I suck: Mice!

[jyoutz]

The best solution I've found for things I have to leave out in the field is to open them completely, hood up, remove any panels that come off easily, provide LED light at night. Mice hate light and visibility. As you've discovered never use any material that supports a mouse nest. I use low wattage LEDs on things I can leave in the shed because there's power. You could put a small solar panel/battery/light combination on the tractor and put it under the hood so it hopefully makes it through the night. You could also put a solar charger on the tractor battery and run a 12v light off of it on a timer so it's only on during dark hours. Have you thought about one of those fabric car port/tent things? I have a half dozen of those, they hold up well and that would allow you to leave the tractor wide open without any rain getting on it.
I'd skip the poison, you can't kill the whole outdoors and too many other creatures die when they eat the poisoned mice.

I use Tom Cat bait blocks in a mice bait box. It really keeps the population down, and the dead mice aren’t hazardous to predators. The poison is warfarin, which is a blood thinner often prescribed for human medical use. The blocks contain enough warfarin to cause mice to bleed to death, but the amount retained in the carcasses is too minimal to kill larger predators like owls, etc... I keep these blocks in my barns and carports year round and have much less mice issues now.

 

[herringchoker]

Rodents hate the smell of cloves, sprinkle whole cloves wherever you can,, including the air cleaner cannister (outside of the air filter.)

I put a few drops of peppermint oil on the air filter, and elsewhere that is a concern.

DO NOT buy a small bottle of peppermint extract,, you need a LOT,, I think I have a 4 OZ bottle.

We had some books stored in an unused room, the mice started chewing the books,,
the only thing I did was add some cloves, the mice have been 100% gone for 5 years,,

I second the cloves treatment, I've had good luck with it over the years. Peppermint oil seems to work too, but I find the whole cloves cheaper and easier to come by.

 

[Norm W]

I use the bait blocks too. It keeps the rodents out of the garage and the vehicles. When the bait stops disappearing, the rodents are gone. It disappears in a hurry when it is first put out.

 

[5030]

One word..... CATS

Never an issue here, we have barn cats. I might get paw prints on the hood but darn sight better than chewed wiring or chit on seats... Good hunter cat is worth it's weight in gold.

 

[hube2]

I've been using these in my shed and tractor.They appear to be working. Amazon.com : Fresh Cab Botanical Rodent Repellent - Environmentally Friendly, Keeps Mice Out, 4 Scent Pouches : Garden & Outdoor

 

[big bubba]

my experience with various poisons is that once poisoned rodents will hole up in their nests then die. could be in a vehicle, tractor, or structure. then comes the stench from those hard to get places. but understand sometimes it's the only option

 

[newbury]

Snakes

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No pawprints on the hood.

 

[5030]

my experience with various poisons is that once poisoned rodents will hole up in their nests then die. could be in a vehicle, tractor, or structure. then comes the stench from those hard to get places. but understand sometimes it's the only option

CATS usually have them for dinner so no stench from a rotting carcass.

 

[nyone]

Like stated you need to lower the population of rodents. Bait blocks are prob the easiest option. Bait all year long and dont put the bait where you dont want mice. Only use blocks. Those Dcon pellets just disappear until you find an air filter full of pellets.

Those suggesting cats..how do you expect him to keep cats on a seasonal property? Even if they do survive you have just made your property a ferrel can colony and I'm not sure what one is worse.

 

[cwbyeng1300]

Check out this product

http://www.rid-a-rat.com/index.html

I have heard good things about them. For $50 it might be worth a try.