rats/mice in the air vents! eeeeek!

[vela123321]

[DAIZEE]

If everyone did this automatically for every van then there would most likely not be these incidents.
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'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[Gauche1968]

You really have to be careful with mice, especially with their nesting material. Not only should where gloves, but you should also put on a mask and disinfectant the nesting material or dead mouse with bleach before trying to remove it. Hanta virus is rare, but deadly. Every year a couple of people die of Hanta virus from breathing in mouse urine while cleaning up a nest. It's not just in the dessert. People from all over the continent have gotten sick
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1984 Vanagon GL
1984 Vanagon Westy

[DAIZEE]

Yes we touched on that earlier in the thread. When I was cleaning out my Riviera Vanagon which had had squirrels, I threw the carpeting and the underpad pad out based on the number of turds I discovered. I figured it was comparable to the amount of urine. And I was never sure that it was all squirrel turd, as a retired RRT I am aware of the health hazards and as you mentionned it again, it is probably something that the public should be aware of. It started out in the SE but well you know mice, they really get around. I did salvage the front carpeted and pressure washed it over and over but did throw out the formed underbase as I didn't feel it could be cleaned efficiently or effectively.
_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[archicarp]

I was with the family in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest last weekend for 2 nights. The first morning we woke to signs of a mouse in the van. It probably came in through the driver's side window that I accidentally left open which happened to be about 12" from a tree.

After doing a search for the little guy I convinced my wife that it had probably climbed back out. The next morning, my wife caught it poking its head out and I noticed it had helped itself to a bunch of food.

We left that day hoping that it had climbed out. When we got home, I carefully searched everything in the van before bringing it into the house. I set a snap trap and dropped a bunch of almonds into a deep rubbermaid container next to the bench seat and checked the next morning. Neither had been disturbed.

The following afternoon I was putting clean dishes back in the van and noticed that the almonds were gone and all of the peanut butter on the trap had been eaten without the trap being triggering. That evening (last night) I set 2 snap traps and improved on my earlier humane bucket trap. This morning I caught one in the snap trap. The other snap trap had all the peanut butter eaten and my humane trap had not worked.

I'm going to set more traps tonight to make sure there aren't more in there, but reading these earlier posts I am concerned that I need to do some searching to figure out where they set up camp in the van. It/they would have been in there for 5 nights and I have no idea where it/they have nested.

Any thoughts?

[DAIZEE]

First, do the peppermint oil, THEY'll leave alive so fast you might find skid marks. Should be in vans year round.

Mice can get in any which way that you couldn't even imagine. I'd be very surprised that they came in your window. As you've learned they can beat human traps really easily regardless of what you leave for them. For every one that you think you have, you probably have at least 2 or more in fact.

Seriously do the essence of peppermint oil soaking cotton balls in a baby glass jar with holes in its metal top. Guaranteed and apparently its not an irritating smell for humans (so I'm told, I don't have a sense of smell). The fall season will be here soon and infestations will just increase. I've had one jar in van all summer and I keep the tiny little glass bottle (its not cheap) in the van so that I can moisten up the cotton balls whenever I feel they are dry.

I'm not just blowing my horn hear. Have done this is in small apartment bldg, storage areas, basements, all kinds of places and like I said they HATE it. As someone said be careful dealing with their feces. Clean it up, use the above method and they'll be gone. Probably good to put in garagees, crawl spaces, where ever. It's gotta be glass.

Which reminds me I had an Airstream out in the country years ago and didn't get up to it one year. WHAT a mess, they even chewed thru plastic food containers.

This solution is ecologically green and hey if you get a cold it will help clear your sinuses and peppermint also settles stomachs. It's worth the investment. I say if one is good, then 2 or 3 is better, especially in cupboards.
_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[msinabottle]

Now watch me jinx it!



But I use Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Hemp Soap to wash myself, my dishes, at need my clothes, and Winston's interior when I camp in him.

I love the scent of peppermint, and the soap is very refreshing after a hot day, and I have a lot of those. The peppermint-scented water travels down my drain tube--so about the best means of mouse access is positively reeking with a scent our little gnawing friends can't stand. The stuff is also biodegradable, plants LIKE the water you've used to wash with it.

I've been meaning to pass this nugget of wisdom along.

Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

[DAIZEE]

Peppermint soap! Who would have imagined. Neat. Proves my point about peppermint. Thanks msinabottle. Is it a mild soap? I have skin allergies so I pretty well stick to my honey glycerine which has very little to know added scent.

Solutions are always better when you have a choice With mine you don't have to wash the dishes jk
_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[archicarp]

I'll use the peppermint in the future. For now I don't just want to scare them aware and potentially into my house or a neighbors. I'm going to

1) set a variety of traps and see if I get any more.
2) clean from top to bottom with bleach.
3) Use Dr. Bronner's on future trips and do the peppermint oil trick.

I'm not going to worry about taking the van apart to try to find a nest.

Thanks folks.....

[msinabottle]

I think it's mild, it's never bothered my reasonably-cranky skin at all. But, at the risk of getting clobbered for advertising, which I aint, 'cause I only uses the stuff...

http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/LS.htm

That ought to answer any questions you've got. Given the counter-cultural affiliations of the stuff, it do seem like a rather good fit for a VW camper.

Of course, whenever someone flashes Winston and ME the peace sign, I always roll down the window and bellow,

"REAGAN in '84!"



Anyway...

Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

[DAIZEE]

_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[indytriple]

If you use Doc Bronner's soap (which is great, BTW) don't ever read the bottle. You'll never get that 10 minutes of your life back, and you'll be seriously confused.
_________________
"See The Glass As Already Broken."

87 Vanagon Westy Auto Bostig

www.bluegrassbicyclecompany.com

[mad.macs]

Removed the heater box to fix the fan and found this. OK, well there were a few other clues ...

The heater box barely fit in the dishwasher. Did it while the wife wasn't home.
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'84 Rivi Vanagon Auto Trans, Stock WBX

[Dark Alley Dan]

Jeez, bud, that's horrible. Good job cleaning it out.

We store our Sophia every winter in a tent garage at the edge of a field at the folk's place. Beaucoup mice in the neighbourhood, but no infiltration in the five or six years we've been doing it.

Our secret?

Irish Spring soap - that miserable crap smells disgusting to me and apparently even worse to mice. We leave five or six bars in strategic locations around the van and they stay away in droves. Takes a few weeks in the spring to air her out to the point where I don't feel like hurling while driving, but it works.

Peppermint sounds even better - I like peppermint, and if it works, we're in business. Thanks for the tip.

Dan
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Dark Alley Dan
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I blame rap music. For everything.

[DAIZEE]

WOW mad.macs hope you've read the whole thread!!!!

Archicap, I'm not sure you'll catch them all,, nor are mad made traps a detriment to their desire. Best go with the peppermint oil and cotton baton in glass jar with metal lid with holes in it. It it becomes a proplem with your neighbors it won't because you chased them out. If they get them or BEFORE you use it tell them about it so that they can do preventative treatment.

Whether it be glue traps, cheese, peanut butter, whatever, you won't get them all.
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'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[Antron]

The dryer sheets mouse repellant is a myth. I've worked on more than one car that had mouse nests made from dryer sheets.. Oh yeah moth balls don't work so well either. I'd try the peppermint trick although I have no first hand experience with it

Bob
87 syncro westfakia

[cuizable]

A cat is the answer to everything.

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http://karakalemportre.weebly.com/ --> My Dad's Artistic Work - Check it out..!

My NOS Bosch Coffee Maker

1971 Type1 1302 (1200cc)
1974 Type1 1200 (1200cc)

[DAIZEE]

Did you paint that? cute.
_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[cuizable]

[DAIZEE]

maybe painted on some kind of fabric . It's cute. I'm not into cats
_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)