Help! A mouse is burrowing into my underquilts!

**altruistguy** · 09-15-2014, 10:19

So I've been hanging outside almost full time -- about 80% of the last 15 months. I live in SW Michigan. It's cold there -- so I usually have to use an underquilt. I've had a hammock set up full-time in my back yard for the past year or so.

All was well until about two weeks ago. One day, when I woke up, I saw a fair amount of goose down on the ground under the hammock. Upon investigation, I found a great deal of it had somehow escaped from my wonderful 20 degree WB Yeti UQ. Further inspection revealed that there were MANY holes in the fabric and the thing had lost about a sixth (!!) of its goosedown :-(

I removed the UQ and didn't sleep in the hammock for a week or so -- hoping that the mouse would go away and forget about my hammock if the nice UQ was no longer there.

Then I got my beautiful 0 degree HG Phoenix UQ and slept in my hammock with it. Fine. I inspected it in the morning and all was well. Two days later, I inspected it again and it was similarly OK. I slept in it again.

Then at 2am, I got out to answer a call of nature. Upon returning to the hammock, I reached underneath the hammock -- between the hammock and the UQ -- to ensure that the UQ was cinched up tight against the hammock. My heart dropped as I felt bare goosedown -- and a hole in the UQ fabric. This had happened in the previous three hours while I was sleeping in the hammock! Deeply saddened, I decided to go back to sleep in the hammock and deal with it in the morning. While trying to fall back asleep, I felt the mouse burrowing underneath my right shoulder blade!

I've clearly got a mouse problem. I've now ruined two beautiful (and expensive) UQs. Currently, my only temporary solution is to skip the UQs and instead use a sleeping pad inside the hammock. But that is a very temporary solution -- the UQs are MUCH more comfortable and warmer.

At the moment, I'm using a WB Blackbird XLC with webbing/buckle suspension. I believe that the mouse is probably getting to me via the suspension web. It could also be crawling up the side guy line that pulls the mosquito net off my face.

Am thinking that one approach might be perhaps an inverted-cone thing like navy ships use to keep rats from climbing onboard via mooring lines. I found a commercial one (actually, it is a disk) for small-diameter lines, but the minimum diameter is 3/8" -- too big.

Perhaps modify a small funnel? A plastic one would be fairly simple to modify, but also fairly simple for a mouse to chew through ... Also, I understand that mice can jump 18" high -- so they may be able to jump over virtually any but the largest barriers ...

Has anybody else had mouse problems? Any pragmatic ideas?

**OutandBack** · 09-15-2014, 10:25

The mouse will probably move to your TQ if you remove the UQ. Mice are as smart a squirrels when it comes to getting in to things.
You are probably going to have to wait until they hibernate this Fall.

**Cali** · 09-15-2014, 10:26

Get a cat!!!!!!

**genixia** · 09-15-2014, 10:40

Ouch, that's a tough one. Mice are so clever at nesting, and used to climbing pipes and wires along their way to the top of the top of the insulation underneath the subfloor, where they then chew through the vapor barrier paper and down into the top of the insulation. Your UQ would unfortunately fit right into that paradigm.

Make your own disk. It doesn't need to be round, as long as the shortest dimension was appropriate. I'd look at plastic chopping boards as a cheap easily available plastic stock. You don't need that fancy spring-loaded mechanism because you can easily untie the suspension to get to the free end. Less to fail, just cut an appropriate size 'disk' and drill a hole.

Another thought is to try mint, which has been used as rodent repellent for centuries. Put mint oil on your lines. Actually I'd bet that amsteel wouldn't absorb any, try soaking a natural fiber cord and running it through your lines as if you were splicing it. The amsteel should stop rain washing it off too quickly and will still let the odor pass. Leave a tag end out so you can easily remove it when you need to reapply.

**elef** · 09-15-2014, 10:42

Maybe some sort of mouse protection on your suspension? It must climb into the hammock from the trees through the suspension, so if you can make the suspension impenetrable you might keep it out. Unfortunately the only thing I can think of is the strong glue that they sometimes use to trap & kill mice and rats. Maybe a large and very smooth, slippery plastic cone would work, with the central hole plugged and the large side facing the tree. Maybe it couldn't climb around it. Perhaps smear some grease on it for good measure. Come to think of it, maybe a large plastic or metal disk would work as well.

**Cali** · 09-15-2014, 10:52

Not sure, but will mothballs keep them out?

**mountainm** · 09-15-2014, 10:57

Electrify your suspension.

**gmcttr** · 09-15-2014, 11:03

I solve exterior mice problems with a dab of peanut butter applied in just the right spot.

The old wire basket suet feeder keeps the birds and larger critters away.

IMG_4738 (Medium).JPG

**TimberbeastWaco** · 09-15-2014, 11:23

Originally Posted by altruistguy

So I've been hanging outside almost full time -- about 80% of the last 15 months. I live in SW Michigan. It's cold there -- so I usually have to use an underquilt. I've had a hammock set up full-time in my back yard for the past year or so.

All was well until about two weeks ago. One day, when I woke up, I saw a fair amount of goose down on the ground under the hammock. Upon investigation, I found a great deal of it had somehow escaped from my wonderful 20 degree WB Yeti UQ. Further inspection revealed that there were MANY holes in the fabric and the thing had lost about a sixth (!!) of its goosedown :-(

I removed the UQ and didn't sleep in the hammock for a week or so -- hoping that the mouse would go away and forget about my hammock if the nice UQ was no longer there.

Then I got my beautiful 0 degree HG Phoenix UQ and slept in my hammock with it. Fine. I inspected it in the morning and all was well. Two days later, I inspected it again and it was similarly OK. I slept in it again.

Then at 2am, I got out to answer a call of nature. Upon returning to the hammock, I reached underneath the hammock -- between the hammock and the UQ -- to ensure that the UQ was cinched up tight against the hammock. My heart dropped as I felt bare goosedown -- and a hole in the UQ fabric. This had happened in the previous three hours while I was sleeping in the hammock! Deeply saddened, I decided to go back to sleep in the hammock and deal with it in the morning. While trying to fall back asleep, I felt the mouse burrowing underneath my right shoulder blade!

I've clearly got a mouse problem. I've now ruined two beautiful (and expensive) UQs. Currently, my only temporary solution is to skip the UQs and instead use a sleeping pad inside the hammock. But that is a very temporary solution -- the UQs are MUCH more comfortable and warmer.

At the moment, I'm using a WB Blackbird XLC with webbing/buckle suspension. I believe that the mouse is probably getting to me via the suspension web. It could also be crawling up the side guy line that pulls the mosquito net off my face.

Am thinking that one approach might be perhaps an inverted-cone thing like navy ships use to keep rats from climbing onboard via mooring lines. I found a commercial one (actually, it is a disk) for small-diameter lines, but the minimum diameter is 3/8" -- too big.

Perhaps modify a small funnel? A plastic one would be fairly simple to modify, but also fairly simple for a mouse to chew through ... Also, I understand that mice can jump 18" high -- so they may be able to jump over virtually any but the largest barriers ...

Has anybody else had mouse problems? Any pragmatic ideas?

Altrus,
I have found Cyan pepper to work the best with any critters except moose and bears, I light dusting and rubbed hard on the perimeter of the quilt and on all lines should help. CAUTION CAUTION DON'T FORGET TO WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE YOU RUB YOUR FACE, WE ALL HAVE DONE IT ONLY ONE TIME. also remember the pepper after touching your pack bedding or food bag afterwards. I hope this helps, also contact the mfg for repair or parts to repair the quilts, remember all material stretches in only one direction and has a top and roller side when patching.
Mark