<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" = xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = name="PostalCode"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple id="role_body" = bottomMargin=7 leftmargin=7 topmargin=7 rightMargin=7> <div class=Section1> Sneak a couple of boxes of D-Con in = the pedal trap.  What she doesn’t know, won’t hurt = her!  Either that or suggest she get some cats to live in the house so the mice can enter the = food chain, rather than being on the top of it!  Ooooorrrrrr, tell her = not to call you back.  Unless you really clean up the piano—especially = the mouse nesting material and feces, you are going to be continually in = danger.  I can imagine what’s under the keys.  Do they seem springy or = mushy?  On the other hand if the mice keep eating the bridle tapes then they will also = be destroying the key felts, hammers, dampers, even the wood on the = keys.  Keep you in a job until you die of some disease spread by = mice.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> By the way, I’ve never tried = the screen idea, but if you could identify all the holes the mice can get = through—and they can be pretty small—you might be able to keep them = out.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> One last thing, I’m a member = of PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals)–but not = mice!<o:p></o:p> Joy!<o:p></o:p> Elwood<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Elwood Doss</st1:PersonName>, Jr. M.M.E.; = RPT<o:p></o:p> Piano Technician/Technical = Director<o:p></o:p> Department of = Music<o:p></o:p> 145 Fine Arts = Building<o:p></o:p> The <st1:place = w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName = w:st="on">Tennessee</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> at Martin<o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Martin</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">TN</st1:State>  <st1:PostalCode = w:st="on">38238</st1:PostalCode></st1:place><o:p></o:p> 731/881-1852<o:p></o:p= > </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: Piannaman@aol.com [mailto:Piannaman@aol.com] Sent: Wednesday, March = 16, 2005 12:55 AM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: That's = mice<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> Hi = y'all,<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o= :p> </div> <div> I had a job a = couple of weeks ago replacing bridle tapes in a 15 year old Kawai = upright.  The old ones had been used as nest material by a family of mice.  About = half of them were completely gone, and others partially gnawed.  I went = back yesterday to tune the piano.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o= :p> </div> <div> The people = had said that they'd found the mice and removed them, but guess who'd come back, munching once again on the tapes...<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o= :p> </div> <div> Nice, nice = lady... but hygiene is not her forte, I fear.  Her bird's food is also the = nourishment for aforementioned rodents.  She loves animals and doesn't want to = poison the mice.  I suggested a "humane" = exterminator.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o= :p> </div> <div> Has anyone = ever used any kind of screening inside an upright to to keep mice out?  I = suspect that no matter what the people do--unless they do a drastic cleanup, = which seems kind of unlikely--the mice will continue to come back.  Next = time, I'll wear a mask!  After hearing about Hantavirus on this list, I'm = a little worried about this sort of thing.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o= :p> </div> <div> Dave = Stahl<o:p></o:p> </div> </div> </body> </html>