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Dead mouse in Vanagon vent system!!!!! Ughhh!!!
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ourv12
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PostPosted: Fri May 17, 2013 1:16 pm    Post subject: Dead mouse in Vanagon vent system!!!!! Ughhh!!! Reply with quote

How in the heck did a mouse manage to get into the vents? Is there a way to get in somewhere other than from inside the van? The van was parked with the doors and windows shut! I cant even turn the blower on it smells so bad! I saw signs of nesting material in the wire harness opening at the drivers side door jam. I cant see how it got in from outside? Are there any openings to the interior from under the van?
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Vango Conversions
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PostPosted: Fri May 17, 2013 1:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, it's been talked about before. the battery vent hole is an entry point and so is the front air intake behind the grill. even if the front screen isn't broken it has gaps on the side. Mice can get in through the smallest openings.
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Bubusse
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PostPosted: Fri May 17, 2013 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It only takes a hole the size of a dime, so yeah... don't worry, they can get inside the van and almost anywhere. There are many threads about this. Best way to avoid them : cats. I also put moth balls underneath the van when it's in storage. Been lucky so far, but I think it's mostly thanks to my cats !
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gbrandt
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PostPosted: Fri May 17, 2013 2:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can put steel wool into the holes in the battery compartment. I've seen pictures of someone that put a steel mesh behind the grill for the air intake.

I put peppermint oil onto cotton pads and place it in a jar with holes in it. Then place that in the van. The van smells like peppermint and mice hate that smell so never go into the van.

Haven't had a mouse in the van since I did two of the three things mentioned above (didn't put steel mesh over the air intake).

Before that we had a mouse fall down the pillar behind the drivers seat. The mouse came through the tunnel in the door and fell down the shaft. Of course it could not get out and died a horrible, stinky death. Gross. I feel your pain.

Gregor
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dobryan
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PostPosted: Fri May 17, 2013 3:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Use hardware mesh (1/4 inch openings) and silicone glue (or glue gun) it into place on the openings around and in front of the fresh air intake behind the grill, in the pillar openings underneath and the battery vent openings, any any other place of entry way you can find.
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BoneMachine
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PostPosted: Fri May 17, 2013 3:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Our '83.5 was parked for a couple of years and became completely fouled by mice. Totally disgusting. I traded it toward our current van. We discovered Fresh Cab;
http://www.earth-kind.com/products/repellent/
We put some in the dash, one in the jump seat and another in the rear cabinet. The stuff seems to really help and it has a pleasant scent as well.
Good luck
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randywebb
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PostPosted: Fri May 17, 2013 3:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

1. put stainless steel wool into the hole below the RH side battery compartment

- just 1 hole correct? and only for the starting battery, not the aux. battery compartment?

2. watch out when you have any door open - I had a desert mouse (Zapus?) invade my '73 Bus once upon a time

3. the sides and/or top of the front vent by the radiator - this is supposed to be covered by that plastic piece with the square holes in it

- what do people suggest here? metal screening?

4. & etc. what other entry points are there??

Dead mice or live mice - they all can and do carry diseases; and some of the diseases can be transmitted thru the air, or by a flea or tick jumping onto you or your leg then crawling up. Never touch one, and use bleach on the area it was after you get rid of the carcass.

I also suggest this be made into a sticky after it is fleshed out
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Last edited by randywebb on Sat May 18, 2013 12:34 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Gauche1968
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PostPosted: Fri May 17, 2013 8:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wear a mask that is at least N100 and wear gloves when cleaning up mouse nesting material or dead mice. Spray it down with bleach and let it set for an hour before attempting to clean it up.

With increased awareness of the dangers of Hantavirus, many insurance companies will now total older cars that have been infested with mice rather than pay someone to properly remediate them. Sad
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Danwvw
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PostPosted: Fri May 17, 2013 9:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I Get them in my Subaru if I don't keep d-CON in the shed during winter months, They seem to like to nest on the cabin filter. After you clean out the mice and whatever they added to your VW use Lysol deodorizer to freshen up the car. If the smell persist you have more dead mice that have not been found. Best to get rid of the mice in the Garage all together as they can chew up a wire somewhere inside the car and it will cause something to go wrong when you least expect it.
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tam_shops
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PostPosted: Sat May 18, 2013 5:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do you have pictures of where I need to put the steel wool? Or the Bentley page#? I'd rather prevent than clean up!
gbrandt wrote:
You can put steel wool into the holes in the battery compartment. I've seen pictures of someone that put a steel mesh behind the grill for the air intake.

I put peppermint oil onto cotton pads and place it in a jar with holes in it. Then place that in the van. The van smells like peppermint and mice hate that smell so never go into the van.

Before that we had a mouse fall down the pillar behind the drivers seat. The mouse came through the tunnel in the door and fell down the shaft. Of course it could not get out and died a horrible, stinky death. Gross. I feel your pain.

Gregor


I once watched a mouse go completely flat and slide between the floor board and the floor. Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't watched it more than once. Since I was working graveyard, actually thought I was hallucinating until I saw it two nights in a row!
Bubusse wrote:
It only takes a hole the size of a dime, so yeah... don't worry, they can get inside the van and almost anywhere. There are many threads about this. Best way to avoid them : cats. I also put moth balls underneath the van when it's in storage. Been lucky so far, but I think it's mostly thanks to my cats !

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randywebb
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PostPosted: Sat May 18, 2013 1:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

tam_shops wrote:
Do you have pictures of where I need to put the steel wool?


crawl under the pass. seat and look for ~~ 3" vent hole directly behind the seat area

do NOT use regular steel wool - it will rust and spread

get brillo or other stainless steel cleaning scrub pad or brass and shove it up in there
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tam_shops
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PostPosted: Sat May 18, 2013 1:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Will do, thank you! And, thank you for the specific thing I need to use, would so have used steel wool!

tam
randywebb wrote:
tam_shops wrote:
Do you have pictures of where I need to put the steel wool?


crawl under the pass. seat and look for ~~ 3" vent hole directly behind the seat area

do NOT use regular steel wool - it will rust and spread

get brillo or other stainless steel cleaning scrub pad or brass and shove it up in there

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Making it special:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=545885
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dobryan
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PostPosted: Sat May 18, 2013 3:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can also use hardware cloth, about 1/4 inch mesh that you can glue over the opening. I use this everywhere to keep the buggers out.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_90-16418-122410_0__?productId=3160773
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794
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Wildthings
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PostPosted: Sat May 18, 2013 4:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have just filled the gaps on my Vanagons with polyurethane caulk.
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ourv12
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PostPosted: Sun May 19, 2013 7:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for all the replies! I now know all the areas to screen. Now I wish I knew how to get the dead mouse out!! Do I need to pull the dash? Can I somehow disassemble the ducting to clean it out without removing the dash? I know for sure its in the front air ducting cuz when I turn on the blower it smells foul....really bad.
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Wildthings
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PostPosted: Sun May 19, 2013 9:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ourv12 wrote:
Thanks for all the replies! I now know all the areas to screen. Now I wish I knew how to get the dead mouse out!! Do I need to pull the dash? Can I somehow disassemble the ducting to clean it out without removing the dash? I know for sure its in the front air ducting cuz when I turn on the blower it smells foul....really bad.


All depends on where the mouse is. If he is in one of the flex hoses that run to the side vents you are in luck as they can be removed. If he is in the main heater box you might be able to suck him out with a shop vac through the ports for the side vents, but will probably in the end have to pull the dash and take the heater box apart.
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