<html> <head> <style></style></head> <body class='hmmessage'><div dir='ltr'> Greetings,   I happened to hear a home improvement show on the radio, just last weekend. One thing stuck with me.   The topic was mice infestations and stopping them. A woman phoned in and swore up and down that she had  a great deal of success with bars of "Irish Spring" soap. According to her, the little critters hate it!   She was putting it in her vehicle, parked in a rural area, and it seemed to be doing the trick.   Perhaps some shavings of soap in a small container in the piano could act as a deterent. No personal knowledge if this is accurate. YMMV :-)   Tom, Regina, SK Full-Time Lurker; Intermittent Responder     <DIV> <DIV id=SkyDrivePlaceholder></DIV>> From: dlawson@davidlawsonspianos.com.au > To: pianotech@ptg.org > Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:56:49 +1100 > Subject: Re: [pianotech] How To Deter Mice > > One thing that concerns me with the mouse problem is the use of naphthalene. > I see this quite often being placed inside pianos where there is a problem > with both mice and moths. This stuff is dangerous and is carcinogenic. > Recent studies have shown that exposing babies to Naphthalene, by re-using > baby clothes contaminated by it, can cause brain damage. Quite frankly I > don't understand why it isn't banned here in Oz, and elsewhere. > Steel wool poked into access points to the piano, i.e. pedals, gaps between > iron plates and pedal bottoms, and any opening that will allow the little > critters to get in, is a good deterrent. > David Lawson. Wangaratta Australia > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ron Nossaman" <rnossaman@cox.net> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Friday, November 30, 2012 3:00 AM > Subject: Re: [pianotech] How To Deter Mice > > > > On 11/29/2012 9:13 AM, Larry Fisher RPT wrote: > >> > >> Cheese > >> turns hard with age and I’ve found peanut butter to be longer lasting > >> and more effective. I use the crunchy type and actually push a part of > >> the nut into the bait platform making it hard for the mouse to remove. > > > > Many years ago, I had a mouse clean all the peanut butter off the trigger > > without springing the trap. I was really impressed, but that wasn't going > > to get it in the long run. So I disassembled a cotton ball, packed it full > > of peanut butter, and wrapped it around the trigger. > > > > Snap. > > > > > >>The rafter tails on the > >> roof are a lasting record of how damaging they can be. I put up chicken > >> wire and they chewed through that so I put up three layers of chicken > >> wire and they finally stopped but I had to deal with at least two > >> generations of squirrels to get them and their kids reprogrammed when I > >> first moved here. > >> Good luck. Lar > > > > Hail screen is the way to go here. Heavier wire gauge, much more chew > > resistant. They'll make more noise trying to get through, what with the > > breaking teeth and cursing, but they're far less likely to get past it. > > The zinc dip will probably poison them too. > > Ron N > > > > > </DIV> </div></body> </html>