What is the a common discussion here on keeping mice out of a stored vehicle. I use moth balls/flakes in my pontoon boat,since it is open air so the aroma is not so bad in the summer while cruising. That wont work in a closed car,,,,, so here we go,,,Irish Spring soap, dryer sheets, homemade recipes have as many failures as successes. Mice eat the soap and dryer sheets. I got some Granndpa Gus bags and spray, but some say that does not work either. My Swinger will be in a non-heated shed with two boats,, we sprinkle mouse poison around the inside edge of shed. I had a fellow tell me today, to leave the hood and trunk open, and put tape over the air cleaner openings,,,, meece like more privacy so they stay away from engine and trunk if open,,,, but, can't use my car cover then. The Gus bags, since the work with aroma,, should work in the cabin of car,,,,,,should,,,,,,
Mouse Protection while in storage
- Thread starter PtownDart
- Start date
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Simple snap traps is what I use.
Inspect a couple of times a week.
Inspect a couple of times a week.
Tom cat bait. The green blocks. We use that in our hunting camp and in my shop here at home.
valiantwagonguy
Well-Known Member
Moth balls all around the outside of the car and under it.Mice hate moth balls .
moparlvr166
Well-Known Member
I read somewhere to use Cayenne pepper powder, I've told this to customers when they come in and have wires/hoses damaged under hoods from rodents. I have feedback from a few that said it works and some customers said they heard the same thing.
Last year I had a wildfire burn thousands of acres around my property. We live on a National Forest and adjacent to the wilderness portion of it so we are the only place for over a mile.
We burned around our place with drip torches to save it so we had essentially an oasis of unburned fuel amidst land filled with ash.
Every damn rodent and snake that could make it into our couple of acres of oasis came in. For the months afterward there was no seeds, insects, or habitat for these critters to go except our oasis. It was an epic battle and has finally gotten back to normal rodent levels recently. Partly because of our trapping efforts and mostly because the habitat grew back.
Some things I learned along this journey may help someone.
Smells (moth balls, dryer sheets, cedar chips,…). Nice get used to the smell. They may be repulsed at first but they either get desensitized or just quit caring. They aroma repellent doesn’t work after a few days in my experience. No aroma will repel them indefinitely except maybe cat piss.
Speaking of cats. We recently got two cats from the same litter. They have turned into killing machines. Birds, moles, mice, moths, ….
I suggest a cat and traps. Before the cats we did all our damage with the good old fashioned wooden Victor traps. The only way to fix a mouse problem is to kill the mice!
Baiting the traps is a chore but just make it a daily to weekly ritual. You have to get creative because like the aroma repellents they get used to the smells and flavors. I would have to change up the flavors often. It’s got to affix on the bait tray good because these vermin are master thieves. Cycle through cashews, pecans, peanuts, peanut butter, raisins, cranberries, cheese. Always handle the traps with latex gloves. They will smell your scent and won’t be as willing to take the bait. Leaving the hood open is a good idea for squirrels and mice/rats. They tend to think a predator can swoop in and get them. They like their privacy.
Good Luck!
We burned around our place with drip torches to save it so we had essentially an oasis of unburned fuel amidst land filled with ash.
Every damn rodent and snake that could make it into our couple of acres of oasis came in. For the months afterward there was no seeds, insects, or habitat for these critters to go except our oasis. It was an epic battle and has finally gotten back to normal rodent levels recently. Partly because of our trapping efforts and mostly because the habitat grew back.
Some things I learned along this journey may help someone.
Smells (moth balls, dryer sheets, cedar chips,…). Nice get used to the smell. They may be repulsed at first but they either get desensitized or just quit caring. They aroma repellent doesn’t work after a few days in my experience. No aroma will repel them indefinitely except maybe cat piss.
Speaking of cats. We recently got two cats from the same litter. They have turned into killing machines. Birds, moles, mice, moths, ….
I suggest a cat and traps. Before the cats we did all our damage with the good old fashioned wooden Victor traps. The only way to fix a mouse problem is to kill the mice!
Baiting the traps is a chore but just make it a daily to weekly ritual. You have to get creative because like the aroma repellents they get used to the smells and flavors. I would have to change up the flavors often. It’s got to affix on the bait tray good because these vermin are master thieves. Cycle through cashews, pecans, peanuts, peanut butter, raisins, cranberries, cheese. Always handle the traps with latex gloves. They will smell your scent and won’t be as willing to take the bait. Leaving the hood open is a good idea for squirrels and mice/rats. They tend to think a predator can swoop in and get them. They like their privacy.
Good Luck!
I haven't finished watching this, but I stumbled on it the other day...
Alaskan_TA
Well-Known Member
I'll just leave this here......
Alaskan_TA
Well-Known Member
Keep the windows up, under dash vents closed AND make sure every single body plug is in place.
If they can not get in, they won't. ;-)
If they can not get in, they won't. ;-)
oldmopardude
Well-Known Member
tomcat bait in individual packets. I throw one every five feet along the outside wall of the Interior of the building. if they come in, they are dead, and no families. 16 years and no mice Issues.
I guess you have never seen them eat right thru rubber/plastic? We had them in our garage years ago, little bastards ate a hole in every plastic and rubber hose in our washing machine!
Alaskan_TA
Well-Known Member
Plastic - Yes.
If it is a newer soy based plastic.
No such thing originally in our old A-bodies. ;-)
If it is a newer soy based plastic.
No such thing originally in our old A-bodies. ;-)
What about rubber? They ate a hole in several hoses. About 25 years ago.
Alaskan_TA
Well-Known Member
Soy based rubber exists too.
Soy based products are from soy beans, mice like soy.
50ish year old cars used real rubber.
Soy based products are from soy beans, mice like soy.
50ish year old cars used real rubber.
K.O. SWINGER
Meeting in the alley since 1976
I was a pest inspector for many years, it's a multi-prong solution no one thing except complete exclusion will work so get rid of all enterpoints bait inside and snap traps inside the building and a good cat outside combo is hard to beat also remove any other food sources from around the property such as animal feed, bird feeders ,garbage etc. Holes and cracks can be plugged with steel wool.
Ogre Backwash
Well-Known Member
Oh yes, he is on a mission. I enjoy his product reviews. So far I have had my best results using Essential Peppermint oil. Use the concentrated extract available in health food stores. Avoid the commonly found diluted and weak "Peppermint Oil" commonly sold on line by aromatherapists, influencers and other similar flim-flam artists. Put a few drops on rags or paper towels and toss them inside the car with the windows up. Check and refresh it periodically to maintain intensity. You don't need a lot and it drove the rats and mice out. I've also tried glue traps. They work but are too cruel. I have used victor traps with peanut butter; So far all I've succeeded in doing is providing occasional peanut butter snacks to rats.
We had a lot of snakes this summer and I found a 3 foot rattler on my side yard near my Barracuda. I decided to let the snake alone and I haven't seen any rats or mice since then
Same here. I was relocating them earlier in the spring but left them alone by summer. Any enemy of a rat is a friend of mine!
Scody21
Just send it
I use old school snap traps and the newer style with the yellow flapper with roatating baits mainly Peanut Butter and Almond Butter. Rat-X as it’s not posion (we have Bald Eagles, Owls and gopher snakes around). Peppermint oil, and glue boards with rat-x pellets / P.B. in the middle. Heve to check them daily as I’ve been on a killing spree the last few weeks...
oldmopardude
Well-Known Member
I agree that poison should only be used in an enclosed area. fortunately My acreage has an abundance of fox and coyotes around, as well as feral cats. Then there are the chicken hawks patrolling the area.
I think them damn rodents evolve. Fresh Cab, dryer sheets, Irish Spring all use to work for us in our camper. We have a pit spot at our "local" drag strip that we rent annually. We store the camper at our property during the winter months. Never a problem with mice. We are semi rural. Only when at the track is when we have issues. Wife was turned onto peppermint essential oil mixed with water in a spray bottle. Has worked like a charm.
Rinnecorp.com. Buy the “Flip N’ Slide” traps. They snap on top of a bucket. Don’t buy the chinese rip off ones on amazon. These are made in USA and are the best trap I’ve ever used. You can capture them live or put some water or whatever in the bucket and the bastards drown.
The other option is a sealed car bag. You drive the car into the bag and seal it they won’t get in… in theory. My buddy actually taped up the loose bag with duct tape so they are no folds on the ground. Keeping the bag tight. They are after food and shelter. Then they make babies. Also if you have a cloth headliner always drop your sun visors. They sit on the visors and chew the headlines.
I have been using the electronic mice repellents that plug in the wall. I have one on every wall of my garage for the past couple years and zero sign of mice.
Other than that, the old wood victor traps are the best. Downfall if you need to check them constantly and reset them.
Other than that, the old wood victor traps are the best. Downfall if you need to check them constantly and reset them.
Drive the car! Weekly!
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