Help! Mouse Pee On Negatives!

[tundra]

Nightmare scenario here...with a number of 5x7 negative sleeves having been evidently peed on by a mouse, with the sleeves then having wicked some of this pee in to "infect" about a dozen or so images, about half of which are "keepers."

So what I've done so far is to very carefully cut the sleeves apart and discard them, then run the infected negatives through a series of four trays...two of plain water and two with Photo-Flo - in nitrile-gloved hands and very gently rubbing the areas affected.

The cleaned up negatives, when viewed in oblique light, do show a bit of difference in the affected areas - but this is very subtle. When viewed on a lightbox, I can see absolutely nothing indicating that they'd been affected.

Question: my guess is that our slightly alkaline deep-well water would tend to help neutralize what must have been some rather acidic pee...but have I gone far enough? Should I run these negatives through a tray of (alkaline) TF-5 fixing bath, then rewash them?

I am very sorry about your misfortune and hope you are getting great advice here. But, I have to say, this is the greatest thread title I've ever seen.

[John Layton]

Well that's interesting...because it just so happens that another thread title of mine: "Engine Out Equals Floppy Tranny?" got a huge amount of likes as "the best thread title ever!" on the Pelican Parts Porsche Technical forum.

Oh...and to translate: When I'd lowered the engine out of my Porsche 944 so that I could rebuild it, the transmission (located in the rear of the car) suddenly felt quite loose and "floppy," which is actually normal, but which at the time I'd found extremely unsettling...and so in a state of panic I'd posted the first thing that came to mind as a plea for help...much as the case here with my peed-on negatives!

Postscript: I'm happy to report that all of the peed-on negatives have now been cleaned up and inserted into fresh sleeves...and that they all look fine! (edit: whew!)

[Keith Pitman]

What happened to the mouse?

[gypsydog]

I hope you've learned your lesson and started using a trackpad and ditched the mouse.

[John Layton]

Traps have been in place for two nights...but no mouse!

Thing is...I'd been away from my darkroom for over a week - and it was during this time that the mouse came along and wreaked havoc with its pee - but only on two areas on my lab (enlarger) bench...a pile of negative sleeves and the inside of a drawer just under this where I store enlarger lenses (which are all untouched).

Before this event I'd never seen any mouse-related evidence on, inside, or around the lab bench (although I did have a pile of mouse babies drop into my darkroom sink from an opening in the ceiling awhile ago!). But the thing about mice is that if a cozy dark room remains unused for even a few days - they tend to show up. So my bad for not placing the negative sleeves back into their "mouse proof" storage boxes up on their shelves in an adjoining room.

In the meantime (being reminded of Drew's post)...its been awhile since we've been in the company of cats - so maybe its time!

[jnantz]

Traps have been in place for two nights...but no mouse!

Thing is...I'd been away from my darkroom for over a week - and it was during this time that the mouse came along and wreaked havoc with its pee - but only on two areas on my lab (enlarger) bench...a pile of negative sleeves and the inside of a drawer just under this where I store enlarger lenses (which are all untouched).

Before this event I'd never seen any mouse-related evidence on, inside, or around the lab bench (although I did have a pile of mouse babies drop into my darkroom sink from an opening in the ceiling awhile ago!). But the thing about mice is that if a cozy dark room remains unused for even a few days - they tend to show up. So my bad for not placing the negative sleeves back into their "mouse proof" storage boxes up on their shelves in an adjoining room.

In the meantime (being reminded of Drew's post)...its been awhile since we've been in the company of cats - so maybe its time!

if you use the victor electric traps you might even be able to get some kirlian photographs of your mice as they go into the next realm ...

[Kevin Crisp]

Next time develop them in Rodentnol.

[tundra]

Well that's interesting...because it just so happens that another thread title of mine: "Engine Out Equals Floppy Tranny?" got a huge amount of likes as "the best thread title ever!" on the Pelican Parts Porsche Technical forum.

Oh...and to translate: When I'd lowered the engine out of my Porsche 944 so that I could rebuild it, the transmission (located in the rear of the car) suddenly felt quite loose and "floppy," which is actually normal, but which at the time I'd found extremely unsettling...and so in a state of panic I'd posted the first thing that came to mind as a plea for help...much as the case here with my peed-on negatives!

Postscript: I'm happy to report that all of the peed-on negatives have now been cleaned up and inserted into fresh sleeves...and that they all look fine! (edit: whew!)

Clearly, there is nothing more disconcerting than a floppy tranny ...

[tundra]

Next time develop them in Rodentnol.

Or d-CON 76

[Jim Jones]

I am very sorry about your misfortune and hope you are getting great advice here. But, I have to say, this is the greatest thread title I've ever seen.

It might have been even more intriguing without that exclamation mark! Don't be peed off because of what the mice pee on: establish a cooperative working relationship with them. Ever persuade one to model for you? Even my farm cats admired this model so much after it's brief on-camera appearance that they invited it to lunch. (Speed Graphic with open shutter, flash triggered by contacts on mouse trap)