View Full Version : rats and mice
rdaviskiwi
09-20-2011, 20:30
Hello, I am planning on starting a thru-hike in march 2012. My trail name will be "git bear", long story... I have a strange aversion to rats and mice, from childhood I think. Any one know what I can do about this. Is this a big issue on the AT in the shelters? The thought of bears, snakes etc doesnt bother me, just rats, help!!! Thanks and see yall in March. Git Bear
there's going to be hundreds, even thousands of mice...
Its going to be like the movie "Willard"
Panzer
RWheeler
09-20-2011, 20:44
From what I've heard, the rodents are more plentiful than the other animals you're likely to encounter.
Definitely going to want to sleep with your head away from the walls, for a starter. Might even want to work on diminishing your aversion if it's especially bad. Go to pet stores and see where your comfort zone ends - can you look at the mice/rats fine? Can you stand next to the tanks they're in? Can you reach your hand into the tank (don't have to touch them right away)? Then can you touch, and ultimately hold?
I'm from the complete opposite side than you. I've worked with mice/rats from research over the years, so I'm incredibly comfortable and even fond of them (although I know there's a stark difference between wild and handled mice). I can definitely see myself trying to pet one or pick it up on the trail and getting bitten or something...
ChinMusic
09-20-2011, 20:45
there's going to be hundreds, even thousands of mice...
Its going to be like the movie "Willard"
Panzer
Come on Panzer. Tell him the truth.
It's worse than that.
I plan on getting, and then bringing a large python to take care of the mice. Mr. Slithers shouldn't take up too much room in my pack. ;)
Sarcasm the elf
09-20-2011, 21:06
I plan on getting, and then bringing a large python to take care of the mice. Mr. Slithers shouldn't take up too much room in my pack. ;)The python's metabolism is far too low to make a meaningful dent in the population. I'd recommend you bring a herd of cats.
WingedMonkey
09-20-2011, 21:07
Don't know who started that "sleep with your head away from the wall" tale. The mice don't care.
the mice are classified as wildlife and thus are a protected animal.
Panzer
4eyedbuzzard
09-20-2011, 21:13
The python's metabolism is far too low to make a meaningful dent in the population. I'd recommend you bring a herd of cats.He'll need a couple of Shelties or other high energy sheepdogs to herd the cats (yeah, I've actually seen it done).
Sarcasm the elf
09-20-2011, 21:17
He'll need a couple of Shelties or other high energy sheepdogs to herd the cats (yeah, I've actually seen it done).Now that you mention it, could the Shelties just herd the mice?
Lone Wolf
09-20-2011, 21:20
Hello, I am planning on starting a thru-hike in march 2012. My trail name will be "git bear", long story... I have a strange aversion to rats and mice, from childhood I think. Any one know what I can do about this. Is this a big issue on the AT in the shelters? The thought of bears, snakes etc doesnt bother me, just rats, help!!! Thanks and see yall in March. Git Bearcarry a tent and use it. you'll have no problem. shelters truly are vermin infested
rdaviskiwi
09-20-2011, 21:23
Thanks for the replies, I saw a thruer with a cat he traveled with and that was the ticket. My uncle suggested a "catcrow" though it was not a bad idea... I am trying to come to terms with this issue, I am sure I will have other hikers to help me along.... Git Bear
your going to have to carry a cat. that could add another 10 pounds to your pack.
Panzer
4eyedbuzzard
09-20-2011, 21:34
your going to have to carry a cat. that could add another 10 pounds to your pack.
PanzerGet one of these (http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/006/cache/mountain-lion_637_600x450.jpg)and it'll walk on its own and you'll have the shelters all to yourself.
rdaviskiwi
09-20-2011, 21:51
I am carrying a tent but don't want to be unsociable, but if its rats and social hour i may have to retire to the tent. I am very excited to be doing this thing, people at work ask how can i do without air conditioner and TV and a bath everyday. How comfortable we have become, its time to be comfortable in nature so we can get back to our true self... Git Bear.
ChinMusic
09-20-2011, 21:54
I am carrying a tent but don't want to be unsociable, but if its rats and social hour i may have to retire to the tent. I am very excited to be doing this thing, people at work ask how can i do without air conditioner and TV and a bath everyday. How comfortable we have become, its time to be comfortable in nature so we can get back to our true self... Git Bear.
Socializing at the shelter and then going to your tent (at a decent distance from the shelter) should keep you 99% mouse free.
Jim Adams
09-20-2011, 21:59
Don't know who started that "sleep with your head away from the wall" tale. The mice don't care.
No myth...the mice TEND to run along the walls instead of across the shelter thus if you sleep with your head out, they will run across your feet instead of your head. TEND is the key word here...if there is food, they will run anywhere. BTW, there are alot of reasons to sleep with your head outward instead of inward.
geek
rdaviskiwi
09-20-2011, 21:59
I think that sounds like a plan, I think I can make it now... Git Bear.
Jim Adams
09-20-2011, 22:00
The python's metabolism is far too low to make a meaningful dent in the population. I'd recommend you bring a herd of cats.
Only need 1!...trust me, IT WORKS!
geek
Jim Adams
09-20-2011, 22:03
Off the subject but, WingedMonkey, did you get my message about the water bladders?
geek
Sarcasm the elf
09-20-2011, 22:03
Socializing at the shelter and then going to your tent (at a decent distance from the shelter) should keep you 99% mouse free.. I agree, hardly ever had a mouse issue when not near the shelter.
ChinMusic
09-20-2011, 22:08
. I agree, but I hope you meant to say "socialize."
Thought I did.
Just love that edit function..............
. . . .I have a strange aversion to rats and mice, from childhood I think. Any one know what I can do about this. . . . Yep, put on your big boy pants and go hike. Problem solved.
vamelungeon
09-20-2011, 22:33
DON'T STAY IN SHELTERS. DON'T CAMP NEAR SHELTERS. There are, of course, mice in any forest but if you stay away from shelters you shouldn't have any problem with them.
ChinMusic
09-20-2011, 22:40
There are, of course, mice in any forest but if you stay away from shelters you shouldn't have any problem with them.
Except in Maine.
rdaviskiwi
09-20-2011, 22:42
I am putting my big boy pants on now.... Git Bear
vamelungeon
09-20-2011, 22:46
I am putting my big boy pants on now.... Git Bear
EVERYONE has fears, and your's isn't unusual. It's not about your big boy pants.
rdaviskiwi
09-20-2011, 22:48
Thanks for the support and laughs, look forward to continuing dialog with you group of folks. have a good night. Git Bear
Hello, I am planning on starting a thru-hike in march 2012. My trail name will be "git bear", long story... I have a strange aversion to rats and mice, from childhood I think. Any one know what I can do about this. Is this a big issue on the AT in the shelters? The thought of bears, snakes etc doesnt bother me, just rats, help!!! Thanks and see yall in March. Git BearLet me guess, you live in the fruit & nut section of Fairhope, right?
Wise Old Owl
09-21-2011, 00:15
Grow a pair...give the little nippers something to sleep next to.
RITBlake
09-21-2011, 01:43
Hello, I am planning on starting a thru-hike in march 2012. My trail name will be "git bear", long story... I have a strange aversion to rats and mice, from childhood I think. Any one know what I can do about this. Is this a big issue on the AT in the shelters? The thought of bears, snakes etc doesnt bother me, just rats, help!!! Thanks and see yall in March. Git Bear
Hi Git Bear
I shared the exact same trepidation before setting off on my 2005 sobo thru hike. I have always carried some kind of irrational fear of mice and rats and it was a definite concern before starting out. Here are some tips.
1. As previously stated stay out of the shelters. If you want to, you can hang out with shelter folk, eat dinner then head to your tent when it's time to sleep. You won't miss anything but snores.
2. If you must stay in a shelter use ear plugs. It cuts down on the noise and you won't hear it if a mouse scampers around. This was a huge help for me. Sleep with your head out and hang your food properly.
3. Some shelters are worse then others. Some shelters will have little or no mouse activity. Some will be very active. Hard to determine which category your shelter falls in to until the sun sets.
4. I never once saw a rat, I'm sure they are out there but most shelter rodents are little field mice.
Blake
Socializing at the shelter and then going to your tent (at a decent distance from the shelter) should keep you 99% mouse free.Great advice! This is what I did in 2010. I never saw one rodent! :D
Socializing at the shelter and then going to your tent (at a decent distance from the shelter) should keep you 99% mouse free.Great advice! This is what I did in 2010. I never saw one rodent! :D
What about a python and a cat? :p
To be honest, I'd rather see mice than a rat. What's the rat situation on the trail?
Rocket Jones
09-21-2011, 07:25
What's the rat situation on the trail?
The closer you are to Washington, D.C., the more likely you are to see a rat. ;)
lush242000
09-21-2011, 08:44
What's a shelter? :)
Yep. Just stay away from them. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
Fog Horn
09-21-2011, 09:33
I plan on getting, and then bringing a large python to take care of the mice. Mr. Slithers shouldn't take up too much room in my pack. ;)
The chances of getting killed by a snake on the trail just increased to slightly higher :)
rdaviskiwi
09-21-2011, 09:56
not really, i live on windmill rd behind walmart.
You'll be so tired at the end of the day the least of your worries will be mice.
rdaviskiwi
09-21-2011, 09:58
Thanks Blake
Plodderman
09-21-2011, 10:57
No short supply of rodents- but I have never had any problem with them.
RWheeler
09-21-2011, 11:04
The chances of getting killed by a snake on the trail just increased to slightly higher :)
Nah, the python just wanted to give you a hug. Thank you for being such a grand travel companion. It also figured that since it was a bit chilly that day, you might appreciate a scarf so you don't waste your precious calories pumping heat out of your neck.
Snakes - make shelters have less rodent activity, and enhance your calorie usage!
MyName1sMud
09-21-2011, 11:14
Get one of these (http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/006/cache/mountain-lion_637_600x450.jpg)and it'll walk on its own and you'll have the shelters all to yourself.
Posts like these make me love this forum even more!
hahahahhahahahahaha
Buffalo Skipper
09-21-2011, 13:36
You could always think of them as extra protein. Especially when you are running low on food before a resupply. :eek:
I've seen many reports where keeping a bounce fabric softner sheet in your pack will keep mice and bugs out. I've never had a problem with them since doing this,
although you do need to keep them away from food unless you want extra flavor.
Wise Old Owl
09-21-2011, 15:51
Cooking Rat in China is good food and good eats.... http://de.fishki.net/pics5/rat_cooking_07.jpg
survival food...
Oh and I love that post about closer to DC... great....
trippclark
09-21-2011, 16:13
Hello, I am planning on starting a thru-hike in march 2012. My trail name will be "git bear", long story... I have a strange aversion to rats and mice, from childhood I think. Any one know what I can do about this. Is this a big issue on the AT in the shelters? The thought of bears, snakes etc doesnt bother me, just rats, help!!! Thanks and see yall in March. Git Bear What some have said about not staying in shelters is true and should keep your contact with rodents to a minimum. I have hiked about 1300 miles of the AT so far, only sleeping in a shelter twice (in the Smokies). While I see evidence of mice on probably every trip, I cannot remember the last time that I actually saw a live mouse on or near the Trail. I typically do camp very near the shelters, but choose to stay in a hammock. I have seen 3 or 4 bears on the Trail, and probably about the same number of mice. Now, if you choose to stay in the shelters after dark, you will certainly experience lots of mice.
rdaviskiwi
09-21-2011, 17:05
I am planning on doing the tent thing, thanks for replying.
Mice love the rain because when it's wet, they see all the hikers coming in and feasting on their meager rations.
Being a sloppy bunch, hikers leave crumbs that look like boulders to mice...
So when it gets dark, the mice congregate in the rafters,(shine a torch up there, you'll see their pretty little eyes), and wait for the pooped out hikers to crash so they can come on down and feast on the leftovers, including the bits that are now stuck in your matted jungle.(Your head).
Woke up more than once due to little creatures chewing on my scalp..
Ah, the trail, mother nature sharing her bounty....
I had no problems from the mice, even in the shelters, however the chipmunks came into my tent three times. At one shelter in Maine there was metal garbage cans for you to store your food because of the "aggressive squirrel" that would try to get into your food. So I agree the cougar is probably the only solution.
rowdyredMTSU
09-21-2011, 18:52
I did a week long section hike from springer in mid August. I stayed my first night in a tent a few hundred yards from Gooch Mountain Shelter. The mice were worse than I could have ever imagined. There was no food or scented items in my tent and they were climbing on the top of my tent underneath the vestibule. I cant say how many there were but it sounded like a lot. It freaked me out a little but I still had no problem sleeping after a 16 mile first day. I woke up the next morning and the bite valve on my bladder was almost chewed through (I drank out of it all day before I put two and two together). The point is the rest of the week I found some amazing camping spots far from shelters and I had no problem. So that is what I suggest. :-)
I'm gimpy
09-21-2011, 19:16
I vote for mouse traps, light weight, and reusable. You could wear a bandoleir of mouse traps across you chest to give that "take no crap from mice" vibe, and have a wonderful conversation starter. Nah, on second thought, anyone who saw that would probably throw you in the loony bin. But I still vote for mouse traps!
hikerboy57
09-22-2011, 07:30
surprised noones mentioned falconry. a trained raptor is good enough to keep em away. or you might bring an owl statue to park in the shelter to intimidate them.
I vote for mouse traps, light weight, and reusable. You could wear a bandoleir of mouse traps across you chest to give that "take no crap from mice" vibe, and have a wonderful conversation starter. Nah, on second thought, anyone who saw that would probably throw you in the loony bin. But I still vote for mouse traps!
I've actually seen hikers pull out mousetraps several times. It's more like a game than anything. The durn things go off all night and it doesn't put a dent in the mouse population.
An owl statue? Why not pretend to be Harry Potter and have a bunch of owls with you? It would take care of the mice, and then you can send letters with the Owl Post.
Wise Old Owl
09-22-2011, 09:26
Ugg Muggles again!
ChinMusic
09-22-2011, 09:36
surprised noones mentioned falconry. a trained raptor is good enough to keep em away.
I could have had a falcon......
4eyedbuzzard
09-22-2011, 12:01
I could have had a falcon......You watch way too many TV commercials. :D
RWheeler
09-22-2011, 19:31
You watch way too many TV commercials. :D
And /still/ didn't realize that they could have had a falcon... Once I realized I could have had a falcon, I got two. That way they can keep each other company when I'm spacing out and walking through the woods.
hikerboy57
09-22-2011, 19:51
No Mice:http://www.google.com/imgres?q=falcon&hl=en&sa=G&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=rpFyi9BtYZds4M:&imgrefurl=http://ucsantacruz.ucnrs.org/%3Fpage_id%3D1242&docid=uxc9DrFmoSSXWM&w=640&h=477&ei=fMl7TstJh-PRAeyIwagC&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=380&vpy=181&dur=125&hovh=194&hovw=260&tx=131&ty=107&page=1&tbnh=130&tbnw=187&start=0&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0&biw=1197&bih=520
wing-nut
10-09-2011, 15:55
On my wife's first stay in a shelter, we slept with our heads near the wall (it was raining.) In the middle of the night I awoke to my wife screaming "he pulled my hair!" I turned on the flashlight to see the most terrified mouse on the trail. His hind leg was still caught in her hair and he was doing his best to get free.
It took some time for my wife to see the humor in it.
I considered mixing some benedryl with peanut butter to get them to sleep. I decided against it when my wife said I would get the mixture wrong and they would just come and puke on us. A mouse with an antihistamine hangover is something I don't want to mess with.