mickeys splitter surprise

[shoot-straight]

It was 55 today, let the stove go out and did some maintence. Went out to my shed/pile and untarped my splitter. Gave it a quick onceover, poured some gas in and she started on the first pull. Let her run for a min and walked the gas can back to the garage. Came back and smelled some smoke. Shut down and saw some grass next to the muffler smoking. Cleared it away.... Then I saw a tail. Then a leg.... $hit. Mice made (and were occupying) a nest IN my engine. Under the freaking shroud next to the flywheel.

Never done it before, but slowly began to take it apart. Finally I got the metal shroud off and saw the damage. Looked like 3 mice. At least I counted 3 tails. What a freaking mess. In the end I had to use needlenose to pick out as much as I could then used air compressor to blow out what I could. Put it back together and it seemed to run OK after.

Beware.

 

[Gboutdoors]

I was out in the barn today cleaning up some corn that spilled on the floor from a bag I left on the floor yesterday that a mouse got into. Plugged in the shopvac and shredded paper,feathers,and sawdust came flying out of the exhaust vents. After a few seconds a mouse stuck his head out jumped to the floor and ran off before I could get at him. Had to take the vac apart to get all the crap out of the motor. Think it's time for a barn cat.

 

[Soundchasm]

We rehabilitated a decorative pond here when we moved in. The installer didn't install a proper cover for the impeller intake, so I had to remove a frog with needle nose pliers while keeping him in one piece. It was so gruesome the cover issue was dealt with quickly.

 

[johneh]

Was in my shop Saturday checking for mice always have a problem
this time of year . But not this year no evidence at all . Found out why

(broken image removed)Best mouse catcher in the world
have seen 2 this year 1 in shop and 1 in barn

 

[iluvjazznjava]

Was in my shop Saturday checking for mice always have a problem
this time of year . But not this year no evidence at all . Found out why

(broken image removed)Best mouse catcher in the world
have seen 2 this year 1 in shop and 1 in barn

Cute - forgive my ignorance but there are no such creatures where I live. Ferret? Mink? Albino skunk?

 

[Rebelduckman]

Cute - forgive my ignorance but there are no such creatures where I live. Ferret? Mink? Albino skunk?

Weasel I think

 

[Oldman47]

I'd have guessed an ermine. Not sure of course but one of the weasel family for sure.

 

[BobUrban]

Ermine is the label given to the small but ferocious weasel pictured above. Had one in deer camp one year hanging around the wood pile and he became somewhat friendly(or at least appreciative that we fed him) For a tiny critter they pack a predatory punch taking animals much greater in size like snowshoe hairs and such. Summer coats are brown but the winter coat is when they really look cool.

For the record mice tend to enjoy engine compartments on all my toys and tools and the splitter seems to be a really high end choice by the little buggers. I got a tip from my mother that seems to be working so far:

Stuff some dryer sheets in and around the motor compartment - have not had a mouse issue since I started doing this.

Not sure if it is coincidence or working but so far so good. Moth balls would work as well I imagine but I have dogs and wanted something a bit less toxic.

 

[j7art2]

It was 55 today, let the stove go out and did some maintence. Went out to my shed/pile and untarped my splitter. Gave it a quick onceover, poured some gas in and she started on the first pull. Let her run for a min and walked the gas can back to the garage. Came back and smelled some smoke. Shut down and saw some grass next to the muffler smoking. Cleared it away.... Then I saw a tail. Then a leg.... $hit. Mice made (and were occupying) a nest IN my engine. Under the freaking shroud next to the flywheel.

Never done it before, but slowly began to take it apart. Finally I got the metal shroud off and saw the damage. Looked like 3 mice. At least I counted 3 tails. What a freaking mess. In the end I had to use needlenose to pick out as much as I could then used air compressor to blow out what I could. Put it back together and it seemed to run OK after.

Beware.

I bet they won't do that again.

 

[Jags]

I have witnessed mice chewing on mothballs, for whatever that is worth.

Mice love engine shrouds. Don't know why, but they also love any wires under there too. Do what you need to do to get the smell out - it will draw other mice. If I find one in someplace like that, I will douse the area with carb or brake cleaner to mask the mouse smell.

 

[shoot-straight]

I bet they won't do that again.

Yep. Neither will I.

If you look closely you can make out some feet and a tail or 2

 

[sportbikerider78]

Drop some rat poison in corners of your barn to decrease the population. Always have baited traps. It is the only way (besides a predator) to keep the population down.

I'm using bait traps around my property this spring for the first time. Keeps tick population down as well.

 

[jeffesonm]

My buddy also has a combo wood splitter/mouse splitter.

 

[Oldman47]

On the bike forums the over winter suggestions include stuffing the exhaust with steel wool to keep the critters out. I'm not sure how practical steel wool is for a small engine but it could work just as well in the carb or exhaust areas.

 

[sportbikerider78]

On the bike forums the over winter suggestions include stuffing the exhaust with steel wool to keep the critters out. I'm not sure how practical steel wool is for a small engine but it could work just as well in the carb or exhaust areas.

Just start it up and W O T! They'll get out!!

 

[English BoB]

My buddy also has a combo wood splitter/mouse splitter.

Mice ate at the gas cap on my splitter, 1/4 of the gas cap was gone. Then another time the nest sprayed out when it was started, then eventually the engine died because the wires inside were chewed away.
So this season I have a new engine that will be full of moth balls when it goes into storage later on.

Bob

 

[tymbee]

Mice ate at the gas cap on my splitter, 1/4 of the gas cap was gone. Then another time the nest sprayed out when it was started, then eventually the engine died because the wires inside were chewed away.
So this season I have a new engine that will be full of moth balls when it goes into storage later on.

Bob

Same thing happened to me. Made a mess in general throughout my splitter engine.

Speaking of mice... a few months back I brought the big ShopVac inside to do some construction cleanup. It has been sitting outside the walkout basement for some weeks. Turned it on and no less than 15 mice came spilling out from all sides of the top vents! They were racing around the basement floor with me trying to catch and stomp on 'em and turn the vac off at the same time. When the dust settled and we set the vac back outside and took the cover off-- still more mice came jumping out. Haven't' stored it outside since...

 

[BrotherBart]

20 years ago I mowed the place with the garden tractor. Running hard and fast. Zipped back into the garage and shut it down and went in to cool off. For some unknown reason I went back out to the garage a few minutes later to find flames pouring out from under the hood of the tractor. Pushed it out and hit it with a fire extinguisher. Turns out that mice had built a nest on the exhaust manifold. Had I not gone back out there a fairly new house would have gone up in flames.

 

[English BoB]

GF saw a big mouse in her basement 2 night ago. Last night we bought a rat, and a mouse trap.
Tonight she made me get the dead rat while she took the poor little mousey out.
Score in 24 hours. 2 mice + 1 rat.

Bob

 

[sportbikerider78]

20 years ago I mowed the place with the garden tractor. Running hard and fast. Zipped back into the garage and shut it down and went in to cool off. For some unknown reason I went back out to the garage a few minutes later to find flames pouring out from under the hood of the tractor. Pushed it out and hit it with a fire extinguisher. Turns out that mice had built a nest on the exhaust manifold. Ha
d I not gone back out there a fairly new house would have gone up in flames.

hmmm...that makes a good case for a very loud fire alarm in the garage. I might have to think about that. I'm constantly moving vehicles (dirt bikes, atvs, cars, trucks, mowers) in and out of the garage.

 

[BrotherBart]

hmmm...that makes a good case for a very loud fire alarm in the garage. I might have to think about that. I'm constantly moving vehicles (dirt bikes, atvs, cars, trucks, mowers) in and out of the garage.

For sure. I have an interconnected one in that garage now that sets off the ones in the house when it triggers. Another advantage is that I can hear it if one in the house triggers.

 

[sportbikerider78]

For sure. I have an interconnected one in that garage now that sets off the ones in the house when it triggers. Another advantage is that I can hear it if one in the house triggers.

Could you share a link? Thanks!

 

[BrotherBart]

http://www.kidde.com/home-safety/en/us/products/fire-safety/smoke-alarms/rf-sm-dc/

 

[firefighterjake]

Typically smoke detectors are not recommended for garage installations due to the increased chance of more false alarms from small engines and vehicle exhaust, dust, etc.

Folks that want some sort of protection in the garage are most often encouraged to go with a heat detector.

Not saying that smoke detectors in a garage would not work, since clearly some folks have them . . .

 

[riverat]

A old fella from pest control here in penna told me to keep fresh moth balls under and around your equipment and you won't have mice trouble building inside equipment , that was 4 years ago and no mice troubles so far.

Jeff