Mice
- Thread starter slowdog
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I don't keep anything that would attract them on the boat over the winter.
I make sure there isn't any direct line to get on the boat. Nothing leaning against it etc. The only way one can get on top of mine is up the front ware the winch is or fall 20' from a near by tree.
I make sure there isn't any direct line to get on the boat. Nothing leaning against it etc. The only way one can get on top of mine is up the front ware the winch is or fall 20' from a near by tree.
Try Dryer Fabric Sheets. When putting the boat away for the winter, after a good cleaning with Lysol. We put dryer sheets under the cushions and in the bilge. It's has worked for me for a lot of years. I do still put moth balls fore and aft. The dryer sheets give it a nice smell when you open it it spring.
Mice and most other rodents ABHOR peppermint oil and clove oil and will usually leave any immediate place where it has been applied.
As Ross states - spring traps !!!!!
The problem is once you remove them, you really have to seal all possible entryways to prevent re-infestation.
Also the 'clean up' after can be a health problem as mice droppings can contain hanta and other potent viruses .... never clean up 'dry' mouse crap', always 'spritz' it with 'clorox' first, but dont use a vacuum cleaner, use a brush and carefully dont 'raise the dust'; but, wear a 'good' disposable dust mask and 'goggles' anyway.
As Ross states - spring traps !!!!!
The problem is once you remove them, you really have to seal all possible entryways to prevent re-infestation.
Also the 'clean up' after can be a health problem as mice droppings can contain hanta and other potent viruses .... never clean up 'dry' mouse crap', always 'spritz' it with 'clorox' first, but dont use a vacuum cleaner, use a brush and carefully dont 'raise the dust'; but, wear a 'good' disposable dust mask and 'goggles' anyway.
It is nearly impossible to prevent mice from getting aboard. We use funnels on our dock lines. I think that using the oils on any lines would also steer them towards some other boat.
Our harbor folks put out poison in these special cages so domestic pets cannot get the stuff.
Our harbor folks put out poison in these special cages so domestic pets cannot get the stuff.
Harbor Freight sells a electronic squak box that sounds like a deranged alarm clock. Makes noises you can hear, and noises outside human hearing. I run one in my RV all winter, and no mice. One time, the box died. Before I replaced it, mice showed up. After another box, nothing. I also have problems with transients at my business. Plug the box in, mounted above my back door, and they move on also.
http://www.harborfreight.com/transonic-pro-pest-repeller-96743.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/transonic-pro-pest-repeller-96743.html
Thanks for this.
I will try one in my garage. I am sick of digging a nest out of my Wife's car every spring. They get right on top of the engine under a mess of stuff every time. May stick a dryer sheet in there too.
We used decon in a mobile home once, they went back behind the walls and DIED. The smell that started up about three days later was AMAZING. Don t use decon in areas where mice can reach inaccessible areas. Spring traps, steel cats, and sticky traps contain them. Thats what you want to do.
I heard one time years ago that putting out small bowls full of beer would work. The tale goes, that the mice likes beer, (as does most everybody), but they do not have the ability to burp, and it would kill them. I'm dead serious. This old gal that looked like Broom Hilda told it, and swore it worked. I've never tried it, as beer is a precious commodity; but who knows...
One of our neighbors put out poison and the water rats that ate it had the good grace to die in HIS attic.........
I think I'll try Garys pest machine on the !$&@" doves that have been leaving deposits on my boat!
I think I'll try Garys pest machine on the !$&@" doves that have been leaving deposits on my boat!
We owned a 23' Aquarious sailboat for over 30 years. Parked it in the back of the yard when not at dock; even let is sit unused for 10 years. Only once did we ever get mice in it. They made a mess, but because of available rolls of paper towels, they mostly chewed on that and left the important things like sails alone. It took us an entire day to clean up, and another day to put it back together.
Presume you have a fiberglass boat as we did. That means limited points of entry for the mice. We looked all over that boat and came up with only two possible points of entry and exit [When we found this, there were no mice on the boat, so they got in, but also managed to get out, which eliminated the air gap on the roof mounted cabin hatch. They might get in there, but unless they could fly, they could not get out there]. One was the center board cable. There was a small opening at the top where the cable attached to the winch. The second was the cockpit hatch, if there was enough of an opening when it was closed and locked.
Our solution was heavy duty aluminum foil. We crumpled it up an forced it into the small opening at the top of centerboard cable entry, and we twisted strips of foil into "loose ropes" and laid it around the cockpit hatch, then closed the hatch which compressed the foil and made a better "mouse seal" than before. We never got mice into it again.
As backup, we also included three mousetraps with peanut butter bait, and always left several rolls of paper towels available since they seemed to like that as first choice to chew on.
We never left any kind of food products on the boat while in storage.
We now own an O'day 240 and will use the above methods on it also.
Presume you have a fiberglass boat as we did. That means limited points of entry for the mice. We looked all over that boat and came up with only two possible points of entry and exit [When we found this, there were no mice on the boat, so they got in, but also managed to get out, which eliminated the air gap on the roof mounted cabin hatch. They might get in there, but unless they could fly, they could not get out there]. One was the center board cable. There was a small opening at the top where the cable attached to the winch. The second was the cockpit hatch, if there was enough of an opening when it was closed and locked.
Our solution was heavy duty aluminum foil. We crumpled it up an forced it into the small opening at the top of centerboard cable entry, and we twisted strips of foil into "loose ropes" and laid it around the cockpit hatch, then closed the hatch which compressed the foil and made a better "mouse seal" than before. We never got mice into it again.
As backup, we also included three mousetraps with peanut butter bait, and always left several rolls of paper towels available since they seemed to like that as first choice to chew on.
We never left any kind of food products on the boat while in storage.
We now own an O'day 240 and will use the above methods on it also.
Irish Spring
We have pack rats and mice. The pack rats hate Bounce dryer sheets and the mice hate original Irish Spring. I just slice a few chunks off and place them by the cleats or wherever mice might board.
We have pack rats and mice. The pack rats hate Bounce dryer sheets and the mice hate original Irish Spring. I just slice a few chunks off and place them by the cleats or wherever mice might board.
Wow! Forewarned is forearmed, I guess- I never realized rodents were such a problem! Thanks for the heads-up and excellent suggestions. The first thing I need to look at on the boat is the same as applied to my house- look at possible entry points and block them.
Over the years, I've never found a way to keep rats or mice off a boat if you are at a dock. If they want in they will chew through steel mesh screens.
However, getting rid of them is far easier than you'd think. Traps may work, but some of these creatures are pretty smart. I got 4 of 5 rats that I acquired in Marathon, in the Keys, but nothing would entice the last one near any sort of trap. I don't like poisons, as a liveaboard, because the rodent can crawl into some nook and die, stinking up the boat for some time.
I found the solution to be bleach. These animals must have water and even salty bilge water seems sufficient. Pour a bit of bleach into your bilge and that rat or mouse will be gone in a couple of days. No muss, no fuss.
On a similar note; those with a cockroach problem should use boric acid powder. Just sprinkle it around in cupboards, lockers and under the floorboards and you will not have any more roaches. It does take some time, possibly a couple of months for all the eggs to hatch and finish the cycle. It is not poisonous to human nor animal; it dissolves the wax on the shell of the roach and they dehydrate to death. Oh shut up PITA.
However, getting rid of them is far easier than you'd think. Traps may work, but some of these creatures are pretty smart. I got 4 of 5 rats that I acquired in Marathon, in the Keys, but nothing would entice the last one near any sort of trap. I don't like poisons, as a liveaboard, because the rodent can crawl into some nook and die, stinking up the boat for some time.
I found the solution to be bleach. These animals must have water and even salty bilge water seems sufficient. Pour a bit of bleach into your bilge and that rat or mouse will be gone in a couple of days. No muss, no fuss.
On a similar note; those with a cockroach problem should use boric acid powder. Just sprinkle it around in cupboards, lockers and under the floorboards and you will not have any more roaches. It does take some time, possibly a couple of months for all the eggs to hatch and finish the cycle. It is not poisonous to human nor animal; it dissolves the wax on the shell of the roach and they dehydrate to death. Oh shut up PITA.
A good live aboard friend has a cat that will bring in live mice. His favorite way of presenting them is on his chest as the cat wakes him up just before day break. Usually the mouse is caught and thrown out the portlight for a good swim.
One mouse did escape and went down below to do much damage, and like the rodent above, was too smart for the usual traps. He went to a fire extinguisher shop and got one waiting for its annual servicing, I'm thinking it was CO2? Closed up the boat and set it off, came back a few hours later and there was dead pest, easy removal. No charge for the extinguisher, just a security deposit.
The moral of the story is if you have a free roaming ship's cat, be sure to get one that either ignores prey or kills and ears it, not one like LePaws that wants to share the bounty.
One mouse did escape and went down below to do much damage, and like the rodent above, was too smart for the usual traps. He went to a fire extinguisher shop and got one waiting for its annual servicing, I'm thinking it was CO2? Closed up the boat and set it off, came back a few hours later and there was dead pest, easy removal. No charge for the extinguisher, just a security deposit.
The moral of the story is if you have a free roaming ship's cat, be sure to get one that either ignores prey or kills and ears it, not one like LePaws that wants to share the bounty.
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