An older Nebraska piano tuner recently told me that black pepper
liberally spread around in a piano would keep the mice at bay.
I have never read this in Farmer's Almanac and wonder if anyone else
has heard of this or knows of a better way to keep a piano mouse-free.

I have had two recent house calls: in one the mice built a nest in
the ladder chain of a modern player and in another where a mouse had
chewed on the airmotor material rendering it worthless.  Almost all
old foot-pump players I have worked on over the years have had mouse
visitors and I usually find a nest under the bass area keys which
seems to be their favorite hangout.  I have often had to coat the
entire keybed area under the keys with shellac to make the pianos
livable again.

OSHA needs to check our profession -- if it isn't cancer from breathing
moth-ball fumes, its exposure to lead, and now, breathing mouse fumes
too.  So much fun, so little time!

Larry Schuette - The Player Piano Man
Raymond, Nebraska