A New Mouse Trap

[Don]

Hi,

I have heard that red pepper powder spread on the bottom board for an
upright will prevent mice. They get the stuff on their feet and then lick
their feet--I guess the taste is too uninviting even for them.

At 10:14 AM 12/2/01 -0500, you wrote:
>Does anyone know of a good way to deter the vermin from entering the piano?
>I have a non-university client that would like to keep the mice out but
>doesn't really want to use any lethal means. The piano is actually located
>on a nature and animal preserve.
>
>I have in the past seen the use of pipe tobacco spread under the keys. I
>don't know if it was effective, but come to think of it there were never any
>droppings, just a mess of tobacco! Is this just an old wives tale? What
>other substances might work?
>
>Phil Romano
>Coastal Carolina University
>Myrtle Beach, SC
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Stephen Birkett" <birketts@wright.aps.uoguelph.ca>
>To: <caut@ptg.org>
>Sent: Saturday, December 01, 2001 6:49 PM
>Subject: Re: A New Mouse Trap
>
>
>> > While I'm writing this, I'm trying to browse the list archives for hanta
>> > virus, about which there was some extensive posting a few years
>> > ago.  Unless it was a hoax,  the prudent course might be to read up and
>do
>> > a thorough cleaning, wearing the appropriate protective wear.
>> >
>> > No luck with the browser.  Maybe someone else can advise you on that.
>>
>> Hi David,
>>
>> Maybe this is what you remembered...
>> Here's the little post I made on hantavirus back in 1998 (pianotech) when
>> the subject came up. Be careful.
>>
>> Stephen
>> ----------------------
>> From birketts Wed Jul 22 12:47:27 1998
>> Subject: Re: Hantavirus
>> To: pianotech@ptg.org
>> Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 12:47:27 -0500 (EDT)
>> In reply to: "Sy Zabrocki" at Jul 22, 98 09:15:16 am
>>
>> > It's puzzling why this virus is now present. Some of us have been
>> > shoveling mice droppings from pianos for over 40 years with no problem.
>> > What is the factor?
>> >
>>
>> The rodent strain is the first US outbreak of acute disease associated
>> with hantavirus. Hantaviruses have traditionally been associated with
>> diseases like hemorrhagic fever and renal syndrome. Mortality rate from
>> hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is 48%. The disease is asymptomatic in
>> rodents and is transmitted via saliva and excreta. Its *first* occurence
>> was only in 1993...a designer disease for that year, along with the new
>> cholera pandemic that was first seen in 1993 in Asia. Question is why did
>> pulmonary hantavirus syndrome emerge in 1993, when the virus was present
>> in low levels in rodent populations for years prior to 1993? Is this
>> related to changes in rodent ecology and/or changes in the viral
>> strain...why pulmonary now and not renal? The answer depends on your
>> political pursuasion, but it seems fairly likely (in other new disease
>> emergence also) that ecological/environmental perversions are at least
>> partially responsible. Possible scenario is: 1993 heavy rains after 6
>> years drought caused flourishing rodent food supply...rodent burrows were
>> flooded driving the mice above ground...perfect conditions for
>> amplification of the virulent strain of hantavirus and its transmission to
>> human populations. 1993 was also a particularly bad El Nino year.  Years
>> of overgrazing and de-forestation in the southwest served to amplify the
>> flooding problem, plus increased human contact with rodent populations.
>> So the combination of conditions no doubt made everything just right for
>> emergence of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
>>
>> Just some thoughts from another one of my past lives. When I was involved
>> with ecosystem modelling we looked at the emergence of new diseases.
>> This one is certainly not the first or last....and we are in for a rough
>> ride over the next decades judging by history since the 80s.
>>
>> Isn't piano servicing fun. You should check out the CDC website for
>> suggestions on reducing the risk.
>>
>> Stephen
>>
>> Stephen Birkett Fortepianos
>> Authentic Reproductions of 18th and 19th Century Pianos
>> 464 Winchester Drive
>> Waterloo, Ontario
>> Canada N2T 1K5
>> tel: 519-885-2228
>> email: birketts@wright.aps.uoguelph.ca
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>

Regards,
Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.M.T., R.P.T.

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