Mice in my headliner

[Kaiserjeeps]

Just reading through all this thinking about hantavirus. There is no cure. A lot of people die from it. I keep hearing about it down south and up here in Washington state. I live in the woods and have terrible issues with deer mice. They are the main carriers. Brown fur with tan underbelly's and big ears like a deer. Bleach spray is the best way to kill the virus by spraying the poop and where they have been without disturbing it. Soak it then wipe it up with paper towels wet. Vacuum's and brooms get it air borne and that is how you breathe it in. If you get flu like symptoms in a week or so, get your butt to a hospital and inform them about your mice contact. Glad SJTD said something. If it was a gray mouse, chances are you will be fine and it was just a dirty job.
I know the headliner is out, washed and drying. Just pay attention to your health in the coming weeks. And for stubborn odors I have an ozone generator that is extremely effective with smells, cigarettes, mice, mold etc. For anybody else with a smell problem in their Jeeps. Try to find a rental ozone generator. They work like a charm.

Please post the install as I am about to sew a new one up and need to install it before the front glass goes in. I am interested in any tips or tricks.

[JoggerFogger]

Yup, googled it and got a little paranoid. Not much to do now but watch for symptoms. I'll hopefully know what kind of mouse soon with one dead in a trap.

When I pulled the headliner, I could smell it from 15 ft away. So could guys at my shop. It was pungent. After 2 rinsings, and 2 treatments of nature's miracle, I put my nose right in the worst spot stain and all I could smell was canvas and cleaner.

As long as I don't tear the hell out of it putting it back in, I'm feeling pretty confident in the treatment. That is if I don't die from mouse turds.

[rang-a-stang]

... That is if I don't die from mouse turds.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Killer mouse turds!!! LOL!!!

[letank]

check your quarter panel as well

here we go

[JoggerFogger]

Mice like peanut butter.

So I show up this morning and B-line to the Jeep.

I look inside and see all the peanut butter eaten off the traps.



I'm not going to bore you with 8 more pictures of set traps with peanut butter eaten off the trap. Its funny because pain is the heart of humor.

-Kevin

[JoggerFogger]

2 down, but are they the mice from the Jeep?

So I put 6 traps in the Jeep, 4 next to the tires, 2 against the wall next to the Jeep.

Most of the peanut butter was eaten off the traps in and under the Jeep.

I got two mice in the traps against the wall. The problem is... are these the mice from the Jeep? or just residents of my shop?

[babywag]

Need more sensitive traps, or faster release...
If there are a bunch living around it may take a few sessions to get 'em all.

[Kaiserjeeps]

That is a deer mouse. I just emptied a trap with one in the shop. Gloves and lots of washing afterwards. The very best traps are the ones with the 1 inch square yellow fake cheese paddle. I put peanut butter in the very middle and they are very effective. The neat thing about the trap is any critter that crawls over the paddle will trip it. So up against walls and at the lower corners of each roll up door. You will get rid of them. We joke about checking the trap line every morning. And we feed crows that come by twice a day looking for a free meal. Funny how it all works.

[babywag]

The very best traps are the ones with the 1 inch square yellow fake cheese paddle. I put peanut butter in the very middle and they are very effective.

Funny those are same ones I use...I've yet to find one with the PB eaten away unsprung.

[joe]

Keep at it till you get no more. Keep your traps in their travel paths. They don't like wide open spaces so travel from cover to cover.

[JoggerFogger]

I got rubber gloves and a mask, and discarded the two mice.
They do look like deer mice, and now I'm nice and scared. I wasn't exactly trying to breathe in the dust from the nests, but I was gettin' in there. Today I realized that someone in my shop took out the filter in the shop vac (because it was dirty). So all the nest material was just shooting out into the shop. Luckily toward the open roll up.

I re-loaded all the traps (except 2) and realized that none of the peanut butter was touched on the ones behind the tires. Maybe they're still in the pillars and doors? So mad.

I'm going to order 200 traps on Amazon right now. The kind with the yellow plastic and everything else I can find.

-Kevin

[SJTD]

I didn't realize hantavirus was up in the Pac NW or I would have mentioned it sooner and not been so flippant about it.

I used to work at a test facility in the mountains above the San Fernando valley. Had lotsa mices and one day the Safety people decided we should be trained on HV.

As I recall they acted like it was mainly a SW desert issue and we were unlikely to be exposed but better safe than sorry.

On the bright side, not all deer mice are carriers and as with any disease exposure doesn't mean you get it. You don't catch a cold every time someone sneezes on you.

The issue with the vacuum cleaner would be funny if not for the possible consequences. Can't think of a worse thing to do with the droppings.

As Kaiser said, watch for symptoms.

[Kaiserjeeps]

In the last 1.5 years here I have read about 4-5 cases of it in Washington state. Mostly central state a couple hours west of here. Recently I sprayed down all the non running jeeps in the corner up here with a bleach and water mix in a spray bottle. If you see poop just soak it with a spray. Then wipe it up wet with a paper towel. With disposable gloves on. My wife and I both wear masks when we shuffle the jeeps to new spots.
Good points that not all have it, or exposure means a sickness for sure. But it is bad enough that it can kill and they say there is no cure. Funny I just caught a regular gray mouse baby running across the shop floor this morning. I had a thick welding glove on and took it for a walk. To the neighbors.... JK....

[Crankyolman]

I got a little black and white cat that would be great at helping you out if you lived a little closer, he brings me mice all the time and even worked his way past a greasy transmission to get inside my truck after a bird that got in there. Maybe find someone around with a good mouser they'll loan you for a day or two.

[JoggerFogger]

Hopefully I don't die. I'll let you know how that goes.

I ordered 16 more traps, but realized that I can't wait that long.
Watched some youtube videos and built a mouse catcher.

https://youtu.be/6SIlYiiCGLI

We'll have to see if it works. Hopefully my log spins easy enough.