Varmint Control

[Marauder]

A couple of recent threads on varmint infestation on our Mooneys got me thinking about how others deal with the attack.

 

My quest started years ago. I often do trips in the Spring time to see family and go turkey hunting. Leaving the plane on the ramp the first time, resulted in 2 hours of de-nesting activities when I got back. So I built a kit of foam inserts to plug up ol' Vic's holes. I use ziplock bags to keep the foam dry and since I have the guppy mouth, use a plastic covered pillow to plug the big hole.

 

When I moved to another airport, one of the owners in our open T hangars commented that the avionics shop found a mouse nest in his radio stack! He started using these electronic pest control gizmos, so I bought a couple and aimed them at the suspect entry point, the wheels. I'm pretty convinced they don't work.

 

 

That was supposed to be the first line of defense, but being a redundant kind of guy, I decided a second line of defense was needed. So, I bought a bunch of these glue traps.

 

 

Sure enough, I became the great white hunter of mice. I bagged 7 in the first winter. I should add that mounting their little heads is a little tricky, but certainly doable.

 

 

I have seen guys build some sort of barrier that surrounds the landing gear since this is where they are entering. Anyone make these and how did you do it?

 

Would like to hear how others deal with pests.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Browncbr1]

I hang reflective streamers around the hangar and also tape them near air frame openings. I've never had any issue with nests. ..yet

 

I suppose that is just for birds though. To deter mice, get tons of pine tree perfume trees and hang them in wheel wells, tail cone. Any strong perfume works I believe.

 

 

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[Browncbr1]

A couple of recent threads on varmint infestation on our Mooneys got me thinking about how others deal with the attack.
 

 
I have seen guys build some sort of barrier that surrounds the landing gear since this is where they are entering. Anyone make these and how did you do it?
 
Would like to hear how others deal with pests.
 
 
 
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The previous owner of my plane did this. It was just HVAC sheet metal that he bent to wrap around each wheel and the memory in the bends would hold them closed

[TheTurtle]

im all for killing mice.  But kill them.  those glue traps are horrible torture devices and not cool  IMHO.  Now if they had glue traps for birds Id be ok with that.  i hate birds.

[Browncbr1]

Great idea Hyett. Another thing that just came to mind is ... Insist that your wife feeds each child the goldfish from her hand so they don't drop them everywhere in the back, making their way to the rear spar!


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[Marauder]

im all for killing mice.  But kill them.  those glue traps are horrible torture devices and not cool  IMHO.  Now if they had glue traps for birds Id be ok with that.  i hate birds.

I agree, I didn't mention that in addition to the glue traps (remember, I'm the redundancy guy), I had placed and baited 10 other traps including the old fashioned snapping ones, the mouse hotel version and modern day equivalents of the spring traps.

Only the glue ones caught them. I had peanut butter in some, cheese in others. No idea why they avoided them.


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[flight2000]

I've been using the TomCat traps under my son's car and finally caught the little bugger that was chewing up the wiring harness causing 3 trips to the repair center and over $1500 in repairs. 

I've seen the wheel blocks some folks have down south and they are made out of sheet metal with simple slots to open and close it. 

http://www.golfhotelwhiskey.com/dealing-with-mice-and-other-wildlife-in-the-aircraft-hangar/

Brian

[TheTurtle]

Just now, Marauder said:

 

I agree, I didn't mention that in addition to the glue traps (remember, I'm the redundancy guy), I had placed and baited 10 other traps including the old fashioned snapping ones, the mouse hotel version and modern day equivalents of the spring traps.

Only the glue ones caught them. I had peanut butter in some, cheese in others. No idea why they avoided them.


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little bastards are smart

[Marauder]

I forgot to mention the outcome of the guy who had them in his avionics stack. Ended up costing him close to 1AMU to have wiring redone that they chewed through. Lucky it didn't create a fire in flight.


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[thinwing]

Last annual I did I laid out two brand New butyl tubes and tires on the floor by the gear...come back next morning prepared for the tire change and one of the bags is totally chewed up...60 buck pile of rubber ...out go the traps...I didn't catch one with peanut butter but next hanger to me they get this enormous bugger on cheese..hope that was the one 

[Rmag]

For the most dangerous of varmints, there is only one thing that works:

 

[Cyril Gibb]

I have a plastic owl hung on a string from the hangar rafters over Gladys.  No bird poo or nests in the 3 years I've had the hangar.  On the other hand, Republic airport (KFRG) on Long Island two weeks ago was another story completely.  Should have had the cowl openings blocked.  .... little feathered buggers

I wonder if perching the plastic owl on the roof while parked outdoors would work?  Anybody tried?

[Tom]

Consider looking into the rolling log bucket type trap.  Drowns the mice (maybe not acceptable to some) but can be used for catch and release or traps could be added in the bottom of the bucket.  CB options exist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SIlYiiCGLI

[Yetti]

Make a square big enough out of sheet metal to go around the gear.  Bonus point for a 1/2 right angle at the bottom.  The tension will hold them closed.

[Mcstealth]

How about this?

[MBDiagMan]

Biggest problem I deal with is mud daubers.  I now use a fake Hornets nests in my hangars.  It seems to work.

 

[Hank]

Down here, "varmint control" is a .22 Long Rifle; in town, folks use .177 pellet guns.

Unfortunately, these are ineffective inside the hangar. Either install a cat, which creates a whole set of other problems, or buy some of those blue Raid pellets, sprinkle them in the corners and be careful with your dog . . . . It worked well for me in WV, too.    

[Tom]

On ‎4‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 9:42 PM, Cyril Gibb said:

I have a plastic owl hung on a string from the hangar rafters over Gladys.  No bird poo or nests in the 3 years I've had the hangar.  On the other hand, Republic airport (KFRG) on Long Island two weeks ago was another story completely.  Should have had the cowl openings blocked.  .... little feathered buggers

I wonder if perching the plastic owl on the roof while parked outdoors would work?  Anybody tried?

Edited May 4, 2017 by Tom

[MyNameIsNobody]

On 5/1/2017 at 3:14 PM, Mcstealth said:

How about this?

Dad burn rodents!  Suffering suck-a-starling!  Rootin' Toot'n tarnation!  What in the Sam Hill got inside my aero-plane!  Suck-a-trash!  

 

[AndyFromCB]

Here is what I do, accidentally discovered when emptying my cooler A/C and leaving things on the hangar floor:

-5 gallon bucket, bit of water on the bottom

-a 1 inch clear tube, one end on the floor, the other end just taped over the edge of the bucket

For some reason mice find any sort of opening irresistible. They just crawl inside the tube with no bait whatsoever. My hangar backs to a corn field, so I catch a dozen or more a week this way. By the time I find them, most are dead, but if not, push it under the water with a stick and it's dead in a few seconds. My wife still thinks this makes me a sociopath, but it works and it's not messy.

Edited May 4, 2017 by AndyFromCB

[AndyFromCB]

On 4/29/2017 at 11:05 AM, Hyett6420 said:

Ok im going to be crude here.  Humans have forgotten that they are animals too. (although some still do act like it).  Mother Nature has put us at the top of the food chain, we are the biggest most dangerous predator out there to anything else and all of them out there know it.  So to get rid of Vermin, mice etc. (doesn't work with birds sorry) take your good old famous Coca Cola bottle (other brands are available) drink it.  When your kidneys have done their job and you need to pee, pee into the bottle.  Take said Pee bottle and sprinkle it liberally all around the edges of your hangar, ie where floor meets wall/door.  Do this regularly  (also works in gardens if you have animals you don't want there).  You have now "marked" your territory as yours.  Why do you think your dog pees all the time, it isnt because it needs to.

Enjoy.  Oh it also works if you are out in the wild camping and want to sleep by the camp fire without other animals coming close, except perhaps the odd Brown bear, but if you get eaten, i will do a Carousam and say I'm just a Human so what do i know.

Andrew

I'm no so sure it works that way. Woke up with a mouse on my head more than once while sleeping outdoors without a tent and I assure you the entire camp was very liberally surrounded by fresh pee fed by multiple six packs. Woke up with a bear just sitting my side only once. I think he was as scared as I was when I let out what had to be a very girly noise.

On an interesting note, few months ago had a coyote just casually walk up to camp and steal all the baked potatoes I had ready to go for breakfast. Serves me right not closing up the bear box. Maybe the "night guard" should not have drunk all them G&Ts.

Edited May 4, 2017 by AndyFromCB

[Dream to fly]

The pee method works but to me it is messy sometimes.  I use hair that is stuffed into a nylon sock.    My wife is a hair dresser and she vacuums up the days cuts and then I take that hair and stuff it in nylon socks.  I use it in the hanger by the wheels and in my tree rows on the farm.  Keeps the mice out of the hanger and the deer off my trees and shrubs.  I change them out about twice a year.  No mess and easy to move around.