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A DELICATE TOPIC
Camp owners don't talk much about this. It suggests sloppy housekeeping
or something like that. Anyway, sooner or later, you will see something
scurry across the floor. It can't be, but it is- A MOUSE. A house
mouse or a field mouse (called a vole).
For years, I have kept mice away from our living quarters, I think. How?
Simple. Eliminate (kill) them. There are several ways, none perfect.
Here are a few:
1. Attract them to a device that hits them on the head (a mouse
trap).
2. Feed them poison. You can buy products that kill them.
Unfortunately, it can take up to 3 days for them to die. In
the
meantime, they crawl into things like insulation, rags, piles
of
clothing, newspapers, etc.. By the time you realize that, the
odor has
permeated the air so much it is hard to pinpoint their
location.
Eventually it goes away. In the old days, arsenic was used.
That
dropped them in their tracks.
Instead of killing them, you could try to repel them. Here are some ways
(again, none are perfect).
1. Use special repellants (sprays, moth balls, etc.). Some of
these smell as bad as the dead mice.
2. Install ultrasonic devices (high pitched noises). Your pets
might not like those.
3. Get a cat, but remember mice like cat food.
4. Don't let them in. Mice can go through holes as small as 1/4
inch in diameter. Use metal screens, hard plastic or steel
wool to plug
holes.
5. Introduce RATS to your camp. Mice are afraid of rats who
sometimes eat them.
Now don't feel guilty about your mouse program. A single mouse couple
can
produce more than 1 million, or was it trillion, descendents in 5 years.
Better begin now! Source: Wikipedia/Mice
CANADA GEESE (C.G.)
In the last edition of CHRONICLES, I listed ways to
tackle the
"C.G.Problem". None of the ways worked perfectly. There are two
additional ways that have been suggested:
1. Place an artificial animal near the water. Swans, coyotes
seem to scare the C.G.s. Change their location at least every
3 days so
they don't get used to them.
2. Sprinkle GRAPE Kool Aid mix along the edge of the water.
This was suggested by my brother in law, who heard about it.
He
emphasized it must be Grape. Someone should try it.
MUSTY SMELLS
Musty odors sometimes are a problem
for camp owners. Clothes often absorb dampness especially when kept in
drawers shut tight. I often go around smelling musty until after the
clothes are washed. I discovered that books absorb moisture and produce
a musty odor also. If you check your bookcases, you might realize that.
There are several products that absorb moisture or repel musty odors.
Problem is, if you shut up your camp for several months, the effect
wears
off. I understand when non camp owners refer to "that camp smell". I
guess it is something we simply have to live with.
ANIMALS OF CONCERN
As I listen to other camp owners talk, I realize that
the topics often
involve animals (after discussing the weather and plants). We have
lots of different animals at Crescent Lake. We discuss our joys about
the
loons, fish, frogs, ducks, etc.. Some are not quite joyful. I have
written about mice, Canada Geese, black flies, beavers, etc. being a
problem. There are more I could address. Maybe I will in future
articles. The list "animals of concern" seems endless: Bats, Garter
Snakes (yes they do wrap around your legs), Snapping Turtles
(supposedly,
they only bite when they are out of the water), ants, bees, mosquitoes,
deer, bears (we see them more often these days). This is all about what
it means to be a camp owner/renter. These things are a part of Nature-
we just need to "chill out" about them.
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