Storage Tips for your portable during the off season

[Bufflehead]

Just wanted to get some ideas on how some of you keep the mice, mold, sun rot and other things from destroying your portable during the off season.

 I was thinking of using some WIDE, METAL window screen and making a cover to go over my portable fish trap. Thought that would keep the mice from getting in and chewing holes

 anybody got some good tips they have used?

[blazer]

I load the thing up with dryer sheets.  Mice hate the smell of them and should stay out of the tarp.  You could also use moth balls, but dryer sheets smell a little better.  You could also put pontoons on the bottom of your house and use it year round, just a thought.

[Bufflehead]

Tried the dryer sheet thing under the hoods of the snowmobilies

 The mice used them to build their nest

 obviously, that didn't work for me

 I would use posion but we have too many animals that could get into it or eat the dead mice

[blazer]

What type of dryer sheets did you use?  I've been using them for years on my sleds and outboards and have never had a problem.  I just buy the ones with the strongest smell that i can find. 

[Bufflehead]

 I tried severl kinds over the last couple of years

 Maybe some old socks and dirty underware would work...LOL

[Spinach]

I'd go with the mothballs and then a few glueboards around the openings of the house if your concerned about mouse poison.

As far as poison, if your worried about the dogs and pups eating the poison, they would have to eat a lot more than just a few dead mice, a mouse will die within a couple of days after eating a couple of small nibbles off the poison block, as long as you have the blocks locked in a trap, you will be just fine. The worst that would happen if one of your pups ate a couple dead mice, would be an upset stomach.

Dogfood is the antedote to mouse poison (Contrac blocks) dogfood has vitamin K in it acting as a natural antedote to mouse poison.

Now if your dogs or animals got into a whole bunch of blocks from your stash, then you would have a problem...... You'll be just fine with a few traps and some poison blocks, just make sure the poison is locked up in a lockable trap and keep the unused blocks locked up tight somewhere away from the animals. After a week or 2, you will have solved your mouse problem.

One more thing..... Unless you have a ton of mice in your garage/home, you will more than likely never see a dead mouse after they eat any poison, mice will naturally head to a safe place away from noise and traffic, because they are starting to feel sick, (just like when we feel sick, we lay in bed) the most common place would be in a wall or ceiling.

[Brandon_Collins]

I wouldnt really like to use mothballs in my fish house they have such a stench to them that it is unreal. I think that i would like to try Blazers idea with the drier sheets just find one with a strong good smell to it. It would be like having an air freshner in your ice house haha :o

Brandon

[TK]

Personally I would take the canvas off and put it in a rubbermaid bin.  Keeps mice out and don't have to worry about it.

Tom

[jigglestick]

Personally I would take the canvas off and put it in a rubbermaid bin.  Keeps mice out and don't have to worry about it.

Tom

If I were worried about such a thing, this is what I would do.

[DIRTBALL2]

One guy I know just leaves his set up all the time. This, of course, would not be feasible unless you have plenty of room to do it. He claims it works for him. DIRTBALL2

[Mopad]

I have not tried this myself, but have heard this works??  Find some "Oil of Peppermint"  the organic stuff thats 100% oil of peppermint, not the stuff you find in the grocery store.  Put a couple drops of it on cotton balls and place the cotton balls in the house.  I guess mice are extremely alergic to this stuff and will avoid it at all costs.  The house will also smell alot better than moth balls.  I know when I use this stuff in the sauna it cleans the sinus's right out :o.

[laker]

Over the years, the only thing that has worked for me is to hang my portables off the ground, a few feet, on a spike driven into a stud on the garage wall. I've never had mice in them after doing that.

[Desperado]

In the summer, I take the bicycles down and hang the fishtrap up (garage ceiling).
 Gets it out of the way and keeps the vermin out.

[Ryan]

Where are you guys keeping them that you have mice getting them all the time.  I keep mine in the basement and have no problems at all.  I really hope I don't have mice down here since it is where I am sleeping.  I agree it is a great idea if you are worried about it to take the tarp off and put it in a container.