Lancia Motor Club

General => General Chat => Topic started by: fay66 on 09 April, 2015, 09:45:07 PM



Title: Got the little sod!
Post by: fay66 on 09 April, 2015, 09:45:07 PM
After two months of repeated visitations by a mouse/mice, I finally got him,
He/she had chewed up a kitchen roll, tissues, part of a cardboard box, a bubble envelope that's had a new handbrake cable in it for the past 15 years and my hi vis, jacket, had the bait out of two traps without setting them off, and more disagreeably had left a strong smell of mouse pee >:(
normally I don't like killing field mice but this one hadn't taken the hint, so a pair of modern traps were obtained and put in the boot, that got him.
Tuesday I'd emptied the boot out, cleaned up the debris, and got rid of the smell, I then plugged and taped two pressed holes that I think are into the chassis rails, and as that was all I could find I thought I'd solved where it was getting in, obviously not!
Just wonder why after "Fay" sitting in her airchamber in this garage for the last 7 years I've just had a problem with mice, just hope that the end, but I've still left the traps in the boot just in case!

Brian
8227 8) 8)


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: stanley sweet on 10 April, 2015, 09:18:09 AM
Don't forget they're there if you're ferreting about for tools!


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: fay66 on 28 April, 2015, 01:33:38 AM
I pulled "Fay" out of her garage to set off for the Bicester Heritage Brunch on Sunday to find that Mouse Number 3 had met his demise, I've reset the traps but I hope there's no more Suicidal Mice about ::)
Has anyone had any experience of the ultrasonic mice repellers?
As I'm thinking of trying one as I really don't like killing field mice, but have heard mixed reports of their effectiveness.

Brian
8227 8)


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: lancialulu on 28 April, 2015, 05:48:07 AM
Used ultrasonic repellers in our barn and seemed to work, but was marginal on the flying variety which I didnt mind apart from the poo below roosting point.....


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: fay66 on 28 April, 2015, 09:47:59 AM
Used ultrasonic repellers in our barn and seemed to work, but was marginal on the flying variety which I didnt mind apart from the poo below roosting point.....

Thanks Tim,
I'll give it a try

Brian
8227 8)


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: simonandjuliet on 28 April, 2015, 11:14:38 AM
Any suggestions for moles ?


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: lancialulu on 28 April, 2015, 11:19:19 AM
Used ultrasonic repellers in our barn and seemed to work, but was marginal on the flying variety which I didnt mind apart from the poo below roosting point.....
you need to buy the one that select different pests and adjustable audio output. The model I bought was from the states.....

Thanks Tim,
I'll give it a try

Brian
8227 8)


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: DavidLaver on 28 April, 2015, 11:34:59 AM

Moles...slow braising?


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: donw on 28 April, 2015, 07:31:04 PM
Ultrasonics were absolutely useless in my shed the only things that work are the BID CHEESE traps baited with peanut butter.

Don


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: lancialulu on 28 April, 2015, 07:40:06 PM
Bird-X TX-PRO/240 Transonic Electronic Pest Repeller.....


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: fay66 on 29 April, 2015, 12:22:11 AM
Any suggestions for moles ?
Have a look at this Simon.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-PACK-Sonic-Mole-Repeller-Trap-Humane-Deterrent-Scare-STV646-1000sq-Repellent-/400270801648?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5d31ffbaf0


Brian
8227 8)


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: fay66 on 29 April, 2015, 12:27:03 AM
Ultrasonics were absolutely useless in my shed the only things that work are the BID CHEESE traps baited with peanut butter.

Don
Thanks Don,
Although I still intend keeping the traps in the boot 'just in case', I'd like to see if one would keep them out of my airchamber, it would be near impossible physically to keep them out of the garage, but if I can deter them from getting inside the airchamber and then into the boot, it would be worthwhile.
Any tips on how to get rid of the smell of muse pee?

Brian
8227 8)


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: stanley sweet on 29 April, 2015, 09:15:22 AM
How do they get into the chamber Brian? Is it the type that inflates? I thought they zipped up tight and the only way air gets in/out is through filters?


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: RobD on 29 April, 2015, 03:34:01 PM
Living out in the sticks means rodents come with the territory so to speak. I'm pretty tolerant towards them in the garage, mainly because my car gets used frequently and doesn't sit still long enough for mice to make a home in it. Quite often if I'm working in the garage at night a common shrew comes out to have a nosey. I'd certainly wouldn't want to harm him .
 Those Big Cheese mouse traps are very effective , as illustrated by Brian, but like all traps are a bit indiscriminate. Ultrasonics can also work [in my experience] but the rats/mice/squirrels do seem to develop a tolerance towards them after a few weeks.

I've found a silenced 410 to be the best anti rodent defence. It's an un-amibiguous solution and creates minimum collateral damage to other species! Perhaps not the most practical solution to use in confined spaces though...
If you want to get rid of the mouse odour I'd suggest popping down to the local vets and get some of that neutralising fluid which biologically digests the source of the smell.


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: simonandjuliet on 29 April, 2015, 04:01:51 PM
I agree about the biological approach to odours, it works pretty well on tomcat pee, so mouse pee should be easy !


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: fay66 on 29 April, 2015, 04:45:28 PM
How do they get into the chamber Brian? Is it the type that inflates? I thought they zipped up tight and the only way air gets in/out is through filters?
Stan,
it's not the type that inflates as you have to let them down every time you take the car out then reinflate, unless things have changed.
I bought my airchamber back in 2001, it is held up by fiberglass poles and the roof is helped by chambers built in to the roof that you inflate separately, it has a big door at the front with a zip down both sides and the bottom is sealed by a velcro strip arrangement, the weak part as you drive over the bottom half of it every time you move the car in and out, mine is a bit the worse for wear after 14 years but still gives good service, there are two fans that run continuously and  a zipped flap in the front door you adjust to keep positive pressure inside the Airchamber and control the flow.
It has a zipped door either side so you can get in without having to open up the front, my garage just about holds the width of the air chamber with enough room for me to use only one of the side doors, probably one of the best buys I've ever had.
for the first 9 years "Fay" was in a lock up garage 4 miles away with no power, so I ran the fans using 85AH Leisure Batteries, I had two, one was on charge while the other was running the fans, these lasted a week, so every week I had to go and changed the batteries over, real pain at times but it also meant I checked "Fay" every week.
about 6 years ago a finally got a lock up in my village in a block of four, they back on to the side of my front garden so a hole was rapidly drilled through the wall and it's run on mains power and transformer ever since.

Photos are of my previous garage.

Brian
8227 8)


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: fay66 on 29 April, 2015, 04:51:43 PM
Living out in the sticks means rodents come with the territory so to speak. I'm pretty tolerant towards them in the garage, mainly because my car gets used frequently and doesn't sit still long enough for mice to make a home in it. Quite often if I'm working in the garage at night a common shrew comes out to have a nosey. I'd certainly wouldn't want to harm him .
 Those Big Cheese mouse traps are very effective , as illustrated by Brian, but like all traps are a bit indiscriminate. Ultrasonics can also work [in my experience] but the rats/mice/squirrels do seem to develop a tolerance towards them after a few weeks.

I've found a silenced 410 to be the best anti rodent defence. It's an un-amibiguous solution and creates minimum collateral damage to other species! Perhaps not the most practical solution to use in confined spaces though...
If you want to get rid of the mouse odour I'd suggest popping down to the local vets and get some of that neutralising fluid which biologically digests the source of the smell.
Thanks Rob,
They haven't tried to make a nest but just seem to come in and chew a bit of whatever takes their fancy, and it's the first time I've had the problem, not really room in the boot for me & my .22 air Rifle so I think that's out ;D
Didn't think of the neutralising fluid, I already have something similar for if my dogs have an accident indoors.

Brian
8227 8)


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: stanley sweet on 29 April, 2015, 05:14:10 PM
Looks like a good set up. My car spent many years in terrible leaky garages. I think the only reason it survived is because I had it waxoyled as soon as I got it and it had only just arrived from Italy. Since 2006 it's been a 100% dry garage attached to the house. I have a dehumidifier in there also. Ideally I'd like a garage big enough to open doors, remove wheels etc so that work can be done at leisure inside but I'm happy just to have a dry one at last.


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: neil-yaj396 on 29 April, 2015, 05:32:01 PM
So Brian, where do the mice get into the air chamber? If you found their entrance you may be able to block it?


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: lancialulu on 29 April, 2015, 06:09:09 PM
So Brian, where do the mice get into the air chamber? If you found their entrance you may be able to block it?

I always say put the traps away from the nesting roosting sleeping zone. More traps attract!!!


Title: Re: Got the little sod!
Post by: fay66 on 30 April, 2015, 09:21:48 AM
So Brian, where do the mice get into the air chamber? If you found their entrance you may be able to block it?

They get in at the bottom of the front door, the strip at the bottom with the velcro has torn and deteriorated over the years, I do mean to get around to repairing it but I'm not quite sure how, as the plastic is torn I've tried taping it but that doesn't last long, it's the weak part of the design as you drive over it all the time.
Brian
8227 8)