Any tips for camping trips during a mouse plague?

[Bird]

well that's unanimous... still bet they go there!

[fisher]

I have fond (?) memories of a mouse plague at Pt Rickaby, must have been 45 years ago     It is one of the few trips that I remember as a child - putting shoes on in the morning to find a mouse in them (both of them), watching mice run up and down the guy ropes in the moonlight, having them run across your face whilst sleeping on the canvas stretcher..   Ahhh, those were the days.  No thanks!

[Swannie]

this thread needs to be locked.. no more mice stories.

[Bird]

this thread needs to be locked.. no more mice stories.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/wet-summer-sparks-invasion-of-pests/story-e6frea6u-1226029067540

[Redcherokee]

We were at William Creek in 2011 when the plague was on. We laid awake at night listening to the little buggers eating our food and scurrying around the camper. Also had a few run across our pillows........while our heads were on them.....

I'd go somewhere else.........

Hey, we were there in 2011.  Some campers had dogs who got tired of catching the mice.  Regular squeals around the campsite as someone got a surprise.

One good habit I have learnt from that is if you have those two way zips, always make sure the zips always sit high off the ground, not down low.   Velcro has it's down side - hard to avoid small gaps which can be turned into bigger ones.

But yeah, I'd go somewhere else if I knew a mouse plague was happening.

[Marschy]

Just caught the report on the news. Your gunna need elastic bands for your pants legs

[Glenno]

Just caught the report on the news. Your gunna need elastic bands for your pants legs

That's hilarious!!! 

[Glenno]

After travelling around Aust a couple of times, we've had mice hiding in our car on more than a few occasion.

It's very annoying, and very frustrating.  Even though we lock away all the food they can get, they still hang around. It has taken days to catch them at times with a mouse trap. Sneaky little buggers.

We have turned to not leaving car doors open whist camping.

I'm with the crowd though, not sure is go!

[FNQBunyip]

I stayed in a caravan while picking cotton in 2011 , made it on to win news .. lol
mice were running up our legs while cooking the bbq , you had to swat them off the hot plate
they chewed the annex in dozens of places , they chewed the wires on all the light on both the
van and a heap of wires in utes and pickers .. they would try and eat the bread while it was toasting in the toaster . they ate the drain pipe from the sink , thus getting access to the van cupboards , and from there well , they got into every thing ..

We were putting 10kgs of bait out every night , the stench was horrendous and there was a lot of dry reaching .. 

Do you relly want to camp at this spot??

Good luck.
 

[Bunyip]

We camped at Wyangla Dam one easter ina mouse plague (?). Didn't see too many really. Funiest thing ever is watching a friend who was 8 months pregnant running from a tent screaming, didn't know she could run that fast even when not pregnant!

We didn't see too many until it was time to pack up, under the tents there were heaps of them most live but a few that I had rolled over in the middle of the night and they had not been quick enough.

Bunyip

[ozstickman]

We had a pretty bad mouse plague back down in Warwick years ago when I was a kid, not something I'd like to live through again! When we used the hammer mill for getting the grain ready for the Emus you would hear the squeals of the little buggers and the Emus got extra protein. The cars copped a flogging with wire, seats and dashes being high on the menu list for them.

We retro fitted an old falcon seat onto the tractor and I remember going to sit on the seat and it came alive!

So my tip is go if ya want some added excitement but I'd prefer to go else where!  Cars have too much wiring and yummy stuff for mice these days!

[bushrat]

I think it can add to the fun sometimes , sitting by the fire watch the better half clean up after dinner as one run up the inside of her pants and watching do the shuffle  (it does get cold in the middle of winter sleeping in the car by oneself)

It's not only food that you need to keep away from the little buggers

[ozstickman]

I think it can add to the fun sometimes , sitting by the fire watch the better half clean up after dinner as one run up the inside of her pants and watching do the shuffle  (it does get cold in the middle of winter sleeping in the car by oneself)

It's not only food that you need to keep away from the little buggers

Not the Shit tickets!

So I'm not the only one having to sleep in the car.....

[GGV8Cruza]

Just don't leave any food anywhere, and don't leave your rubbish wrapped up in your travel cover because you are too lazy to take it to the bin 



They also take a liking to Patrol wiring and engine bays, have learnt to leave the bonnet up now to disperse the heat





GG

[Black Diamond]

REALLY not worth the hassle.  You CANNOT win against them / certainly won't have a fun time trying. Just go somewhere else.

Agree 100%. Bit like Pi$$ing in the wind.
 

[bobnrob]

As you've read Hills Mum Bec, nothing stops mice damage during a plague, and daylight/heaps of lights at night also won't stop hungry mice...stay home - to many yobbo's around at easter anyway, or try and find somewhere else. I'm sure you'll find heaps of (polite) alternatives from members here 

Staying at a CP when I was a kid. Mother headed off to the showers - almighty scream - ran over - mother screaming 'mouse' - looked down to see a mouse on it's back dead.
She said it was running out of the building as she was walking in. Her screaming terrified the poor little thing, and it'd died of fright 

[RWS]

Anyone know exactly how wide spread this mouse problem is on the York Peninsula? You guys are scaring me with your horror stories, we are supposed to be touring this area in the coming week.

[gibbo301]

Take this bloke with you 

[Marschy]

Anyone know exactly how wide spread this mouse problem is on the York Peninsula? You guys are scaring me with your horror stories, we are supposed to be touring this area in the coming week.

News report indicated last night that the problem is being caused by wheat fields that have not been turned over after the last harvest leaving a lot of feed around for mice. Farmers have been advised to commence baiting. I would imagine that the problem is not going to be huge on the coastal areas as much as it will be inland throughout the wheat belt areas.

You couldn't really tell from the news report how bad it was because you never know if they are using old archival footage of previous plagues. The footage I saw last evening is not as bad as I have seen it previously, but still a lot of mice around. Same in Adelaide, our dogs have been catching one about every 3 days or so, which is unusual.

[Hills Mum Bec]

Hmmm, to go or not to go. 

We have been going to Pt Rickaby every Easter for around 8 years now, would be a shame to miss it because of mice.  Was very excited this year because we now have our camper, we used to rent a house there.

We have friends that are going up in their caravan a few days before us so might suss out what their opinion of the mouse problem is once they get there.  In 2011 they had their zip up camping pantry chewed through & all their easter eggs eaten but no other damage.

We can keep all the food in closed plastic containers etc but my biggest worry is the mice getting into the Jayco & running on our bed while we are asleep.  That is the stuff of nightmares.

[Marschy]

Hmmmmm,

ABC report indicates worst plague that some of the locals can ever remember.

Dead mice mounting up as South Australian plague worsens

[Hills Mum Bec]

News report indicated last night that the problem is being caused by wheat fields that have not been turned over after the last harvest leaving a lot of feed around for mice. Farmers have been advised to commence baiting. I would imagine that the problem is not going to be huge on the coastal areas as much as it will be inland throughout the wheat belt areas.

You couldn't really tell from the news report how bad it was because you never know if they are using old archival footage of previous plagues. The footage I saw last evening is not as bad as I have seen it previously, but still a lot of mice around. Same in Adelaide, our dogs have been catching one about every 3 days or so, which is unusual.

When we went in 2011, on the way there we stopped at the in laws to drop the dog off.  They live on 60 acres in the middle of nowhere between Two Wells & Mallala & they were having mice problems real bad.  By the time we left their house it was getting dark & just about the whole way to Pt Rickaby all we were hearing was crunch crunch under the tyres with mice all over the road however it did seem to get quite a bit better the closer we got to the coast.

[Bird]

...but my biggest worry is the mice getting into the Jayco & running on our bed while we are asleep.

And they will as others have said has happened to them.

[Malcolm Tugless]

Take a cat.

[Bird]

Take a cat.