Oh no! Mice<br>After a two week break I am back sleeping outside again for the next fortnight. The reason being my brother has come home for a holiday and mum promised him my bed. <br>Now I never minded sleeping outside because surprisingly I sleep much better, although I go later to bed and get up earlier. Waking up when the sun is just rising over the hills is really a great way to wake up not to mention the geese who picked their spot to sleep right next to my basha. The fresh air and the cool mornings make me immediately more awake and refreshed.<br>But this is not the point I am writing. The mice are bugging me. They stop me going to sleep at night with their noise and in the mornings they always come pretty close to me. Too close for comfort. They don’t so much scare me as they are a pain as I don’t really want to get them into my maggot (sleeping bag). Any ideas to stop them getting so close to me? <br>Last time I had the dog with me (she’s gone now) and she caught them which stopped them more or less.<br>Reinhardt<br>

Several cats on our farm got rid of rats and mice VERY quickly (we had about 10!!!!). unfortunately they didn't last long after our manager, in all his stupidity, bought a dog

Around here, if I am sleeping out without shelter, I use a hammock, with comfort being my primary goal. :o)

Rienhardt,Tthe mice are doing the same thing we are; seeking shelter and food. Try bribing them with a bit of food placed some distance from your Basha; seeds,small fruit,bread crumbs etc. Watch for their pathways and try to set camp off the mouseroad.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but are you just sleeping out on the lawn in a sleeping bag or are you in a tent? I've heard that mice are repelled by the scent of mothballs.

I am sleeping in a freshly harvested oats field under a canvas sheet which protects me from the rain. its open from all sides.<br>reinhardt

This may also be a great time for you to test your meat procurement skills. Usually when I'm out in the wild, I will do this to hone my trapping techniques. Try buiding a few bottle traps, deadfalls using small boxes, and snares that will not actually entrap the critters. This way if you actually need to secure meat, you will know what traps work for you and have a little better working knowledge, versus having to do it when conditions are less favorable.<br><br>Been stopping by the forums for a while now, and thought I'd finally participate. Glad to see I'm not the only person around prepared for the unknown. Now conviencing the wife I'm not crazy is another thing....

Build a wall! Out of Stone, Bricks, etc. (though this might not apply to your particular situation, -as you mention having been in.)(I am replying to an old post. Oldies but Goodies!).

I'm operating out of a semi-excavated Tarp Shelter now, (though a Winter Cabin type is now under construction), -and other sorts of Rodents have been an On and Off again problem for me! Not long ago, the Buggers really got to burrowing holes into my excavated hillside a lot! Not only can this potentially endanger the hillside, -but the soil they castback gets all over equipment and other items! Ugghhh! and Arrghhh! Then it occurred to me to use the scrap brickpile that I had gathered up, -to build a Wall with! A non-mortared, kind of retaining wall. Not so much to retain the hillside, -it was still not yet in danger, -But more towards Blocking them Off to begin with! Sorta "Cutting Off their Ho Trail!". I first solidly plugged up their visible holes for Good Measure, -though they'd eventually be obscured by my wall, in any event. It works like a Charm!

I have some other Thots / Ideas / Insights for Dealing With them, -which don't come immeadiately to mind right now. one involves getting a few Glue Boards, -though I won't set them outside, -for fear of ensnaring some nearby Cats and Squirrels. More in another post, -as such ideas come.

Good to see that you are still in our Gang! (you're one of our Oldies here), -though I don't think I've heard much from you lately! Maybe its just me!, -missing your Posts and Contributions! [color:"black"] [/color] [color:"black"] [/color] [email]reinhardt_woets[/email]

This has got to be a record. I imagine the mice nation's children's ,children's , children are sitting around that wheat field telling the legend of the man who slept in their home.

Red or black pepper I believe will keep them away as well as other critters. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />