Fridge

dayvsea · 09-06-2011, 07:15 PM

Is there any way to keep the fridge from becoming a petri dish upon closing camp.. I take the doors off and put a screen on the face to keep mice outa the works.. But that's becoming a drag..Any thoughts? How do you do it?

Kamper · 09-06-2011, 07:23 PM

Clean it with bleach and prop it open. If it's clean mice won't go in for more than a quick peak. If you take out the drawers they won't have a place to nest either.

IslandRadio · 09-06-2011, 07:37 PM

Kamper gives good advise, and that's what we do as well. Clean it well and prop the doors open.

BTW, I put out quite a bit of mouse bait - just in case. So far, no dead mice found on opening day.

I did find a mouse drowned in the toilet this summer - must have been looking for water

Probably got in during a windy day, when the back screen door was blowing open.

Kamper · 09-06-2011, 08:06 PM

Many of the bait products contain salt or something to induce thirst. This gets them out of the house looking for water, before they die, and stink.

dayvsea · 09-06-2011, 08:10 PM

Yah after 30 years at the camp I've decided that the best way to deal with the mouse part is to remove anything they could eat (candles,spices..) and live with the fact that they will get in at some level.. no matter what you do...

hancoveguy · 09-06-2011, 08:24 PM

We clean our fridge real good and then leave a towel draped over the doors just to keep them open a slight bit. We don't prop the doors open all the way. Have had no issues so far.. Oh yeah, we also add copious amounts of dryer sheets.

HCG

dayvsea · 09-06-2011, 08:27 PM

Another vote for dryer sheets! I've heard of that.. I've been using Peppermint oil from Whole foods on cotton balls, you can also paint the oil with the cotton ball on wood surfaces where there could be a hole or such...

welchislandman · 09-07-2011, 06:40 AM

We do the same method as HCG with the towel draped over the doors ( freezer and fridge) just opened a few inches and clean the fridge with bleach. Had no issues so far with mice in there.

Rattlesnake Guy · 09-07-2011, 10:39 AM

We take all the food home. Plug in the ultrasonic things in 4 outlets. Leave the fridge doors open. Non toxic RV antifreeze in the sink trap and toilet. We put the liquids that we don't "think" will freeze in the sink just in case. Cover the Windows to reduce fade. Arm the mouse traps.

Then we count the days until Ice Out.

dayvsea · 09-07-2011, 01:11 PM

Yah I do the same things but I pull the breaker so I can't use the ultrasonic doohickeys.. Too bad, that might deter red squirrels..

Rattlesnake Guy · 09-07-2011, 08:24 PM

I leave a few breakers on.

The heater and fan in the composting pooper.

The ultrasonic gizmos.

DeniseW · 09-08-2011, 04:14 PM

It seems like no matter how much you clean the fridge, if you close it for the season it will either stink and/or have mold growing in it. We clean it out really good, spray some bleach solution in it and keep the door cracked with a towel. We also turn the water off and drain all the water lines by opening the faucets and flushing all the water out of the toilets.
__________________
Denise - Need good Boston house cleaning company.

09-06-2011, 07:15 PM	#1
dayvsea Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 115 Thanks: 45 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Fridge Is there any way to keep the fridge from becoming a petri dish upon closing camp.. I take the doors off and put a screen on the face to keep mice outa the works.. But that's becoming a drag..Any thoughts? How do you do it?

09-07-2011, 01:11 PM	#10
dayvsea Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 115 Thanks: 45 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Yah I do the same things but I pull the breaker so I can't use the ultrasonic doohickeys.. Too bad, that might deter red squirrels.. __________________ "Honesty is the best policy."

09-08-2011, 04:14 PM	#12
DeniseW Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	It seems like no matter how much you clean the fridge, if you close it for the season it will either stink and/or have mold growing in it. We clean it out really good, spray some bleach solution in it and keep the door cracked with a towel. We also turn the water off and drain all the water lines by opening the faucets and flushing all the water out of the toilets. __________________ Denise - Need good Boston house cleaning company. Last edited by DeniseW; 10-01-2011 at 01:43 PM.

09-06-2011, 07:23 PM	#2
Kamper Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Thornton's Ferry Posts: 1,314 Thanks: 67 Thanked 172 Times in 128 Posts	Clean it with bleach and prop it open. If it's clean mice won't go in for more than a quick peak. If you take out the drawers they won't have a place to nest either.

The Following User Says Thank You to Kamper For This Useful Post:
dayvsea (09-07-2011)

09-06-2011, 07:37 PM	#3
IslandRadio Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Mirror Lake - Full time resident Posts: 398 Thanks: 70 Thanked 156 Times in 61 Posts	Kamper gives good advise, and that's what we do as well. Clean it well and prop the doors open. BTW, I put out quite a bit of mouse bait - just in case. So far, no dead mice found on opening day. I did find a mouse drowned in the toilet this summer - must have been looking for water Probably got in during a windy day, when the back screen door was blowing open.

The Following User Says Thank You to IslandRadio For This Useful Post:
dayvsea (09-07-2011)

09-06-2011, 08:06 PM	#4
Kamper Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Thornton's Ferry Posts: 1,314 Thanks: 67 Thanked 172 Times in 128 Posts	Many of the bait products contain salt or something to induce thirst. This gets them out of the house looking for water, before they die, and stink.

09-06-2011, 08:10 PM	#5
dayvsea Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 115 Thanks: 45 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Yah after 30 years at the camp I've decided that the best way to deal with the mouse part is to remove anything they could eat (candles,spices..) and live with the fact that they will get in at some level.. no matter what you do...

09-06-2011, 08:24 PM	#6
hancoveguy Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 276 Thanks: 95 Thanked 65 Times in 30 Posts	We clean our fridge real good and then leave a towel draped over the doors just to keep them open a slight bit. We don't prop the doors open all the way. Have had no issues so far.. Oh yeah, we also add copious amounts of dryer sheets. HCG

The Following User Says Thank You to hancoveguy For This Useful Post:
dayvsea (09-07-2011)

09-06-2011, 08:27 PM	#7
dayvsea Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 115 Thanks: 45 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Another vote for dryer sheets! I've heard of that.. I've been using Peppermint oil from Whole foods on cotton balls, you can also paint the oil with the cotton ball on wood surfaces where there could be a hole or such...

09-07-2011, 06:40 AM	#8
welchislandman Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Welch Is, Gilford Posts: 79 Thanks: 91 Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts	We do the same method as HCG with the towel draped over the doors ( freezer and fridge) just opened a few inches and clean the fridge with bleach. Had no issues so far with mice in there.

09-07-2011, 10:39 AM	#9
Rattlesnake Guy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,254 Thanks: 423 Thanked 366 Times in 175 Posts	We take all the food home. Plug in the ultrasonic things in 4 outlets. Leave the fridge doors open. Non toxic RV antifreeze in the sink trap and toilet. We put the liquids that we don't "think" will freeze in the sink just in case. Cover the Windows to reduce fade. Arm the mouse traps. Then we count the days until Ice Out.

The Following User Says Thank You to Rattlesnake Guy For This Useful Post:
dayvsea (09-07-2011)

09-07-2011, 08:24 PM	#11
Rattlesnake Guy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,254 Thanks: 423 Thanked 366 Times in 175 Posts	I leave a few breakers on. The heater and fan in the composting pooper. The ultrasonic gizmos.