M I C E ?!?!? What the Fu.......??????

[djkeev]

If you've followed my Van at all you know that I have gutted it to clean out the mice and have fixed / blocked every entry point known to Vanagondom.
I am almost the poster child for mouse free!

This weekend, I needed to run some stone (for a fireplace hearth) and furniture out to the Pennsylvania house, about a two hour drive one way.

It hasn't snowed for two weeks, it has been warm, all the snow and ice is gone and we've had some good quantities of rain. Good enough to take the Van.

Today was pouring rain so rather than take the Ford Pickup I loaded up the Van.

Whipping open my sliding door (I haven't touched the Van for a month) what should my eyes fall upon but a shredded paper towel roll surrounded by mouse poop!!!!

Before loading, I cleaned and vacuumed but have failed to yet find the nest.
A project for next week!

How the HECK did they get in????
I have plugged and sealed every opening in this vehicle!
I'll go to the known spots, see if a grommet fell out.
I am really PISSED off about this!

I've covered the interior with glue traps, see what I catch.

Grrrrrrr!!!!

Dave
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Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[Steve M.]

It's not real mice...it's ghosts of mice's past.
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This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.

There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them.

[djkeev]

So I need a ghost busters plasma type mouse trap?

This is one of those things you do NOT tell your Wife about until more information is known....... 😂

Without a resolution, I doubt she is going in the Van again..........

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[E1]

+1 on ghost theory.

They're pissed at your huge Tom & Jerry DVD collection.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[djkeev]

Funny, I firmly believe in Ghosts (long story why, only the past two, three years have I done so) but I don't think that Ghosts leave poop behind........

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[E1]

Campfire talk, be there…

(no poop)
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[davevickery]

I've watched them come in through the heater vents a couple times. It must be in the mouse handbook because this was at 2 different camp grounds.

[djkeev]

[Tom Powell]

Peppermint oil on cotton balls in a jar with a punctured lid as recommended by Daisy will keep them out and the cabin smelling nice.

https://www.amazon.com/Viva-Naturals-Peppermint-Es...ermint+oil

Aloha
tp

[davevickery]

Late vans have foam in the A pillars for wind, but could be a mouse path.
Westy battery box ventilation hole.

You got to treat this as a who dun it. I suggest sprinkling baby powder around and look for the footprints.

[Steve M.]

Hmm...how much you gonna pay me for not telling your wife?
_________________
This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.

There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them.

[djkeev]

[Sodo]

[djkeev]

[Jeffrey Lee]

Stowaways.

I hate to tell you this Dave, but all your efforts went into trapping mice INSIDE your van.

Considering that "breeding onset is at about 50 days of age ..."* and "average gestation period is 20 days,"* by now you're probably on the tenth generation of Vanagon vermin ...

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouse#Reproduction
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Camp Westfalia
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www.CampWestfalia.com

[candyman]

Its likely you picked up a hitchhiker on your last trip to montana. Its every young Montana mouse's dream to get to the big jersey! Seriously tho, could have happened and its been living in your van ever since. Any opportunity through an open door or door not closed all the way could be the smoking gun

[90Doka_Guy]

I had a mouse find its way into my at the time 3 month old Subarus HVAC system and wreak some havoc. I bought and set about a dozen mouse traps and I got the furry little jerk about an hour later. Ever since then I have wished death upon all mice.

I keep a mouse trap under my garaged vehicles at all times in an attempt to keep them from exploring other places if they find their way into the garage. Seems to work so far.
_________________
-'87 Westy
-'90 Tintop
-'90 DOKA

[WestyBob]

Last I heard Daizee developed some health issues and had to bow out.

First determine what is it about the interior of your rig that's attracting the mice in. Sucker sticks, M&M's, other sweet/salty stuff lost in the secret hiding places of the vanagon ? Need to clean all that up if you haven't.

Second they normally hop on the tires/wheels first (unless something else is hanging down) -- don't think they can hop up on the bumper, so some of these anti-mice solutions around each tire after use may help.

Third, choice of kill or no kill traps. I never had mice in my camper but have used no kill traps -- one got in the house so I put some cheese on the trip rest and caught it within about 60 seconds after putting it in the closet. Peanut butter works very well too. Anyway, let it go in the back yard.

[Wildthings]

I am a firm believer in these

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/jt-eaton-409-jawz...l5EALw_wcB

I buy them in a box of 24, keep maybe a third for myself and hand the remainder out to the neighbors. This creates a hole in the local mouse population. You don't need to bait them, just place them at the bottom of a vertical surface where mice are apt to run and let them run over them. Easy to set the trap and easy to release the remains of the mouse. Most of the time its an instant clean kill. I set them outside my buildings and vehicles as well as inside and in some springs catch dozens of mice and by early summer the mouse population is decimated. I make an effort to shield the traps in such a way that birds and lizards can't get into them easily.

[AndyBees]

Dave, I'm not for certain, but I believe mice can enter the area between the ceiling upholstery and the tin-top along the rain drip via the top of the air intake to the engine bay. I crammed that area full of screen wire and sealed off all the other obvious places with success.

Below is what mice did to my old dump truck I use on the farm. Seems at one time or another, they've been in all of my vehicles accept for the Jetta.

Below, is my temporary fix for the chewed plug wire...

_________________
'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003.