Mouse (mice?) invasion!

[Cardo]

I guess it had to happen sooner or later!

We're currently anchored with a line ashore. We had contemplated bottles and things on the line, but I've been told they're fairly useless, so we haven't bothered.

Last night we went to bed leaving the main hatch open, but with the mosquito netting over it. This morning we woke up to find the mosquito netting had been disturbed and various little poops (similar to hamster poops) on various surfaces around the saloon and fore cabin. There were also some on the deck outside.
We found a mouse (or mice?) had nibbled some of last night's leftovers, including the lemon pips from my g&t!

I've gone through the boat as best I could and can't find any traces of remaining mice onboard. It doesn't appear they've got into the bilge, as there's no signs of poop down there. I'm hoping they had their fill and buggered off.

Obviously, from now on we'll make sure we close the main hatch properly to avoid future visits.

However, our concern is that they may still be onboard? How likely is it? Our hatch steps are reasonably steep, but the mouse has jumped at least that far to get onto the saloon table.
In the meantime, I've put a cookie on the table to see if anything comes back to have a nibble at it. With the main hatch closed, nothing else should be able to get in.

Any advice? Should we invest in some rat/mouse killer?

 

[fergie_mac66]

mouse or rat ? hamster size sounds like rat!

 

[nigelmercier]

Traps baited with peanut butter. Don't use chocolate, as it will negate the effects if you choose to use poison later.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

…. Don't use chocolate, as it will negate the effects if you choose to use poison later.

Never heard about that, interesting. I would suggest that a trap at the hole where the poop is will do the job, repeat over subsequent nights.

I cleared an old farmhouse with traps and bits of Mars Bars. We would set the traps and put the lights out and within 15 minutes we had about 20 crushed mice. Over time we kept repeating until it was just small mice, and hardly any traps going off. We then used poison at the underfloor vents to deter/prevent.

 

[Downsman]

If Mickey has come aboard and found food easily obtainable, it's unlikely he will have gone ashore voluntarily. His kind normally only move on when the grub runs out.
I found good old fashioned spring loaded traps did the business in Sliema Marina when I got a couple of mouse visitors. :encouragement:

 

[VicS]

I guess it had to happen sooner or later!



Any advice? Should we invest in some rat/mouse killer?

Get a cat.

I have not had any mice on board since I got this fella

 

[Downsman]

That is the least menacing Moggie I've ever seen, I'm surprised the Mice don't duff him up..

 

[sarabande]

spring traps in tubes, e.g. boots, round the edges of the cabin. Meece like exploring .


Check boots, though before proper use.


Oh yes, sultanas/raisins are effective.




Do mice get sea sick ?


"You do not have to squeak anything. .... Anything you do squeak may be given in evidence." SPLAT !

 

[maby]

Definitely a ships cat!

 

[pmagowan]

Poison. They take it to their nest and you get the lot of them in one go. Also, you can leave a few bags of it about for if they return. I put it in food bags, just a small amount, wrap it up tight and then pierce a few holes in it. I throw these into all the corners and leave them for the next time they come to call.

 

[sarabande]

One trouble with poison, which is very effective, is that it tends to take a long time (e.g. Warfarin-based products take several days) and the mice tend to bleed all over the place before decomposing in some inaccessible corner.

 

[onesea]

I see these are commercially available...

Although you might have some luck with a cheap plastic frizzby?

If using a water bottle (or Frizzby) and you can thread it down the line without a longitudinal cut you might have some success???

 

[pmagowan]

What about a shotgun?

 

[RivalRedwing]

One trouble with poison, which is very effective, is that it tends to take a long time (e.g. Warfarin-based products take several days) and the mice tend to bleed all over the place before decomposing in some inaccessible corner.

And in the confines of a boat they may give off a bit of a pong....

 

[Cardo]

If, as suggested, the perpetrator was a big rat, then hopefully it buggered off after having its fill. This is a small boat, so there's not that many places it could've hidden!

So far there's been no further "incidents" and the chocolate chip cookie on display is untouched. However, it is during the day, so we'll have to see what happens tonight!

We're in a town today, so if we do have an infestation we should be able to buy some supplies.

 

[Cardo]

And in the confines of a boat they may give off a bit of a pong....

Definitely want to avoid slow killing poison, as there are places in the bilge no human can get to. Last thing I want is a decaying rat/mouse in one of those.

 

[Sailingsaves]

Traps baited with peanut butter. Don't use chocolate, as it will negate the effects if you choose to use poison later.

Have not read whole thread so forgive me if I repeat something.

Traps, absolutley. Also, insert trap into a 2L coca cola bottle that has been cut in half; that way mouse has to approach trap from deadly end - they have been known to approach from t'other end and are simply flipped into air.

Keep trapping until no more poop or until traps remain set and untouched - maybe rig some of those cones onto mooring lines - don't know about bottles, but cones do work if diameter large enough to stop bugzers jumping over edge of cone.

Mice poop here there and everywhere, rats poop in piles and corners and are tidy the little bugzers (only animal I detest). Clever, resistant, germ ridden.

The ultrasonic things that plug into mains voltage do work (at least the ones I bought did) and they never came back to the loft. Don't know where you are and if shopping is viable / easy, but trap for now if can get mouse traps (or make a trap if you are tied in a country where there are few shops)

 

[pmagowan]

Have not read whole thread so forgive me if I repeat something.

Traps, absolutley. Also, insert trap into a 2L coca cola bottle that has been cut in half; that way mouse has to approach trap from deadly end - they have been known to approach from t'other end and are simply flipped into air.

Keep trapping until no more poop or until traps remain set and untouched - maybe rig some of those cones onto mooring lines - don't know about bottles, but cones do work if diameter large enough to stop bugzers jumping over edge of cone.

Mice poop here there and everywhere, rats poop in piles and corners and are tidy the little bugzers (only animal I detest). Clever, resistant, germ ridden.

The ultrasonic things that plug into mains voltage do work (at least the ones I bought did) and they never came back to the loft. Don't know where you are and if shopping is viable / easy, but trap for now if can get mouse traps (or make a trap if you are tied in a country where there are few shops)

The ultrasonic things hurt my ears and I have seen them put right next to a rat in a cage without any signs of effecting it. I know some are supposed to put a weird current through the cables also to prevent them biting wires but it is always so hard to tell if they have worked or if the little blighters have just left for other reasons (such as poison, traps etc). Some may be more effective than others but I would not trust them much. Poison seems to be most effective and after that traps. Some get used to traps and learn to avoid them or even disarm them. I always think with traps that you simply end up with a predator prey balance and there is always another mouse somewhere. Mice and rats can hide in the smallest of places and a boat has so many places for them to hide that there is simply no way to make sure that you are clear short of gassing them. One thing you can do is set fire to the boat and they will be the first off! You will also help the statistics on another thread!!

 

[TQA]

Fair chance it is a rat and you need to be pretty proactive as the damage they can do to wiring, hoses, plastic pipes is considerable.

Rat poison is your starter.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Definitely want to avoid slow killing poison, as there are places in the bilge no human can get to. Last thing I want is a decaying rat/mouse in one of those.

Yes. A rodent of some sort died in the false ceiling where I used to work, and the smell before it was traced and removed was awful!