This is what I was primarily concerned about:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/

bob

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tobin Copley" <tcopley@SFU.CA>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2004 12:40 PM
Subject: Re: MICE: points of ingress in cab area?

> Thanks for the thoughts, but I am pretty confident they are not living
> in the vehicle.  How do I know this?
>
> I used live ("catch & release") traps, and they catch mice every night
> we camp in certain (mousy) areas.  When we camped elsewhere this summer
> (in the desert, or in the far north), no mice at all.  They get into
> *everything* when they are around--food, toilet paper, you name it--but
> nothing is disturbed when we are at home (and I leave a few baited
> traps and toilet paper rolls in the camper all the time to monitor the
> situation).  There is not smell of mice (urine, etc) in the bus.  So I
> conclude that they are *not* residing in the bus, just having one night
> stand sleep-overs with us.
>
> They come, they party all night, they leave in the morning.  I've never
> had a mouse problem like this.  Usually, they take up residence, but I
> really don't think these one are doing that.  All evidence is to the
> contrary.
>
> And the mice aren't aggressive, they're just determined and
> troublesome.  They're kinda sweet and cute, actually, but I'll feel
> differently when they've chewed through my ignition wiring and I
> discover this in the morning 85 km up a remote logging road...
>
> T.
>
>
> On Sep 02, 2004, at 11:08 AM, Eric Zeno wrote:
> > Tobin,
> >   I'm no mouse expert, but I can tell you that mice
> > are not that aggressive.  They are living in your Van.
> > They do not like to be disturbed, or areas that have
> > constant traffic.  You on the other hand have disturbed
> > them, by driving your van.  For some reason mice like to
> > build there nest in the front heater.   If your van sits
> > for any length if time remove the tires, and put up on metal
> > jack stands.  They can not climb up smooth steel jack stands.
> > Make sure there is no other way for them to get into the van.
> > Like having a broom lean up against the van.  Make sure
> > there is no source of food in the Van.   I am suprized you
> > can not smell them when you open any of the front  vents.
> > I've had a few vans like this. total PITA
> >                                                 Eric
> >
> > Tobin Copley wrote:
> >> At any rate, it seems my camper is one big mouse collecting machine.
> >> Last time camping on the coast, we caught 4 mice before we went to
> >> bed,
> >> and 5 more in the night.  There were still mice left uncaught.  ...
> >> They do not stay in the camper, as we don't have any left in
> >> the vehicle when we get home.
>