Was reading about "rockable's" Riviera in the featured thread and felt compelled to tell a little story on his thread. I've copied and pasted it here for everyone. Great car! Good on you! A note about mice. Ever hear of HANTA virus? Nasty bug. Hides out in dried mouse turds. Will seriously f*ck you up if you breathe it in when using a shop vac or compressed air and you make it airborne when cleaning a car. Buddy of mine got really sick cleaning out his large shed with a broom and a blower a few years back. Wound up in the hospital with endocarditis. Touch and go for a while. Docs couldn't figure out what caused his problem because he didn't even mention the shed cleaning episode. He had lingering respiratory issues and heart issues for months after he got out of the hospital. He's a pretty smart guy (electronic engineer) and asked me what I thought about Hanta virus (that's when he told ME about the shed). It ticked off all the boxes. It's a nasty bug. Hard to diagnose and as far as I know there is no known direct treatment for the virus. This **** (literally) should be handled just like asbestos. Wet it down with soapy water and wipe it up wet. Wear a GOOD respirator, not a paper mask. Protective Tyvek paint suit from Home Depot. Cover your hair, hands and shoes. Throw out protective suit and shower immediately after. An ounce of prevention. I am certain that there are more than a few car guys that have gotten Hanta from cleaning out their barn finds and probably didn't even know what it was that made them so freaking sick. Andy
Hello, Hanta Virus has been around forever. Mice are long standing critters that get into everything from country homes to city dwellings. Sometimes it is a never ending battle. But, for those that are leery of electronic devices and want to continue seeing bulging eyes and squashed heads when removing the age old snap traps, let alone breathing in any stuff coming off of the creature staring at you... Here is some advice. Silent ultrasonic devices of your choice, keep the critters away and your health is happier for it. No clean up after the dreaded "SNAP" and breathing in the same air as those creatures. Cats do catch them, but the same thing goes for their deposits and healthy air quality. Granules poison them and sometimes, they go scurrying off into the crevices of walls to die. Now, you have to search for the odor to dig them out and/or the same air quality applies again. If healthy air is primary, then the way we used to trap and remove the critters is in question. Ultrasonic devices send out stuff to jam their airwaves and we do not get affected by it. Kids and pets have no idea they are in play and are not affected. No poison granules spread around the yard or garage crevices. Just a slight glow from the small plug in devices is what is noticeable at night, but in the daytime, looks like a nice wall outlet cover. Jnaki The topic has been covered here on the HAMB, but everyone has their own ways. You have to decide if the extra work involved in old traps, air quality and smelly residues is worth it. We have used the ultrasonic devices for the last 20+ years and not one mouse in the house or garage, even with the garage door is open for some period of time. Our little dog was not affected and we certainly are still alive and well. ha! It is all up to the person as to which way they want to go to not be affected with the information posted. But, the good thing is, there is no dreaded clean up and maintenance. No dangerous air quality for adults, kids or pets. They stay away and you are just enjoying life as it should be enjoyed. No extra work or removal processes. Where do they go? Well, if the garage is cleaned up in the first place, and not a lot of junk pushed into all corners or areas, then there is no gathering place for the critters. Also, if old cars sit in one place long enough, there are tons of crevices that create great homes for the critters. So, you will have to do some clean up and secure the garage storage situation. Do you need that box with a mysterious labeling and do you know what is in every box? Note: There is no one "best" ultrasonic device. There are many companies that make them and read the reviews to make a logical choice. One small device plugged into a wall has limitations in coverage. Read the info and make your own decisions. The little blue glow from one is nice, but two makes it possible to walk around in the dark, if one forgets to turn on the light. Get the latest version and if it makes you feel better, use different devices as they may have different frequencies that they won't divulge to others. They are indoor devices... YRMV
Good heads up reminder. Best course of action is to keep your garage, sheds and yard cars sealed from rodents-which can be a continuous fight. A good reason to trailer your newly purchased project cars to the do it yourself car wash (bring your PPE) for a wet blast before you bring it home and park it in your yard/garage.
I use the ultrasonic devices and peppermint oil at the entrances of the garage and building, I’ve had good luck so far. Also place Bounce sheets in and around the car, not sure if it really helps but keeps interior fresh smelling either way.
If it's a barn find car, drag it out into the open, fill it with traps and poison, and let it sit for a week. The virus is not a long-lived one. A garage or shop can be a different scenario, unless you can be absolutely sure you've eliminated all the little *******s for a week or so. Its average survival lasts between two and four days, depending on the surrounding conditions. Hantavirus doesn't survive quite as long when exposed to more extreme outdoor conditions. But how long does hantavirus live in droppings indoors? At room temperature, it can survive for up to four days. Further, In North America, the carriers are the deer mouse, the white-footed mouse, the rice rat, and the cotton rat. However, not every deer mouse, white-footed mouse, rice rat, or cotton rat carries a hantavirus. Other rodents, such as house mice, roof rats, and Norway rats, have never been known to give people HPS.
I did a little rodent control in my job duties (stationary engineer). Vector control suggested placing contaminated surfaces in the sun. CDC seems to agree. https://www.ucop.edu/risk-services/_files/bsas/safetymeetings/hantavirus_factsht.pdf
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I make it a point NOT to keep anything edible in my shop. I will not allow a bag of chips in it, or even an empty soda or beer can. Them little ****ers can survive on anything. And then I hear about guys who keep their dog food supply in their shops and then complain about critters, I just shake my head.
A co worker of mine has a horse boarding stable. For mice control they mix flour with powered cement. The mice eat it and their insides turn to cement.
You have hell for different mice than we have here, they sit on those "electrionic devises, Eat the pepermint stuff incuding that stuff advertised on FB and chew on Irish spring soap. These gangsters pretty well solved the problem though.
I never had a cat that wasn’t a mouser….they also liked lizards and birds that like to dive bomb them…
Look like a good gang you have there. I've used Irish Spring before but read that mice actually like it and will eat it but they can't digest it and will eventually "blow up" from eating it. Sounds like a messy ending.
This is good advice. probably not as humane as other methods but probably the most effective and the predators that eat dead mice won't suffer the same fate. If they eat a dead mouse that was poisoned they too will suffer a painful consequence.
How about a little "Catch and Release", or I'll bring it in the house now, maybe find it again tomorrow!
I have had three little dogs that were excellent mousers. Little Manchester Terriers are really good at it. Anyway, Owls have returned to our area and the Mouse and Vole problem has since disappeared. I just finished cutting up an old car that lived in a field for 40 or more years. Every conceivable cavity was packed solid with old mouse nests and ****. Nothing recent. There was no more room. Several good flushes with the garden hose and nozzle before cutting into it. Even at that, the frame, muffler, etc. was still packed full. No ill effect, though, just need to quit smelling it even after it's done and gone. You need to get yourself some Owls.
Moth balls in an old nylon stocking, good for a couple months, dryer sheets last a couple days, store pet food somewhere other than where you park the hot rod for the winter. Some of those green poison bars Menards sells work real well also.
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