Guests on my Boat......

F

Flutterby

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Jul 14, 2004
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I found evidence of mice onboard last Thursday! They were hungry enough to chew open the hard plastic cap on a container of hot cocoa mix. So I had to spend some time gathering up everything in the cupboard to throw away or bringing home to be run through the dish washer. And I took a drive over to Ace Hardware to get some moth crystals. Yesterday before I left the boat, with ALL foodstuffs packed to go home with me, I scattered crystals in all storage areas as well as in the head, etc.

When I return to the boat, I'll know ALL mice had deboarded. I'll thoroughly clean all storage surfaces and reorganize my galley equipment. I'll also have a supply of moth balls to leave out when I come home so no new mice will want to come aboard.

No, I didn't try to catch or poison any mice. I don't want anything like that on board around my Lil Guy Maltese dog. I just want to keep the mice off of the boat!!!!

Never a dull moment at the boat.......
 
quote:
Originally posted by Flutterby

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I worked at a place a few years back that had a mouse problem. One morning when I came to work I saw a mouse treading water in a half full glass that was on my desk. The poor creature was tired out to the point of exhaustion and probably would have drowned if I wasn't there to save him. So I poured the water out and the soaked rodent looked up at me as if to pay me thanks. Since my house was close to work, I took my new pet back home. Then I fed him to my bearded dragon.
 
Liz, there's something about you and mice. Hope you run the little critters out. Any idea of how they're getting in?
 
Liz - don't envy you - I went through it last winter! No fun. I have about a dozen traps set at all times now!
Jim
 
I see alot of boats using funnels around their ropes with the open end towards the dock... Dont know if that works but everyone I have asked said that they dont have issues anymore.
 
A year ago right after I had my health problems, I had the boat pulled for some work and it sat in an open boatyard for a month. At that time, the canvas was left open for extended periods of time as things were getting worked on. I suspect that is when they boarded and I just didn't find the evidence until now.

I always zip and snap my canvas closed all year long and have never had mice onboard until now. However, the moth balls will prevent mice from entering and/or staying. They prevent a whole lot of problems. I don't want a bunch of dead mice onboard! I want them gone, off the boat!!!!
 
I had squirrels that got into my PFD's and spread the innards around. Looked like a snow storm.
 
I have heard that rope funnels work the best and also there is a device someone told me about that emits a high pitched whine that humans can't hear and rats and mice hate it. My question would be, once there on board and hate that sound, where do they go....suppose they jump in the water? Not likely

DBH
 
My experience with high emitting sounds is that they do not work. I've read that the critters get used to the sound and ignore it. Moth balls are cheap, simple and 100% effective. I presume they get off any way they can and then they stay off. period.
 
One of the Pilot boats in Cameron, La. has a mouse/rat problem. They have the
rat blockers on their lines. They are thinking that they may be jumping on
the boat, or climbing up the piling and jumping onto the boat.
The big boat, for some reason, has no mouse/rat problems, docked right next
to it.
 
They used an exterminator. All his stuff does is catch the rats, not prevent them.
There are no moth balls, but I will tell one of the captains next time I see him.
They eat all the electronics wiring on the small boat, but never go on the big boat.
They do not know what is attracting them to the smaller boat and not the bigger boat.
 
LOL I used to bring my cat to the boat. He was a great mouser! My little Maltese has a "live and let live" attitude, so he's no help at all!
 
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