mice in the air dry stacks

[Can8ianTimber]

So I was moving some stacks of lumber around yesterday that had been air drying for about a year. I came across a ball of yarn ect and when I went to pull it out of the stack a mouse ran out.

It did not bug me at first but then I started thinkning about the droppings and urine that has no doubt seeped into the boards. I know that in the last several years "Hantavirus" has become a bigger consern and that is spread you mice droppings and urine. Here is a link to more info about that virus https://health.google.com/health/ref/Hantavirus

Have you guys ever dealt with this before? It looks like I can possibly clean it up with bleach based on that article. I don't want to throw the boards away because it is 24" wide quartersawn oak and they are really nice.

Last thing I want to do is plane the boards with a deadly virus in them or sell them to someone and kill them.

How do you keep mice out of air drying lumber?

 

[Kicker_92]

So I was moving some stacks of lumber around yesterday that had been air drying for about a year. I came across a ball of yarn ect and when I went to pull it out of the stack a mouse ran out.

How do you keep mice out of air drying lumber?

Buy a cat? Might have problems with that ball of yarns still... opcorn:

 

[gemniii]

Use some of that stuff the networking people talk about - Cat 5 or Cat 6.

 

[redprospector]

Mice are just going to be in lumber stacks. I haven't found anything that works well, especially if you're air drying outside, for that matter inside.
If you're worried about it wear a mask when handling the lumber & wipe it down with bleach water. Mice are just part of the gig.

Andy

 

[LakeO]

I had a problem with mice in my hunting blind/shack. I sprinkled cayenne pepper inside and no mice problems for the last 5 years.

 

[Homelite]

I find that going around the stack with a leaf blower at full blast every once and a while gets rid of the mice, their food stores, and nesting material. I had some 6/4 clear 14 inch wide maple boards get ruined by mice urine. Bummer. I started using the leaf blower and it has worked well. My mom uses some cloth soaked in peppermint oil around the house when it gets closed up for winter to keep the mice out. Apparently they hate the smell.

 

[Brmorgan]

Don't mothballs help with mice too? Those are cheap and easy if you can stand the smell.

Did you get a good look at the mouse? At least where I live, only Deer mice carry Hantavirus. They have huge ears and are easy to tell from the other common mice we have up here. I have no idea about down farther south where you're at - you're in a more temperate area so there may be other transmission vectors there.

Hantavirus won't survive for a terribly long time out in the open with good airflow. You only need to worry about it if you're disturbing fairly fresh mouse droppings and then breathe the resulting dust in. I don't believe there's a risk of it soaking into the wood fibers and getting released when you surface the pieces, mostly because it's only in the droppings, not the urine, but I'm no scientist. If you're worried, though, just wear a dustmask when you handle and work the boards.

 

[TraditionalTool]

Think of all the birds that were crappin' on that tree before it was cut down!!!! :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Can8ianTimber]

Use some of that stuff the networking people talk about - Cat 5 or Cat 6.

Thanks, I currently have Cat 4 networked through the property (as in 4 cats). This was from stacks that I just brought in.

I wonder how hot the boards would have to get to kill the virus. Anyways I like the moth ball idea. I definitly don't want a bunch of pissed on lumber.

 

[redprospector]

Wait untill you see what a damp mothball will do to your lumber.

Andy

 

[Brmorgan]

Wait untill you see what a damp mothball will do to your lumber.

Andy

Yes, I should re-iterate that I wouldn't recommend putting mothballs directly ON the lumber, but if they were spread around the base that might discourage things from climbing up on the stack.

 

[stipes]

I really wouldnt worry about your wood....

I seen on the DSC about where rats and mice was peeing and pooping on food products in warehouses....Anymore I wash my top of my soda's off after I seen that stuff!!!
LakeO said,,cayenne pepper ,,that does work good!!!!!!!

 

[big daddio]

I like homelite's idea about keeping the stacks blown out with a leaf blower. Around here the rodents attract snakes, which I could do without. I try to keep my stacks high enough for my dogs to get under to control the dumb rodents anyway. For the smarter one's I use one of the live traps, like havahart and train the dogs with what I catch. And the dogs love the sport of it too!!!!

 

[Daninvan]

I have a problem with rats in my woodpile. I keep a bunch of traps around the pile which seems to control the problem.

I've noticed two things about the problem here, first it is a seasonal problem, mostly in the fall when the weather turns cold and rainy. Second that they come in batches, I will catch five or six over a period of a few weeks, then nothing.

As for hantavirus, maybe there is public health / medical officer in your community who can advise you if the local mice are carriers. It's one of those things that is quite unlikely, but the downside is so bad it might be worth making a phone call or two.

Dan