The cockroach that ate Cincinatti

[Anonymous]

My darling wife "encouraged" me to move my layout out to the garage so she could have her guest room back. Yesterday I noticed that something out there has been eating my scenery. I'm not sure if it is a mouse or bugs. The damage seems to be limited to an area built up with this shredded papermache product I bought in a craft store. Could there be something in the papermache that they like? The glue? Wheatpaste?

Luckily, I was planning to pull it off anyway, (urban renewal) but I don't want to put the same stuff back on there if it's going to be a problem. Has anyone every had a similar situation? Would I be better off using plaster of paris? Or something else? I'm also concerned about putting expensive structures and foam trees on the layout that will become another "snack".

Putting a mousetrap in the middle of town looks ridiculous. Any suggestions?

[Anonymous]

Call Orkin? Lot's of times mice can get into garages under/around the roller door. It's fall and you most likely have a mouse who is building a winter nest somewhere with your paper mache. Decon works well. Fixing the door and using decon works better. That's a disadvantage of some scenery materials. They will leave plaster alone but love to shred foam.

[MAbruce]

If it's a mouse, a cat always works nice. But then the cat can be a problem if you model in N-scale. They tend to confuse locos with mice. [:0] Then you have a whole new problem.

[vsmith]

I had a problem with "varnits" getting under the house, I found a good fix was to spray pepper spray around the perimeter of the house, that stopped them from coming in. The same idea might work on your layout just DO NOT use the spray kind. Use CAYENNE PEPPER from the supermarket spice rack, sprinkle some (not a lot) on your layout where the problems been occuring or mix a little bit into your ground cover when you do repairs. Mice hate this stuff, to much for thier sniffers, and hotter than blazes if they eat it. Just dont use a lot or your sniffer will be the one hurting.

[ndbprr]

Could also be paper wasps who use that stuff to buld their nests.

[Javern]

QUOTE: Originally posted by MAbruce

If it's a mouse, a cat always works nice. But then the cat can be a problem if you model in N-scale. They tend to confuse locos with mice. [:0] Then you have a whole new problem.

LOL have to retreive your loco from the litter box a day or two later??

[MAbruce]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Javern

QUOTE: Originally posted by MAbruce

If it's a mouse, a cat always works nice. But then the cat can be a problem if you model in N-scale. They tend to confuse locos with mice. [:0] Then you have a whole new problem.

LOL have to retreive your loco from the litter box a day or two later??

Hey, this is N-scale - not Z-scale! [;)]

Cats generally like to attack moving locos, not eat them. They sort of play the part of "Godzilla" on the layout.

[Anonymous]

Try making something like a cover to put over the layout when you leave the room for long periods of time.

[Trainnut484]

QUOTE: Originally posted by MAbruce

QUOTE: Originally posted by Javern

QUOTE: Originally posted by MAbruce

If it's a mouse, a cat always works nice. But then the cat can be a problem if you model in N-scale. They tend to confuse locos with mice. [:0] Then you have a whole new problem.

LOL have to retreive your loco from the litter box a day or two later??

Hey, this is N-scale - not Z-scale! [;)]

Cats generally like to attack moving locos, not eat them. They sort of play the part of "Godzilla" on the layout.

Our two cats like to attack the HO Bachman set that runs around the Christmas tree.

On that note, don't forget to vacuum up cat hair that has fallen on the layout.

Take care[:)]

Russell

[Anonymous]

Another way of getting rid of mice and other varmints that is safe for cats, dogs and kids, is to put out two small dishes in the garage, one with dried potato flakes and the other with water. If it is a varmints, it will eat the potato flakes, then become thirsty and drink the water, producing an excess of gas in the stomach. Being unable to expel the gas by either of the methods we are familiar with, the mouse will die.

PS Don't call the ASPCA!!!!

Mark

[Puckdropper]

I have a recomendation for those with cats... G Scale. They go after the train, or lay down on the track, well you'll find out what the cow catcher is for! lol

Seriously, if you have cats and yell at them EVERY time you see them on the layout, and MAKE them get off, they'll learn to leave it alone. (Right Diamond? *Looks at cat*)

[cacole]

[;)]I'll trade you a couple of chuckwallas and a snake for whatever is munching on your layout! Using plaster instead of paper mache will probably stop whatever it is that's eating your layout. Here in Arizona we have trouble with lizards eating the trees, knocking rolling stock off the track, etc., and snakes in the clubhouse trying to catch the chuckwallas. I noticed that some commercially made model fruit trees on our club layout were suddenly losing their foliage, and caught a chuckwalla munching on one. I don't think they really like ground foam as much as the glue that it's attached with. Fortunately for club members, the snake was a non-poisonous racer that caused no more damage than shedding its skin on the layout before exiting the buiding in search of more prey.

[Anonymous]

Thanks to all who responded (serious and not so serious) to this problem. I'm trying ALL of these ideas. We already have a cat and I originally thought that she was sharpening her claws on it, but since it's been around for a couple years, she's probably not the culprit.

Closer inspection revealed a few small black "footballs" (not to scale) so I'm betting on mice. The kitty is spending more time in the garage guarding the layout until a proper cover can be installed.

Thanks again and happy RRing.

MT