my otter and the matching extra sled are both on the ceiling of my garage as well the otter has the cover onit and left the hitch on the sled too oh by the way i used bicycle hooks

[mechanictim]

The best way to rodent proof any thing is to put it where they can't get at it. Hanging from the ceiling or even hanging on the wall with the tub side toward the wall will do more than anything else at keeping the mice away.

A few mouse traps and some rat/mice baits will help cut the population and let you know how much of a problem you have.

On the lighter side you could "rescue" a few of those poor cheesehead cats that might get shot and give them legitimate employment.

[findergameandfish]

I have used cedar blocks in the inside of my classic car and that worked pretty well putting poison on the outside of the car that way they are not going into it to eat and this has worked well for me the last 5 years no sign of the mice in vehical and in the spring it doesnt smell that bad.

[LocalGuide]

I have cedar siding on the inside of our perm fish house. Wow, is that thing is rodent/insect free in the summer time!

The only spots that had very few spider webs were the windows. (big deal) I like that cedar siding for a inside of a house; it smells good, looks good and keeps rodents out!

[bluehat28]

I just got my boat out of storage..... mothballs dont work. My boat was full of weed seeds and mice .I dont leave any thing in it so all I had to do was clean up a shop vac full of seeds, lysol for the smell,set a trap line in my garage. P.S.I used red shop towels under the open cans of mothballs they reduced them to piles of red thread. M.T.

[Mike_D]

thanks Riptide - used your idea to secure the house using rachet staps, worked great.

[Phred52]

bluehat28, You really "roll out the red carpet" for your off season guests!!! Could I suggest using cotton balls with a few drops of 'oil of Peppermint' next time? The critters are allergic to mint and WILL avoid it, any way possible. As stated in my earlier post, I've used this method for the last 5 or 6 years and haven't found as much as a turd in my boat in the spring. The stuff is available in health food stores and comes most commonly in a 4 oz bottle. WELL worth the price! ESPECIALLY if they get into your wiring!

[bluehat28]

Thanks phred I will use any thing that works Decon pepermint, m80s m-16, any thing but moth balls so far my trap line has landed 6 of the little buggers.

[Duffer]

i did what riptide did but i used rope and pullys the ratchet stuff would work much nicer.

-Duffer