Of mice and men and aeroplanes
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Join Date: Aug 2005
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Of mice and men and aeroplanes
So I'm working on the plane today and the rat catcher (or pest control technician to be more PC ) stopped by to check his bait traps and we ended up haveing an interesting conversation about how best to protect the plane especially now that the cold weather has arrived and the mice tend to start moving indoors for warmth.
This guy is an RC enthusiast and he jokingly said he dreaded reading the paper one day and learning that my plane had crashed due to wires and cables being eaten thru, especially as I sometimes store hay and straw in the excess space in the hangar which is a magnet for the little bastards. He noted that even small bags of grass seed that I use for patching airstrip should be kept elsewhere as mice needing very little moisture to survive will be attracted to the seed bag and can live and breed in there.
I asked him that if I intended to store the plane for a few months at a time would it be an idea to get 3 flat pans that I can fill with an inch of water and jack the plane up and lower the wheels down onto the pans to create a moat around the wheels would this prevent them from getting up and into the plane, he thought that was a bit extreme and that even with the pans the rats would be able to jump up onto the belly antennas and get in. I have the Tundra tyres on and thought it may be difficult due to size and circumference for a mouse to climb up and round them onto the axle , he noted that tractor and combine harvester tyres are 3 or 4 times larger and they manage to get into them just fine.
He suggested two steps in addition to the hangar perimeter bait traps.
1. A strong peppermint spray that's designed specifically for pest deterrent, sprayed on the ground round the wheels and over the tyres and axles and any low hanging antennas and not leaving the tow bar on the wheel.
2. Buying one of those ultrasonic things that emit a high pitched tone that drive the mice nuts forcing them to leave, however he said the only worthwhile units are the ones that change frequencies every so often otherwise they get immune to it after a few weeks, kind of like the guy that buys a house under a busy approach path and eventually does not hear the noise.
He said he sprays the fuel lines on the belly of his car as they get chewed out when he runs biofuel which is a major draw for the mice, this is not a problem for aircraft but shows what the little devils are capable of.
So there you have it wise words from the rat catcher for winterization/pest repellent for aircraft, especially on farm strips.
This guy is an RC enthusiast and he jokingly said he dreaded reading the paper one day and learning that my plane had crashed due to wires and cables being eaten thru, especially as I sometimes store hay and straw in the excess space in the hangar which is a magnet for the little bastards. He noted that even small bags of grass seed that I use for patching airstrip should be kept elsewhere as mice needing very little moisture to survive will be attracted to the seed bag and can live and breed in there.
I asked him that if I intended to store the plane for a few months at a time would it be an idea to get 3 flat pans that I can fill with an inch of water and jack the plane up and lower the wheels down onto the pans to create a moat around the wheels would this prevent them from getting up and into the plane, he thought that was a bit extreme and that even with the pans the rats would be able to jump up onto the belly antennas and get in. I have the Tundra tyres on and thought it may be difficult due to size and circumference for a mouse to climb up and round them onto the axle , he noted that tractor and combine harvester tyres are 3 or 4 times larger and they manage to get into them just fine.
He suggested two steps in addition to the hangar perimeter bait traps.
1. A strong peppermint spray that's designed specifically for pest deterrent, sprayed on the ground round the wheels and over the tyres and axles and any low hanging antennas and not leaving the tow bar on the wheel.
2. Buying one of those ultrasonic things that emit a high pitched tone that drive the mice nuts forcing them to leave, however he said the only worthwhile units are the ones that change frequencies every so often otherwise they get immune to it after a few weeks, kind of like the guy that buys a house under a busy approach path and eventually does not hear the noise.
He said he sprays the fuel lines on the belly of his car as they get chewed out when he runs biofuel which is a major draw for the mice, this is not a problem for aircraft but shows what the little devils are capable of.
So there you have it wise words from the rat catcher for winterization/pest repellent for aircraft, especially on farm strips.
Last edited by piperboy84; 23rd Sep 2014 at 14:30.
Make some tall, openable/closable cylinders of a slippery sheet material to put around the u/c legs and wheels? Have seen this from time to time.
I investigated the ultrasonic devices to keep ferrets out of my car and my house, where they have done considerable damage. An additional problem with thses things is that a poorly designed device can actually deafen the animal it is designed to deter....
Buy a cat
?
Anyway, the "Swiss Cheese" theory is certainly put in to a different perspective by this.
I investigated the ultrasonic devices to keep ferrets out of my car and my house, where they have done considerable damage. An additional problem with thses things is that a poorly designed device can actually deafen the animal it is designed to deter....
Buy a cat
?Anyway, the "Swiss Cheese" theory is certainly put in to a different perspective by this.
See picture:
An upside down bucket can work for under the tailwheel as well.
Bryan
An upside down bucket can work for under the tailwheel as well.
Bryan
Interesting post Piperboy, thanks!
I have my own dislike of mice in the plane, as I found myself headed for a very surprise forced landing in my 150 turning crosswind after takeoff. I had pulled carb heat, as it was a damp day, and running a bit rough - it stopped, and that was that. Though a turnback was not possible, I was able to land in the field off the end of my runway. On the ground, mere feet from the fence, the engine was idling roughly, but with no response the the throttle whatever.
I shut down, and walked back to get the tractor to tow it home. Once back safely (and happily completely undamaged) in the hangar, I took it apart. Once the carb airbox was off, it was apparent; the mice had built a nest in an air hose from the cabin heat. Once I pulled carb heat, that nest of fibreglass insulation (from under the glare shield) and other upholstery bits was sucked right up into the venturi. There was a wad of fibreglass, dripping with gasoline - it had chocked the engine right out.
Now there are screens in the induction hoses, and my cats are regularly in the hangar!
I have my own dislike of mice in the plane, as I found myself headed for a very surprise forced landing in my 150 turning crosswind after takeoff. I had pulled carb heat, as it was a damp day, and running a bit rough - it stopped, and that was that. Though a turnback was not possible, I was able to land in the field off the end of my runway. On the ground, mere feet from the fence, the engine was idling roughly, but with no response the the throttle whatever.
I shut down, and walked back to get the tractor to tow it home. Once back safely (and happily completely undamaged) in the hangar, I took it apart. Once the carb airbox was off, it was apparent; the mice had built a nest in an air hose from the cabin heat. Once I pulled carb heat, that nest of fibreglass insulation (from under the glare shield) and other upholstery bits was sucked right up into the venturi. There was a wad of fibreglass, dripping with gasoline - it had chocked the engine right out.
Now there are screens in the induction hoses, and my cats are regularly in the hangar!
I always do a carb (m)ice check on my pre-take-off checks.
My better lesson was don't change the engine settings until you're safely up, and maybe have somewhere good to glide back to...
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My better lesson was don't change the engine settings until you're safely up, and maybe have somewhere good to glide back to...
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Plastic bags of used cat litter placed strategically at entry points around the a/c seemed to work. Don't keep food in the hangar. They also like antifreeze by the way!
Apart from a simple ultrasonic unit and traps in the hangar itself:
FWIW. The main deterrent is towel soaked in diesel or paraffin in a plastc container & placed on the a/c seats.
A tip someone else here rcommended & have used it successfully for many years now.
mike hallam.
FWIW. The main deterrent is towel soaked in diesel or paraffin in a plastc container & placed on the a/c seats.
A tip someone else here rcommended & have used it successfully for many years now.
mike hallam.
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I'm not so sure about the diesel. I have a diesel lawn tractor & the little buggers ate half the fuel tank filler cap including the rubber seal, then they ate lumps out of the plastic fuel funnel nearby. They also ate much of the coolant pipe work on a gyro in the hangar (Rotax 582 I think)
Cleaning the hangar, traps & the well used cat litter seem to be working.
Cleaning the hangar, traps & the well used cat litter seem to be working.
Lying on the hangar floor cleaning the underside of my aircraft last weekend, I spotted something moving out of the corner of my eye.
Looked up to see a snake slithering towards me
Turned out to be a baby grass snake and totally harmless, but I wasn't about to let it crawl over me. Can't say I fancy a "Snakes in a plane" moment when airborne either!
Looked up to see a snake slithering towards me
Turned out to be a baby grass snake and totally harmless, but I wasn't about to let it crawl over me. Can't say I fancy a "Snakes in a plane" moment when airborne either!
