Mice...

[0TreeLemur]

In the category of "it's always something...."  Yesterday I went to the hangar.  When I opened the door to our J I was greeted by a surprise on the right-front seat.  A little mess of paper shreds and mouse poop.  It seems the last time I flew I left something behind that a mouse thought was tasty.  Both the cabin and baggage doors were closed and locked.  Cowl flaps were closed.  This happened since Monday.  I've been in this hangar for six years, first time I've seen mouse turds in the cabin of my airplane.

Got on a creeper and inspected the rodent socks in the main wheel wells.   No deficiencies noted.  Ain't nothing bigger than an ant getting in that way.

Crept under the nose gear wheel well.  There are some openings but they don't seem a likely entry pathway because they would be awfully difficult for a mouse to get to unless they jumped.

Anybody have an idea how they entered the cabin? 

I removed everything and didn't see widespread signs of occupancy.  I don't think that they've moved in (yet).

I've seen that some folks put down rodent rings around the three wheels to impede entry.  I might start doing that.  Can anyone recommend a source for those?

Thx.  

Fred

[Schllc]

Through the tail

[0TreeLemur]

3 minutes ago, Schllc said:

Through the tail

How do they get in through the tail?   It's in a hangar, not tied down.

[MikeOH]

Keep in mind a full grown mouse can fit through a 3/4” or even smaller hole

[Shadrach]

29 minutes ago, 0TreeLemur said:

How do they get in through the tail?   It's in a hangar, not tied down.

 Mice are tenacious little creatures that can squeeze through an opening the circumference of a #2 pencil. Who knows where they get in, but once they’re in, they have total access. Rodent rings may be the way to go.

 

 

[PT20J]

It is impossible to seal everything. I keep a couple of bait stations in the hangar and a couple of ultrasonic devices plugged in and sometimes I've tossed a peppermint oil repellent bag in the baggage compartment. So far, I haven't had an issue.

[Shadrach]

2 minutes ago, MikeOH said:

Keep in mind a full grown mouse can fit through a 3/4” or even smaller hole

Way smaller. Pulled from the internet. That crusty dry finger is not mine…

 

[Pinecone]

There is a You Tube Channel on mouse traps.

Some very effective one made with a 5 gallon bucket and some dowel and screws.

[Fly Boomer]

2 hours ago, 0TreeLemur said:

I've seen that some folks put down rodent rings around the three wheels to impede entry.  I might start doing that.  Can anyone recommend a source for those?

Some use pieces of this stuff.  Actually this is galvanized -- I would probably use aluminum because it's slicker.  You don't need fasteners to hold it together.  Six feet or so will make a nice wall around the gear leg, and overlap some.  It comes in a roll, so it wants to spring back to a cylindrical shape when not held flat.  I used to see it sold by the foot at building supply stores.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TV4JW4R/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?pd_rd_i=B08TV4JW4R&pd_rd_w=MPkcp&content-id=amzn1.sym.248b5e31-60e8-4934-96cf-b3789198461a&pf_rd_p=248b5e31-60e8-4934-96cf-b3789198461a&pf_rd_r=VT6CY1ZGN181BSWBJ7F1&pd_rd_wg=LypHt&pd_rd_r=4fdda0ff-128d-48cb-b85c-60391e2b3c0d&s=hi&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1

[Fly Boomer]

2 hours ago, 0TreeLemur said:

In the category of "it's always something...."  Yesterday I went to the hangar.  When I opened the door to our J I was greeted by a surprise on the right-front seat.  A little mess of paper shreds and mouse poop.  It seems the last time I flew I left something behind that a mouse thought was tasty.  Both the cabin and baggage doors were closed and locked.  Cowl flaps were closed.  This happened since Monday.  I've been in this hangar for six years, first time I've seen mouse turds in the cabin of my airplane.

These are the best traps I have found.  Place them up against the wall around the entire perimeter.  Eight or ten evenly placed on the floor around the walls.  All hangars have rodents -- the trick is to trap them before they find the airplane.  You have to replace them whenever they get loaded with bugs or dirt or (obviously) an animal of some description.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CEEDFS4/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B00CEEDFS4&pd_rd_w=irpaD&content-id=amzn1.sym.386c274b-4bfe-4421-9052-a1a56db557ab&pf_rd_p=386c274b-4bfe-4421-9052-a1a56db557ab&pf_rd_r=7ENHKAD50JNXT6JYXCBQ&pd_rd_wg=hjisZ&pd_rd_r=6737c348-cd2d-4f9d-a02c-f3b11b6245c7&s=lawn-garden&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM

[Schllc]

Sticky traps are hit and miss. 
a slim Jim in a good old fashion snap trap always works. 
They have poor eyesight and travel along perimeters, so putting them up against the walls is solid advice. 

[Fly Boomer]

I also keep six or eight snaps on the perimeter.  Alternating with glue traps.  For every visitor I catch in a snap trap, I detain 10 in a glue trap.  I'm thinking I may stop putting down the snap traps -- sometimes they are tripped, but my guest didn't hang around.

[StevenL757]

3 hours ago, Schllc said:

Through the tail

Correct.  Especially if the tailcone isn't sealed off from the cabin.  Something that was added to the list of inspection items on my Ovation as of-late...and accomplished.

[FlyingDude]

4 hours ago, 0TreeLemur said:

Anybody have an idea how they entered the cabin

Hole in nose gear well to belly. From there, through the opening for the trim chain. Or the cloth coverage of the Johnson bar hole cover. Maybe the air vents. 

[Ibra]

I know he was here in M20J, I did not catch him, the aircraft in hangar and flies regularly, yet he manages to get in and have fun !

I had one in a K6cr that was in the trailer the whole winter, we are glad he loved pneumatics rather than wood & fabric or control cables...

I need a cat in the hangar now 

Edited April 21 by Ibra

[FlyingDude]

1 hour ago, StevenL757 said:

Correct.  Especially if the tailcone isn't sealed off from the cabin.  Something that was added to the list of inspection items on my Ovation as of-late...and accomplished.

There are holes on the aft wall of the trunk area for wiring to pass. Beacon, tail cone white nav light, VOR antenna, battery wires all run along the left side wall.

[PT20J]

Get some duct seal from the hardware store. It works great for sealing openings like the wire pass through to the tailcone.

[0TreeLemur]

5 hours ago, FlyingDude said:

There are holes on the aft wall of the trunk area for wiring to pass. Beacon, tail cone white nav light, VOR antenna, battery wires all run along the left side wall.

I opened up the tail and looked around today.  No signs of entry, forced or otherwise. 

As per @FlyingDude, I'm guessing up the nose gear and into the belly by way of some magical acrobatics.

[ArtVandelay]

I opened up the tail and looked around today.  No signs of entry, forced or otherwise. 
As per [mention=20223]FlyingDude[/mention], I'm guessing up the nose gear and into the belly by way of some magical acrobatics.

Buy one if those wildlife cameras that are motion activated, maybe you can catch them in the act.

[ArtVandelay]

I’ve seen them get in via the holes in the outboard wing ribs for the main landing gear springs.  And there is no way you can seal them up.   

How about coating them with grease to make it harder or maybe they wouldn’t want to get their paws greasy?

[takair]

A few years ago, when plane was outside, I tried that natural repellent….smelled minty…..  well, the mice laughed at me….tore open the packets….and spread the stuff all over the cabin.

At our house and my parents house, we have had some success with the sonic repellent….the old school audible type….  I wonder if one of those in the plane would keep them out.  Metal plane would conduct that sound well.  This assumes you are on grid….my own hangar is off grid…..but it seems like our airport has adequate predators to keep the small critters out of the hangar.  We keep a cat at the house, but the family provides him too many treats for him to be effective as a hunter.

[GeeBee]

Don't put the bait in the hangar! Your hangar should be a "food desert" they don't want any part of crossing into. Bait is food. Place the bait outside in run in cubes and not close to the hangar. Make sure no one, and I mean no one has any food in or near the hangar building. No food, no mice.

[MikeOH]

4 hours ago, GeeBee said:

Don't put the bait in the hangar! Your hangar should be a "food desert" they don't want any part of crossing into. Bait is food. Place the bait outside in run in cubes and not close to the hangar. Make sure no one, and I mean no one has any food in or near the hangar building. No food, no mice.

^^^. THIS. ^^^^. is why I don't have a mice problem.

[LANCECASPER]

From 2006-2009 I kept a Mooney Bravo at KSSF (Stinson in San Antonio). One night after getting back from a trip I forgot my flight bag on the passenger seat - in it was a sealed package of cheese and crackers - the vending machine variety. I might as well have given an engraved invitation to the mouse that found its way to that smell that was coming from the sealed cheese and crackers. Two days later when I went out to fly again - my flight bag was all chewed up and the empty wrapper was there without a crumb remaining,  but one square of my leather seats was also all chewed up. Thankfully my map pocket on the seat back was matching leather so I pulled the seat and had my upholsterer sew in that “new” square and then replaced the map pocket with matching vinyl. Until now no one else knew that. That was the only time I know of that I left any “food” in the airplane or hangar and it didn’t take long to bite me, or at least my passenger seat.

I never found out how he (or she) got in, nor did we ever find him (or her), but within a couple weeks the airplane went in for annual and we scoured every inch of the airplane making sure he or his friends weren’t camping out and that they didn’t leave anything else behind.

 

- - - - 

 

It turns out they also like soy based insulation on Bose wiring.

 

I bought a roll of this (https://www.collegehillshonda.com/product/4019-2317.html) and covered the Bose wires leading to the lemo jacks just to make sure. Hopefully they don’t like the extra spicy version.

[0TreeLemur]

7 hours ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

I’ve seen them get in via the holes in the outboard wing ribs for the main landing gear springs.  And there is no way you can seal them up.   

Back when we had our C model, during an owner-assisted annual where I took off all the underwing inspection plates, I found a nest and a corpse in that vicinity inside the wing with a scope.   Also true that once they get in the wing, they have free run of the aircraft.

I've found no sign that they've taken up residence in my plane.  I think it was my fault and hopefully a one-off.   Like @LANCECASPER, while I did not leave a cheese-n-crackers pack in my airplane, I left a single used honey-lemon flavored Rogue pouch.  Apparently that was irresistible .  The little vandal left the wrapper on the co-pilot's seat in shreds, with a few droppings but luckily did not chew on the seat or anything else that I saw.