In a recent issue of Coffee Time, we requested members to respond to Adrian Nye’s question:

How about something about mice – how to keep them out of the cockpit? It is a major scourge in our club … mice urine odor can be intense and on a hot turbulent day is the last thing you want when you can’t find lift!

Here are the responses in their entirety.

Our Club tried the fabric softener technique; it did not work (we found numerous nests, afterwards).

In my own glider, the communications radio went out, in flight. After removing the seat pan for investigation, I found a nest with three baby mice–alive. Their nest was partially made with thin colored vinyl, which came from the wires to my radios.

That was years ago. There have been no problems since. My solution: A couple of moth balls in the cockpit and a couple in the trailer after each flight.

Exposed to large quantities, moth ball fumes are toxic; fortunately, leaving the canopy open during assembly will clear the air. Also, don’t store your parachute in the cockpit. Another negative issue is that the pilot can end up smelling like an old man.

– Raul Boerner

Park the glider with the wheels on large boards covered with aluminum
foil, shiny side up.

Then sprinkle any strong-smelling substance on the aluminum. Things like powdered garlic, perfumed soap powders, powdered bleach cleaning powders (Ajax) and other similar items will work.

– Anonymous

I have found moth balls to be an effective solution to this problem in my glider.

– Richard Wyton

Amazon sells very potent peppermint bags and they have normal uses in RVs, attics, etc. here is the link on Amazon. They are pretty good. Need to be replaced every 6 months or so. Hope this helps!

https://a.co/d/1vPtS0C

Respectfully,
– Scott Jones

Mice Problems?

Mice Solution. > Mothballs!

“They- keep – the – mice – away.”

I just put them in the front stowage area of the trailer in a little dish I uncover each season.
(Other’s location milage might vary). Sure, after a winter storage, when you open your glider trailer up in the spring > yah > it is a bit mothball stinky. – Great eh!

Air your glider trailer and glider out; for a day, and carry on. – After a couple of flights, you “might” still get a vague brief whiff when first opening your trailer up. And a nice olfactory reminder you avoided cleaning it up.

In springtime with your trailer out of winter storage and now on the glider field the stink dissipation is a “Mice” reminder to field mice not to then take up residence on those cold spring nights either.

In the context of:
– Well over 15 years mice free, touch wood.
– This smell is better than mice mess and discovering they have chewed your instrument wiring all up. :-)
– My very sensitive nose and a household is banned from having stinky perfume added to anything due to other family member allergies.
– From hearing of most of the other “solutions” after 56 years in this gliding game.
– The ingredients sound more delightfully HOSTILE than just “mothballs”. i.e. [[ paradichlorobenzene and naphthalene]] [[ The two most common mothball formulations are paradichlorobenzene and naphthalene, with naphthalene being the active ingredient in traditional mothballs. The concept of using mothballs to scare away mice originates from the strong odor that mothballs emit, which is thought to be offensive to the genetically linked olfactory system of rodents.]]

Only Downside:
Used to be Mothballs came in boxes available everywhere until stupid kids with pegs on their noses, and inbred pets mistook them for candy, and synthetic clothing became widespread. But … such creatures should not also be living in your glider trailer!
So, they are not readily available. But online one can find them.

Nah, don’t attach my real name to this > as I’m thinking of rushing out and buying shares in the “paradichlorobenzene and naphthalene” industry and it would only discredit my shared experience.

– Steve Newfield

I’ve been successful with keeping mice out of my airplanes and gliders by putting fabric softener dryer sheets at strategic places in the aircraft fuselage and cockpit. These lightweight flimsy sheets will just sit nicely in the bottom of your fuselage without interfering with any control functions. Replace them at annual inspection time or more often is better. They are a cheap solution. This technique has worked for me.

– James Duea

Consider getting a hangar cat from the local shelter. The mechanical traps don’t work. They know about them. The glue strips work well with small mice. Decon only works for short term and then they figure it out.

– Glenn McGovern

A few moth balls in a container on the seat. Has worked well for me for years.

– David Martin