Got Mice! :(

[MikeP]

Went to make a sandwich a few minutes ago. When I pulled the bread out of the cupboard, I discovered that the corner of the bag had been chewed through as well as several pieces of bread. Fortunately they left enough for me to make my sandwich. Last night I thought I heard a scuttling sound from the galley but it was breezy so I wrote it off as something wind related. But it wasn't...

I guess a trip to the hardware store is in order. Wonder if anybody ever DID make a better mousetrap or if the good old Victor brand is still the one to buy? (I still remember that brand from when I was a kid.) :)

[SeaWhisper]

Just dab a little of that Peanut Butter on the trap... :p

[SeaEric]

I had evidence of a mouse last Summer when my boat was along the H dock bulkhead. I set traps, glue pads, glue box traps all baited with peanut butter. I never caught a mouse and have not had (knock on wood) any more surprises.

The old fashioned "snap" trap is still my favorite.

[Canuck Dennis]

We had what we thought was a mouse in our 70 footer, called the exterminator, put stick pads everywhere, no catch em...dog was going totally nuts, if fact the buggar would come out at night and steal the dogs chew sticks, we found 6 of them in his "nest" called the supervisor at the ext. office, you have a rat he said, big trap with bacon did the job first night, went off with one heck of a snap, no more rat. I suggested to my deck hand that there was a strange noise last night behind the couch, pls chect it out as I left for the office, he was not impressed !!!

[MikeP]

Back from hardware store - bought two of the old faithful Victor snap traps and two new-fangled snap traps that essentially function like a triggered clothespin. Their claim to fame is that you can push the rear end of the levers together to set the trap and also to release the mouse. The instructions state, "dispose of the mouse in an appropriate manner." Wonder what that means?

In the old days it would have meant, "Throw mouse in trash can" (not that anyone needed instructions). Now it probably means, "Consult your local environmental and animal rights representatives They will inform you where to attend a course, pay the fee, and receive a 15-day certification allowing you to humanely trap and relocate said mice." :)

In any case, we'll see what happens tonight. Hope they like Skippys crunchy style!

[rsmith]

Anti-rat measures to be observed by ship captains:

Destruction of rats on vessels.
Prevention of rats boarding a vessels.

To effect the destruction of rats on vessels the latter should be fumigated three or four times a year by sulphur burned in pots.

Almost any kind or size of iron pot will answer the purpose. The ordinary sugar pan 2½ feet in diameter is useful in disinfecting the hold of a vessel or a large compartment, the number of pans to be determined by the number of thousand cubic feet of area to be fumigated. Not more than 30 pounds of sulphur should be placed in each pot. For the fumigation of staterooms and the like the small iron cooking vessels are suitable. Each pot should always be placed in a tub of water, as shown in the illustration.


The tubs should be made of wood or compressed paper, as tubs made of galvanized iron or composition metal go to pieces rapidly through rust or breaks in the seams. The pots should never be placed on the floor of a compartment or bottom of the hold of a vessel. In compartments or storerooms they should be placed upon tables or chairs, and in the holds of vessels either on the "tween" decks, upon piles of ballast, or upon boxes. The sulphur should always be ground or mashed into a powder before being placed in the pots, and should be piled around the sides of the pot with a central depression or crater. Alcohol should always be used for lighting sulphur, although a hot coal will answer the purpose.

One pound of sulphur burned in a space containing 1,000 cubic feet will produce 1 per cent of the gas. Five pounds of sulphur burned in a space containing 1,000 cubic feet will produce 5 per cent of the gas.

On empty vessels burn 2 pounds of sulphur for every 1,000 cubic feet of space and let the gas stand for six hours.

In computing the capacity of the hold of a vessel for the purpose of determining the number of thousand cubic feet of space therein, and therefore the number of pounds of sulphur which will be required to produce a 2 per cent volume of the gas, the net tonnage of the vessel shows in a general way the cubic capacity of her cargo-carrying space. Ten net tons will represent 1,000 cubic feet of space; therefore, for every 10 net tons 2 pounds of sulphur must be used to get the average 2 per cent volume strength of sulphur gas. The capacity of the living apartments, storerooms, and the like had best be figured on separately.

In fumigating with sulphur gas all spaces must be made airtight. In fumigating the holds of vessels the hatches should be covered over with their regular waterproof tarpaulins and tightly battened down, leaving a small vent for the escape of the sulphur. All air slits, scuttles, and chain ports should be closed. The doors should be sealed by means of strips of paper pasted over the cracks left between the frame and the door.

If the vessel has cargo the killing of rats should be carried out under the direction of the nearest quarantine officer. After the fumigation is over the rats should be gathered (with the hands protected by heavy gloves) and burned in the ship's furnace or donkey boiler firebox, not in the galley.

Now, the important thing is to keep the vessel from becoming reinfested with rats. This is effected by (1) the use of rat funnels or guards on all lines while the vessel is in port, (2) by keeping a watch for rats attempting to walk up the gangplank, (3) by keeping a sharp lookout for rats being concealed in loosely crated freight, (4) by keeping the ship's food and stores carefully protected from rats, (5) by distributing rat poison (phosphorus or arsenic paste) in the vessel, (6) by keeping ship's cats (they should not be overfed, else they will not try to catch rats) , and, finally, by keeping rat traps constantly set

[Boatsb]

THEY HATE MINT.

If you get mint oil in the boat on pads all over the bilge and living areas they will leave. It needs to really smell of mint everywhere. This is one time where more is better.

[SKYCHENEY]

Or just flood the bilges and let it keep filling up until you see the rats leaving the boat. It may have to be almost completely submerged before they all come out, but it will work.

[Boatsb]

SKY thats not nice. Drowning the rats is going to get the aspca all pissed off.

[SKYCHENEY]

SKY thats not nice. Drowning the rats is going to get the aspca all pissed off.

No, don't worry. They can swim.

[Avenger]

The instructions state, "dispose of the mouse in an appropriate manner." Wonder what that means?

Burial at sea.

[rsmith]

Just under feed the ships cat.

[jim rosenthal]

I offered Mike the use of one of my cats for a while, but he declined. I think he doesn't believe she would catch mice. But seeing her go after everything else, I have no doubts on this. She'll chase anything.

[RT46]

I had crickets in the boat this summer for a week or so.....

I almost went crazy chasing that sound thinking there was a pump running or a short somewhere....

I guess crickets are much better than rodents

[MikeP]

"I guess crickets are much better than rodents"

Yes, they don't eat as much! :)

[MikeP]

This AM there was a dead mouse in the old Victor snap trap. The new fangled traps had the bait taken from both but had not triggered. So the new fangled traps are new fangled but they don't seem to be traps! Clearly, they have not yet built a better mouse trap! :)