"97" Casita Mouse party - Fiberglass RV
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Old 04-04-2015, 03:59 PM   #1
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Name: A J
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"97" Casita Mouse party

So, I bought the Casita. And yes I saw that the mice had left their droppings. And I thought, "no biggy, I can clean that up". However after a more in depth investigation, it looks like there was a war zone with mouse droppings in places you would not expect along with plenty of mouse/rat poison and air fresheners. The vacuum will soon enough do it's job along with hot soapy water on the hard surfaces. The area of biggest concern to me (right now) is in and around the furnace. The smell when I fired the furnace was enough to drive me right out of the trailer, and I couldn't get the smell out of my nose the rest of the night. I'm afraid I will need to pull the furnace to get in there and also to clean the furnace itself. Guess I knew I was buying a project to some degree..... Anyone have a words of wisdom???
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Old 04-04-2015, 05:33 PM   #2
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Well, the good news is that you can wash the smell off the hard fiberglass surfaces. I'd talk the furnace out, so you can disassemble and clean it up. You will also be able to clean up the furnace area easier if the unit is out of the way.
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Old 04-04-2015, 05:38 PM   #3
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I would go to a business that sells cleaning supplies for industrial use (janitors). They sell concentrated chemicals that will help eliminate urine odors. The mix is sprayed on with a pump up garden sprayer or spray bottle. Removing the furnace is probably a very good idea. Also after treating unfinished wood it would be a good idea to seal the wood to contain any odors that might be developed. A friend bought a house with a floor that was soaked with urine (pet) and treated it this way then sealed it with a layer of roofing paper before carpeting. It eliminated most of the odor. I've never used an ozone machine but I would check into that also. Best of luck
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Old 04-04-2015, 06:34 PM   #4
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Please protect your lungs while cleaning up the mice droppings. Especially if the trailer is as bad as it sounds.

Hantavirus is real and can be deadly.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
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Old 04-04-2015, 07:40 PM   #5
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I just wanted to second what Donna said above. Don't use the vacuum or sweep with a broom. That can send virus particles into the air. Fill a spray bottle with a 10% bleach solution and spray the surfaces where you find droppings. Let the solution sit for 5 - 10 minutes or so and then wipe up the droppings with a damp paper towel. Wear a face mask and rubber gloves too. Hantavirus is a serious disease. Several campers died from it a few years back at Yosemitie National Park.
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Old 04-04-2015, 08:11 PM   #6
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I was too slow! I also counsel extreme caution when dealing with mouse droppings.
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Old 04-04-2015, 10:04 PM   #7
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Thank you for the advise

Hantavirus!!!?? Who knew?? Points well taken with the advise.... was gonna use a shop-vac, I think I pretty much have to in some areas.... but have decided to use an extension on the hose, so the machine and it's discharge is outside. I was already planning on a respirator type mask also. "Thieves" is apparently an anti-viral agent as I read that it was used to survive the black plague. That is part of the plan as well. Thanks again for the help everyone.
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Old 04-05-2015, 10:40 AM   #8
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It would be worth researching how long the hanta virus survives in the open. Maybe call CDC.

Walt
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Old 04-05-2015, 10:47 AM   #9
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CDC link: CDC - Hantavirus
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Old 04-05-2015, 01:32 PM   #10
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Just wanted to weigh in on the suggestion that you research the Hanta virus and how to deal with it. It is a deadly virus in western Canada and you are a close neighbour. Do take extreme care so you can enjoy your trailer for many years.
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Old 04-06-2015, 11:34 AM   #11
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Soooo...........

Isn't life interesting. I should tell the whole story here. 1st, let me say I'm not trying to scare anyone, or looking for sympathy. I'd just like to relate my personal experience. After nosing around the newly acquired Casita for 2 hrs, poking and testing and trying to decide what had to go and what could stay, I had my nose full of that mousy urine smell. Especially after turning on the furnace!!! This was late evening. The smell would not leave my nose. I went to bed thinking it will be cleared out by morning. Well, ........ 2AM the chills started. BIG chills!! ...for a good hr. Then came the urinary tract infection symtoms. (need to pee, can't pee, pain) all the way to morning, which is when I decided to hook up with my Dr. I got in right away, gave them the urine sample, got anti-biotics. Now I have had urinary track infections before, and the pain goes away (for me) in about a day, once treated. This one took 6 days. Now I should state that there is more to this picture. I have a form of blood cancer that I have been battling for 8 years. And generally, I am doing pretty good. You would not know my condition just by looking at me. When I feel good, I feel pretty darn good, but when it turns for the worse, it really turns. (gout, Cellulitis, arthritic complications, etc.) I slowly recover, and soon I'm feeling pretty darn good again. I had never heard of Hantavirus, but it does not surprise me. Reading about it, 36% of "confirmed" cases seem to be fatal, and I believe that is from the lungs getting infected which appears to happen 2 to 3 weeks after exposure. No standardised treatment, so I think you just get what you get. I've been back in the Casita, nosing around some more....... no reaction. So I feel pretty confident my reactions are mostly due to my "delicacies". At any rate I will keep you posted if there any complications. .... and my research about Hantavirus goes on. Thank you all for the advise and concern. A J
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Old 04-06-2015, 12:29 PM   #12
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praying for you be safe
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Old 04-06-2015, 12:48 PM   #13
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Thanks for the update. With your health issues I would urge you to be extra cautious in dealing with your trailer's clean-up. Definitely wear a really good mask - not just one of those little paper filters, but a HEPA filtering mask that really screens out smaller particulate matter. I would not use any sort of vacuum unless it also had a HEPA filter. Spray any nesting material or droppings you find with the 10% bleach solution before you handle them. The CDC also recommends thoroughly airing out any enclosed spaces where mice may have been before you start doing your clean-up. Good luck, stay safe and stay well!
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Old 04-06-2015, 01:43 PM   #14
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Wow. Hope you get better very soon AJ.
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Old 04-08-2015, 03:55 PM   #15
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I owned a sticky 5 th wheel and ended up selling it because the mouse pee smell never did go away with any amount of cleaning!!
Good luck with that one.
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Old 04-08-2015, 04:46 PM   #16
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I hope all this turns out well for you. Mice or other critters are either after warmth, or shelter, of food. After cleaning everything up, following all precautions, hopefully you can keep the uninvited visitors out. I have an open box of mothballs in one of the storage cubbyholes. Sometimes there is a faint smell of them, depending on how the wind blows. I am sure the critters with better noses like it much less than I do and stay away. After having a nest built in the engine compartment of my car and important wires chewed on my truck, I hung a bag of those under the hood of each. I also keep some under the roof of my "Scamport" to keep robins from nesting there. So far so good.
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Old 04-10-2015, 09:36 AM   #17
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Mice are a tough nut to crack. You need to find the entry point(s). Gaps around pipes can be filled with stainless steel scrub pads. I use Aluminun screen across fridge vent openings. etc. You get the idea.

Just about every car made has an open door to mice under the cowl where the fresh air vent is. Once they're in your car the only way I have found to get rid of them is snap traps baited with peanut butter. If there is any chance they are still in your trailer, that's what I recommend. Car dealerships love mice. They make thousands repairing the damage, in particular car heating systems. Subarus and Hondas are particularly vulnerable. Do a search. You will be amazed at how big the problem is.

This is from a previous thread I started on the subject

Quote:
Two sites I found helpful. The first is the cliff notes version. The second, the "Moby Dick" version.

Control of Mice | University of Kentucky Entomology


Prevention and control of house mice, Mus musculus

The thread is here http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ith-55619.html

Good luck, Raz
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