!!Alert: mice break-ins at trailheads!!

[the starchild]

last month while hiking, with my van parked at the Appalachia lot, we returned to find mice had nibbled on left food and flippin' pooped everywhere...even on the dashboard and in a mug

monday upon returning to lincoln woods (from bear pond ) we found mice had nibbled food and my tent, some clothes and a duffle bag oh yeah, and flippin' pooped everywhere

I see a large storage bin accompanying me on my next trip.

Has this happened to anyone else?

 

[hikerfast]

a month ago i turned my ski boot upside down and all kinds of little fur and seeds and god knows what else fell out of there. also, dont leave your hiking food like oatmeal or powdered eggs(oops, i meant FILET MIGNON AND CAVIAR!!) out in a box where they can get at it. nothing like finding little turds in your powdered eggs.

 

[Jean]

I think it's the same mouse that established temporary residence in your car.
It happened to a friend of mine last year. Took her 6 weeks to find where it was hidding.

 

[Rick]

....nothing like finding little turds in your powdered eggs.

Ahhh hell, just pretend they're caraway seeds and gulp'em down.....

 

[Jaytrek57]

This is why the police need to crack down on these varmin.

Perhaps we can set up a video cameras, put some fake vomit on the seat or have a stakeout to catch these bastards....

oh wait...this has been covered.

On a serious note, yes...it has happened to me . And yes, more than likely, the mouse has been in your car for a while, at least in my case.

peace.

 

[paul ron]

Not only do they go for the food but I had a moving blanket in my trunk and they shreded it to pieces for the insulation perhaps as nest material.

 

[Waumbek]

Check the air filter (aka mouse condo) in your car's engine. Put moth balls in there after Oct. 1.

 

[Lawn Sale]

I had something like this happen +/- 20 years ago in the north Maine woods. A mouse had crawled up the air vent for the car (Scout II) and gotten inside, and would make his way back and forth at will. I don't know how new your car is, but if he's not living in there it could be an avenue of entry.

 

[the starchild]

last month while hiking, with my van parked at the Appalachia lot, we returned to find mice had nibbled on left food and flippin' pooped everywhere...even on the dashboard and in a mug

monday upon returning to lincoln woods (from bear pond ) we found mice had nibbled food and my tent, some clothes and a duffle bag oh yeah, and flippin' pooped everywhere

I see a large storage bin accompanying me on my next trip.

Has this happened to anyone else?

Edit: I didn't mention this happened with two different vehicles owned by different people.

 

[slamdog]

ditto

Ward and I returned to my car this past Monday (Upper Works) after four days on the trails. I opened my trunk, and ditto, same mess throughout. I was a little unhappy to say the least. Then, I opened the front door of the car and the little sob's had gotten in there as well. Napkins shredded etc and yes, lots of "caraway seeds". Pulled the car into the garage last night after work to vacum it all out. After reading some of these, I'm going to go out at put a couple mouse traps in there. Story to be continued.....

 

[Rick]

I had something like this happen +/- 20 years ago in the north Maine woods. A mouse had crawled up the air vent for the car (Scout II)....

Aaah some of my best memories of the 70's came from my old International Scout. I almost bought one on Ebay last year in a fit of nostalgia, but then I remembered how vaccuum wiper system didn't work and the doors ended up falling off.....

 

[weatherman]

One got into my car at Roaring Brook a couple years ago and shredded a rear seat belt (!) to make a nest- tough teeth! Anyway, cost me $150 to have the seat belt replaced. Since, I make sure to take food scraps with me, or at least leave them in the trunk where mice are more or less welcome.

 

[Dugan]

I had a series of mouse tenants in my old car. My mechanic solved the problem by putting screening over the air intakes. Voila, no more bits of nesting material flew out of the vents when I turned the fan on!

 

[Bobonanda]

On the other side of the mountain from Appalachia, at the Dolly Copp campground, the mouse problem can be pretty severe.

We often base there for weeks at a time in the fall, doing day hikes. We noticed the problem for years, and a lot of our food & paper was infiltrated. We dealt with it, thinking it was one rogue mouse.

One year, though, it got particularly bad; I have to admit that I went out and bought a couple of traps. Turns out it wasn't just one mouse that had found his way into the car - I trapped dozens! Night after night, they just kept coming... they must've left a scent trail, telling family members how to get in.

I didn't feel good about the traps. This year (just returned), we kept all food in plastic bins in the covered bed of the pickup, removing all food, wrappers and paper from the cabin. They still got into the cabin and searched around - leaving poop in a few places - but they seemed to get tired of finding nothing. By the end of the trip, there was little evidence that they were bothering anymore.

/b

 

[Chip]

Of Mice and Bear...

I'm in Bear mode with all food now, nothing open, nothing left around.
Bear canister in my pack or trunk.
MRE's (my main camping food) are left fully sealed until used.
I can't say the same for my wife and kids in her car, but her first infestation will solve that.

 

[The Sikes]

Yikes! I never even thought of them invading a car! I get after my kids all the time to pick up and not leave anything laying around but we do leave all the trash in a nice bag in the car....What good is that going to do but to make it nice and convenient for them to find the food and tell others.

I need to change how we do that and count my blessings that they didn't get in before I heard about this. I'm sorry to say that I would revert to drastic measures if they can't behave themselves. (the mice, I mean...he he )

 

[carole]

Aaah some of my best memories of the 70's came from my old International Scout. I almost bought one on Ebay last year in a fit of nostalgia, but then I remembered how vaccuum wiper system didn't work and the doors ended up falling off.....

My husband and son have restored two of them - the mice like the glove box!!

 

[Lawn Sale]

Want another one? It's a '78 with no axles, but has many good parts.

Sorry for the hijack...back to the regularly scheduled program.

 

[KevCon223]

Always check the air intake, they seem to love it in there. They will also chew the wiring.

 

[spaddock]

nothing like finding little turds in your powdered eggs.

I didn't think there was anything that could taste worse than powdered eggs. I sit corrected.


-Shayne