Date:         Wed, 26 Oct 2005 15:15:01 +0000
Reply-To:     Robert Rountree <syncro87@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Rountree <syncro87@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Mouse Attack!
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

This winter, the whole Rat Fink family.. would like to live in your van.
(and multiply)
If you keep your vehicle outside on in a barn, it's a given. With my old
loaf they would get in the engine compartment and eat the foam that sealed
around the air cooling shroud. Sometimes chewing the wiring, and any other
thing that interested them during the long hungry boring winter. I always
had to give a good close inspection of all wiring before my first seasonal
trip. On my 87 westy there is a flexible pipe under the passenger seat
battery box. This helps clear any hydrogen gas build up from the battery
box. If you look under the wheel well, above and behind the wheel you'll see
it. I think I used some coarse fiberglass, like in house furnace filters, to
fill that pipe. Seems to have worked for the last 10 years..... But.....
where they insist on building a nest is by entering outside my fresh air
intake vent, up by the passenger side headlight, then down on into the
venting that goes thru my passenger door..... If you're storing for the
winter.....make sure you leave those sliding vents on your doors closed!!!
.... rodents leave a urine trail... little squirts all along the way they
travel, this way they can run that trail in the dark, and tell the other rat
finks.... back off.. it's my digs... once that trail has been left... it's
like an open for business sign to any rodent looking for a pad or some
tricky rodent love.... The worst thing that can happen to a stored vehicle
is have a nest full of critters die in your heater vents.... whoooaaa   peee
  uuuuuuu....
On my loaf I scattered moth balls all around the engine compartment... and
that seemed to help... Now every spring (or middle of the winter) .. the top
of my air cleaner in my Syncro has little mouse feet prints all over it, (I
think they have been dancing) luckily so far it looks like they have brought
their own chow to the hoe down, and haven't eaten any wires, I know they eat
in there because I also find little piles of shucked sunflower seeds just
like the ones in my bird feeder.

Now every spring 1st thing, I take the van out, get it up to high speed,
then have my wife open the passenger door while I hit the dash heater fan on
max.... and a bunch of crap goes blowing out the end of the vent thru the
door... I even think I once saw a mouse fly by.... must of been some ride
eh?

RR