Keeping mice out of the boat/camper during the offseeson

[FISHFORLIFE]

Ok, I know it's to early to put the boat and camper away for the year, but the time is comming, just wondering what everyone uses to keep those pests out, and suggestions would help, thanks

[IcePro]

I use Bounce Fabric Softner sheets. Buy a box and put them every where in your camper or boat. I store my camper in an old barn and not have had any problems.

Remember to remove any food out of the camper.

[Guest]

I second that.

[minneman]

Dont do it! 2 years in a row I had mice build nests right on the stuff in my sled.

bounce does not work! moth balls.

[fishtrap2]

I put lots of Decon out. They'll always find their way in. I just make sure they have something to eat once the show up. I used to worry about finding dead mice in my trailer, but for some reason they seem to leave before they die. Another thing to remove is any potential source of bedding material (toilet paper, paper towels, etc.).

[Try Too Fish]

All of the above are good,I also like to put out several of those sticky traps too catch the ********!!

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Try Too Fish
Forced Too Work!!

[wall eyell be]

Hey
You could try letting a cat spend the winter in your camper.

[This message has been edited by wall eyell be (edited 10-20-2003).]

[Steve Bakken]

We keep dozens of customer's boats in our storage shed over the winter and mouse damage would be a very bad thing, so we always put the poison outside of the boats. They're so happy about the free food that by the time they get around to looking for a spot to nest, the poison kicks in and that's the end of that. We've never had one make it into the boat.

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Steve @ Bakken's Boat Shop www.bakkensboatshop.com

[TNT4ME]

I've tried all the above and with mixed results,bounce works some times, moth balls work some times also but smell awful,the best luck we've had is with whole cloves,(and some poison throw packs for back up)if you buy the cloves from food co-op's by the pound they aren't to spendy and the smell is pleasant, just throw them loose around what ever you are storing, clean up in the spring and like i said they have a nice aroma to them.
store away.
tnt

[Bushwacker]

Surface Tension,
A little entertainment while taking care of a problem. You should put a video camera above the trap. I have one made with two boards running up the outside of the pail and peanut butter around the inside of the pail about 2" down. They can't help but dive in and drown in the 4" of water on the bottom. Record is 30 mice in a week.

[Bobb-o]

another fun thing to do is hunt them with the BB gun. Turn off most of the lights and leave some bread in the middle of the floor of the garage, when they go out to eat it shoot them with the BB gun, a really fun way to hone your shooting skills

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Diplomacy - The art of saying "nice doggie" while you find a rock.

[FISHFORLIFE]

Thanks for all the posts, they are all great, keep em comming

[can it be luck?]

That's what I'm talking about! Cool trap. I have a feeling that if a guy were to set out that trap, the opposite would happen. Excitement to check the trap every day and dissapointment on an empty bucket. More bait!

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http://groups.msn.com/canitbeluck

[Dave]

That photo above is what Joe Soucheray (AM1500) was talking about on his show the other day. Callers were saying they'd catch mice left and right with that contraption.

[Steve Bakken]

I LIKE IT!!! Maybe it's just a guy thing, but it just so much more satisfying than a simple mouse trap or poison. It's like-vindication, getting the last laugh. It's sad that we guys get such enjoyment out of such a simple thing, but this is war, man! It's them or us.

[Surface Tension]

Mouse-O-Matic or
"sunFlowerseeds For Algernon"

Make a ramp to the access holes.
Axel hole for pop can about 8"
Use 3" of water for summer use and in winter windshield wash solution(dispose of fluid responsibly)
Apply a 1" strip of peanut butter around the middle of the can then stick sunflower seeds into the peanut butter.
When the mouse steps onto the can he better be a good log roller of he's about to take his last swim.
Maybe not as swift a death as a snap trap but quicker then poison.

[This message has been edited by Surface Tension (edited 10-21-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Surface Tension (edited 09-03-2004).]

[Guest]

Nice contraption, Surface!

I've been using Irish Spring bars in my Boat with no issues, Manly, Yes, and Mice hate the smell!

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Chells

[can it be luck?]

Poison tipped bamboo pungy sticks on the bottom of the bucket?

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http://groups.msn.com/canitbeluck

[Insp Gadget]

Nice work ST! Love it! The readon you don't often find poisoned mice is they d-con makes them need to drink. they go out the way they came in to find water and they don't make it back to the buffet for round 2.

I know a guy who keeps a half pail of water in the furnace room of his cabin with a yard stick leading to the top and they smell the water and march right up and walk the plank. That way he doesn't have to worry that they'll find a drink and hide then die. He does keep his basement heated to 50 though.

ST, you sure that's the rightname for that thing?? Looks like it should be the Binford Mouse-O-Matic 6100 to me!

[This message has been edited by Insp Gadget (edited 10-22-2003).]

[IFallsRon]

We keep a couple small boxes of scented laundry detergent in the camper to keep out pests and for the fresh smell. Also clean up any leftover food items. Of course, all that hasn't kept a varmint from chewing on rubber hoses. I lost the shorty hose that supplies from a bulk tank to a campstove this summer. The varmint got a power whiff when the propane broke loose.

[Guest]

YA, That picture ST gave is just like what Joe said on Garage Logic. I would have to think it would work great!
Also if you have a bunch of 1 or 2 gallon ice cream pails that are sitting around they would work too!

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Fish ON!

[Surface Tension]

What station and time is garage logic on in Duluth?
If heard about the show.

[TN_RiverRat]

Now I use my boat 12 months of the year. In cold weather you can't beat moth balls.I stored one without anything in a relatives barn when I lived up north. Believe me, nothing, short of a fully rotted fish compares to mice. I still use them (a few) all during cold weather.

[Gadgetman]

S.T. Joe is on 610 or 650 am and I think that his time slot up there is 3 - 6. Great show tune him in if you need a chuckle.I am not totally sure about the station as he used to be on 560 but when they changed the format they dumped G.L.

[Dave]

Duluth, MN KDAL-AM 610 M-F 3-6P

You can listen to the shows on the Internet now, too

[Surface Tension]

Thanks guys.