Dealing with tractor wire chewing critters

[beowulf]

I recently posted - in a Kubota forum - a question about a fuel guage that stopped working. It was recommended I check my ground wire. Did so. Found that critters had chewed that wire and about 6 or 7 " of the wire run was completely missing along with chewed up casing and also found the beginning of a nest in the engine compartment. Later found some other wire casings had been chewed on. I have patched the wire gap and now the guage works. Anyway, I have moved our three cats to the barn loft and will house and feed them there and that may help keep critters away from the tractor which I keep in the barn. They seem to have readily adopted the barn as their new home base. Has anyone had a similar problem and if so, how have you addressed it? Anything to put in there - moth balls in a net bag, or spraying the wires with something they wont' like and which won't harm the wires? Other ideas?

 

[Slamfire]

If you know of something a rodent won't like, I'd sure like to put it on the plug wires of my work truck. Somethin' chewed up my ignition wires, and then built a nest in the bell housing. Once I got the truck runnin' again. I depressed the clutch pedal and the nest flew under the fingers, necessitating a new clutch plate, disc and flywheel. The three wolf dogs, eatin for free, watched this critter, a vole, workin' on a daily basis. After the damage was done they killed it. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[beenthere]

My experience has been the mice 'hang out' and pee a lot on the area that they continue to go back too (or nest in), and I have used a bleach/water mix to clean and spray on the area. This has worked for me to keep them from coming back.
Also, has worked when racoons want to dump on a spot like on the deck or on my firewood. Once started, they often come back to dump on the same spot or close by. I wash it down and spray the area with the bleach. Has worked well for me.

 

[curt1]

A little D-CON or other type of bait is very good for mice/rats. Get some and put it around your tractor, they won't eat anything else. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif It will be their last meal!

Curt

 

[Soundguy]

I had a rat /mouse problem this summer near my tractors. Took about 3 months, and a bunch o fthe green poison block bates.. a few glue traps, and a few 'standard' traps.. and after about 10 dead 'ones'.. my chewed wires magically stopped.

I broke the green bars up and tucke dthem in crevices and places I saw droppings.. behing cowling.. under hood... lot of places a mouse may want to set and talk and eat...

Soundguy

 

[ronjhall]

Here is a good thread on the subject. Click Here

 

[ccsial]

Before I sealed my pole barn I had that trouble. I left a glue trap next to each tire. Caught about 6 of them in a year. I still leave the glue traps around just in case.

 

[BigDogues]

It's my understanding that mice don't like mothballs and fabric softener sheets. Not sure how much truth there is to it.
You could get one of those hanging mothball things that you put in your closet and hang it somewhere under your hood. Maybe a little tape to hold it in place.

 

[jdgreg]

Havent had the mice problem with the tractor, but have with the boat. I put 2-3 of the haning moth ball type in the boat and leave it covered, no mice problems since.

 

[Shawk]

I use moth balls in my boat each year which is kept in our garage... has always worked well. I also keep a few traps set in the garage that will catch an occassional visitor trying to sneak into our heated garage...

Don't bother with the fabric softner sheets. I put them in a travel trailer a couple winters ago. That spring I found signs that mice spent a nice warm winter in my trailer... included on and around the softner sheets. Maybe I bought the wrong brand /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif but I won't try that again. Should of stuck with the moth balls.

 

[jjcc246]

I use moth balls. The original type, not scented. I put them right on my injectors, battery case, starter and any other nook or cranny that they'll roll into. haven't had a critter problem since. But the tractor smells like a grama's house.

 

[Bob_Young]

I use cotton balls soaked in red fox urine to keep critters out of my boat. Place them in an open top plastic container with a little extra urine in the bottom. Put a container in each compartment.

Worked good last year....though the smell was slow to leave the livewells. This year they got into the boat before I placed the cotton balls. Later noticed that some of the balls had been 'attacked'. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Maybe they work best if you get them in early before the critters take up residence.

I've got an unsavory reputation at the marina where they winterize the engine /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif.
Bob

 

[Slamfire]

I can understand their feelings, Bob. I think the only thing that smells worse'n a fox is a skunk. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
I will try the moth balls though thanks to everyone who suggested them. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[kossetx]

Here's a trick I learned from an old timer. Get the waffle type rat bait or drill a hole in a block rat bait, slip the wire though the bait and reattach it. Stays there for years and the mice eat the block instead of the wires.

 

[slowrev]

I just use some electronic rodent repellers in my tractor shed. NO mice. Everyone tells me that those things don't work. I just smile and enjoy a mouse free workshop, tractor shed and house /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Ben

 

[jimainiac]

I'll also cast my vote for D-Conn and moth balls. I've had good luck with them seperately or together. We have some carriages and a sleigh in a covered shed, and always keep an open box of moth balls under the seat of each one. Never had a problem. On another note, mice were nesting in the engine compartment of our old truck, so I put moth balls around the engine. Driving in the winter the camphor smell wafted into the cab and gagged us prettty bad. Shouldn't be a problem on a tractor though, unless you've got a cab.

 

[beowulf]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I think between the three cats I have moved to the barn and moth balls and other tips, I should be able to keep them away. Because so many people seem to have problems with critters chewing wires and hoses in cars and trucks and tractors, there should be some entrepreneur who could develop a wire sheathing which tastes so bad no rodent would want to chew on it. The tractor manufacturers could use that as a marketing tool to market their "rodent proof" tractors. Probably not a lot of money in it, but there is certainly a need. Reminds me of a story I read a few years ago where someone developed a paint for ships which barnacles would not latch onto because it had some sort of pepper or something like that in it. Saved immense amounts of money by avoiding the periodic dry-docking and scraping of ships.

 

[hayden]

I had the same problem with my tractor many years ago. I put moth balls in an old sock, knotted the end, and put it behind the instrument panel. I haven't seen another mouse since.

 

[cwarrix]

I tried every trap and bait I could find at Lowe's and TSC for a mouse problem in my pole barn. I caught one mouse! They made a huge mess, took several days to clean up in the Spring. Luckily, no wires chewed up or anything serious like that. Although I don't really like cats (allergic) I ended up with five of them in the barn this year. Guess what, no more mice, not even a trace of one. Also haven't seen a groundhog in a while, and the rabbits didn't come around to destroy the garden this year. The cats are pretty low maintenance, a little food and plenty of clean water, and maybe a little attention once in a while. Worked for me! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[LBrown59]

<font color="blue">Before I sealed my pole barn I had that trouble. I left a glue trap next to each tire. Caught about 6 of them in a year. I still leave the glue traps around just in case.
</font>
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Ever see a mouse escape off of a glue trap?
I have on that's done it 3 times.
The last time it was really stuck to it but it still got away.
It must be a super strong mouse.
I'm begining to think I'm dealing with Mighty Mouse here.
The cat hain't got it either.
All I can say is this is one lucky mouse.
If I set a snap trap I'd probably catch the cat in that instead of the mouse.