Mouse Repellant

imported
#1

Has anybody used a rodent repellant for shelter sleeping? There are lots of commercially available rodent repellants. Most are intended for protecting landscaping stuff, trees , plantings and such, or power lines. Helps prevent crispy squirrel, I guess. I was wondering if any one has tried them on their packs, bags, or other places we don’t want nibbled by little critters. The stuff is cheap, about $15 /bottle that reconstitutes to a gallon. If it works, I’d re-con a 4 oz bottle for use until the next drop and bounce the concentrate ahead.

Jim2

#2

Ken, interesting query, but this has led to problems in the past. The rodent repellent and poisons can mess up the however natural you want to call them life systems around the area of the shelter. I know this is nearly not as bad as rat poison that some hikers tried a while back which ended up killing owls, foxes and other creatures that were not the target, but re-con can still have adverse affects.

Also, it’s not really neccessary. The mouse overpopulation is our fault, we need to live with it and learn to camp in such a way that it does not get worse, and this can be done without having to carry an extra bottle of re-con, just practice smart handling of food. You’ll be fine! Sometimes I think the mice stories get blown outta proportion, sure I have mine, but in retrospect I relish those tales and frankly all my stories have me to blame: I left my food bag open on the ground, smeared chocolate or peanut butter on a sock…

I’m not getting totally hippie on ya. I’ll admit I found and carried a mouse trap for entertainment part of the way on the trail until I got tired of it. Mice are harmless if you take the common-sense precautions. Hanging your food, also, I heard that kevlar bags (3-4 oz.) are rodent proof sacks for food (see more at thru-hiker.com).

Bottom line, I think the re-con is a waste of time and money. Maybe a sock and ear-plug was nibbled by a rodent, but that’s the only gear I lost to the gnawing brats, and those occurences could have easily been prevented BY ME.

Sweeper

#3

Consider them some of the AT wildlife and “enjoy” them. (Or at least tolerate them.) They really aren’t all that bad. Hey lay on your stomach and it’s like a little massage as they run over your back… LOL!

hamockhngr

#4

You’re going to end up loving those little critters and hating those who kill them. It’s really unnecessary. Anyone who had to sleep next to “Walkie Talkie” would know that mouse traps are terrible!!! He carried three traps and in the middle of the night, when the inevitably go off, had to beat them to death with a flashlight because they wouldn’t die in the traps. If I saw that guy around, I tented! Use the mouse hangers in the shelters, even if you’re tenting nearby, most people in the shelters don’t mind. Always hang your food. There are bigger critters out there than the mice. Wait til ya have to tie everything up from the porcupines!! Hehehehe, have fun, be creative and be smart.

pheonix

#5

The best repellant is the one I found at Lost Mountain shelter near Damascus…a 4 foot long black snake! I had to move him though as he was little too curious…but it was a miceless night.

Doc Holiday

#6

Jim, mucho apologies for calling you Ken, don’t know why, just stupid ol’ me.

Hehehe,Yes, black snakes will keep the mice away. Another idea, master the owl’s hoot. haha A hiker buddy on the trail tested out his owl call on a snowshoe hare. Upon hearing the call the rabbit froze dead in its tracks- terror in its eyes. Saw it myself! Same guy for a time liked to terrorize the mice with the traps. I never rigged my trap actually, I only carried it to use if the mice really ticked me off. They never seemed too bad. But if what Bushwahck said ever happened to me… Better wear goggles.

Sweeper

#7

The stuff I’ve read about keeps 'em from chewing whatever it’s sprayed on, like tree wrap, power cables, hammock lines, packs, stuff like that. Non-toxic to the mice, so you probably won’t wake up with a shelter full of tiny, stiff, fur balls. Unless you roll over on a few. I’ve read journal entries by a few folks who have rodent-aversions and just wondered if anybody has seen this stuff used. Looks like not. Now, how do I sound like a black snake…

Jim2

#8

Phoenix writes: “Use the mouse hangers in the shelters, even if you’re tenting nearby, most people in the shelters don’t mind”

Are there really people who hike the AT who begrudge tenters the use of hangers? Are tenters allowed to use the privy? get in out of the rain? have a dry, level spot to cook? read and note a register? chat? None of this this is true in my experience and let’s hope it isn’t. The trail’s too cool a place.

On the mouse topic, waking to the feel of a mouse tugging on your hair does not endear one to the damn creatures!

Tim from PA

#9

When I hiked the trail in 2000 I had extra trail mix that I didn’t like, too salty for me. So at night I’d just throw a handfull of it out on the ground in front of the shelter and by the morning it was all gone and I never had any mice problems at all. A true natural mice deterant.

ryan

#10

Ryan,

That may be a nice deterrent for you, but by feeding the mice you’re only encouraging them to live in the shelters and interact with future hikers.

Please don’t spread poisons around the shelters… people as well of ice will eat things off the shelter floor… seriously, it’s true.

hypatia