<DIV>I heard years ago about a successful attempt at keeping mice out by wadding loosely balled steel wool underneath the pedals, a likely place of entry for the critters.  Have never tried this myself.  I would certainly consider adding screen material at other openings that may be present at the bottom board.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I've only found mice in pianos that are seldom played.  It may be worth trying to get the customer to have the piano make noise more frequently, even if just for 5 seconds while passing by.  Loud crashing sounds a dozen times a day may be as good a deterrent as any.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Unless the mice love piano music...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mark Potter<BR><BR><B><I>David Nereson <dnereson@4dv.net></I></B> wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">Piannaman@aol.com wrote:<BR><BR>> Hi y'all,<BR>> <BR>> I had a job a couple of weeks ago replacing bridle tapes in a 15 year <BR>> old Kawai upright. The old ones had been used as nest material by a <BR>> family of mice. About half of them were completely gone, and others <BR>> partially gnawed. I went back yesterday to tune the piano.<BR>> <BR>> The people had said that they'd found the mice and removed them, but <BR>> guess who'd come back, munching once again on the tapes...<BR>> <BR>> Nice, nice lady... but hygiene is not her forte, I fear. Her bird's <BR>> food is also the nourishment for aforementioned rodents. She loves <BR>> animals and doesn't want to poison the mice. I suggested a "humane" <BR>> exterminator.<BR>> <BR>> Has anyone ever used any kind of screening inside an upright to to <BR>> keep mice out? I suspect that no matter what the people do--unless <BR>> they do a drastic cleanup, which seems kind of unlikely--the mice will <BR>> continue to come back. Next time, I'll wear a mask! After hearing <BR>> about Hantavirus on this list, I'm a little worried about this sort of <BR>> thing.<BR>> <BR>> Dave Stahl<BR><BR>I have found in old pianos little piles of tobacco, like pipe <BR>tobacco, on either side of the keybed, or underneath the keys. I don't <BR>know if this was to repel mice or moths. Don't know if it works, <BR>either. Anyone?<BR>Yes, hantavirus is a scary threat. I'm reluctant to even breathe <BR>around pianos infested with mice.<BR>--David Nereson, RPT<BR><BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>