Keeping mice out of your tractors engine bay over the winter and summer too.

[Bocephous]

I keep the hood up on my tractor and my older Toyota Tundra (kept in our garage) and haven't had a problem with mice making nests in the engine bays. I also keep a 5 gallon bucket trap in our garage.

 

[Paystar]

Not sure if it's been mentioned here but I put a bar of Irish Springs soap in everything. It keeps all the cabs and travel trailer free of rodents plus they all smell nice.

I tried the pure peppermint oil everyone says that works.....soaked cotton balls with it and the mice here would eat the cotton balls.

So far no issues with Irish Springs. Been using it for years.

 

[Paystar]

The big thing with mice is you ddon't need them to hate the smell of something. You need them to not be able to smell and follow their pee trail. That's how they navigate.

 

[scootr]

And preferably NOT the cat unless you are in love with the smell of cat pizz.

Females don't spray (typically) - but the neighbors male cat visits and does a job. I'm okay with that as it is a HUGE deterrent to any mice or snakes. Heck we used to buy predator pee in a spray bottle before the cat... and the cat comes with an auto dispenser. Whoever heard of a farm without a cat?

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

We and neighbors have cats.
1) all cats are spayed/neutered...no spray
2) we have litter boxes. I've never stepped in cat poop in 70 years...dogs, yes not cat
3) yes cat paw prints on new cars, washes right off. Tractor & attachments paw prints hurt nothing, besides it's a tractor for sakes.
4) never had wiring problems or rodent damage.
5) cats shouldn't be overfed.

 

[scootr]

Plus cats don't bark

 

[tstex]

Plus cats don't bark

Yes, but in my nborhood of 789 homes, no one w a decent size dog [that barks] has ever been burglarized.

There are definitely plus and minuses to any type of pet/companion. I prefer seeing about 5-6 US native bird species at my ranch bc I also provide them nesting means/houses. Barn cats that depend on their own food would wipe out these nesting grounds.

Bottomline, we are all free to implement whatever mammal option we wish. For that, I am truly grateful...good luck to all...

 

[scootr]

Yes, but in my nborhood of 789 homes, no one w a decent size dog [that barks] has ever been burglarized.

There are definitely plus and minuses to any type of pet/companion. I prefer seeing about 5-6 US native bird species at my ranch bc I also provide them nesting means/houses. Barn cats that depend on their own food would wipe out these nesting grounds.

Bottomline, we are all free to implement whatever mammal option we wish. For that, I am truly grateful...good luck to all...

Right. What works for 1 will not work for all.

 

[Ghost River Retrievers]

So when we moved to the farm 7 -8 years ago, I wanted a couple of cats for the two sheds. My reason was because I don't like snakes and if you have mice or rats, you're going to have snakes. However, my bride of 40 years said, "Absolutely not ... I hate cats!" Hence no cats.
Over the years, mice had built nests in the engine compartment of my tractor, chewed a few wires, and put their multitudinous droppings on everything.
But then ... one cold early December evening, we were in one of the sheds going through the innumerable boxes of Christmas decorations when a RAT jumped out of one of the boxes and ran right at her! She screamed (admittedly, I screamed too). Suddenly, her attitude about cats changed and within a week we had a momma cat, a poppa cat, and a baby cat (they are all "fixed" now). The day after we got the cats we were back in the shed and heard movement in one of the boxes of decorations. I grabbed momma cat and took her hear the box ... my bride tilted the box and a mouse came flying out. I let loose of momma cat. The mouse didn't make it 5 feet before momma cat had it by the throat (it was like a lioness taking down a gazelle, only in miniature). Momma held it until the quivering stopped, then she called baby cat over to show him what his prey looks, smells and tastes like. It' been a little over a year and the sheds appear to be rodent-free.
I close them up in one of sheds at night so the 'yotes don't take'm out (I've trained them to come into the shed with a dinner bell and a small amount of food). They're good about using the litter box when they are locked up, but during the day they do their "business" out in the fields. They aren't much trouble and are most definitely worth the effort ... they earn their keep. Even though we are strongly "dog people," we will never be without a cat.

 

[scootr]

So when we moved to the farm 7 -8 years ago, I wanted a couple of cats for the two sheds. My reason was because I don't like snakes and if you have mice or rats, you're going to have snakes. However, my bride of 40 years said, "Absolutely not ... I hate cats!" Hence no cats.
Over the years, mice had built nests in the engine compartment of my tractor, chewed a few wires, and put their multitudinous droppings on everything.
But then ... one cold early December evening, we were in one of the sheds going through the innumerable boxes of Christmas decorations when a RAT jumped out of one of the boxes and ran right at her! She screamed (admittedly, I screamed too). Suddenly, her attitude about cats changed and within a week we had a momma cat, a poppa cat, and a baby cat (they are all "fixed" now). The day after we got the cats we were back in the shed and heard movement in one of the boxes of decorations. I grabbed momma cat and took her hear the box ... my bride tilted the box and a mouse came flying out. I let loose of momma cat. The mouse didn't make it 5 feet before momma cat had it by the throat (it was like a lioness taking down a gazelle, only in miniature). Momma held it until the quivering stopped, then she called baby cat over to show him what his prey looks, smells and tastes like. It' been a little over a year and the sheds appear to be rodent-free.
I close them up in one of sheds at night so the 'yotes don't take'm out (I've trained them to come into the shed with a dinner bell and a small amount of food). They're good about using the litter box when they are locked up, but during the day they do their "business" out in the fields. They aren't much trouble and are most definitely worth the effort ... they earn their keep. Even though we are strongly "dog people," we will never be without a cat.

Us too. Good post. I love seeing the cats have been sleeping in my tractor seat or on the roof if my little sportscar. I know there will be no repeat of the years of wire chewing and nest building and peeing in the fresh air filter !

 

[rolamy]

My vote is for cats as well when we moved in to our property it looked like it had been carpet bombed! Pocket gofers everywhere, got cats and they have destroyed the colony and keep them at bay every year after the snow melts. No mice or chipmunks chewing wires or making nest in air boxes.

 

[scootr]

In about 2005 the EPA ruled that not only tires but all car components must biodegrade in x years. Components like seats, headliners, wire harnesses, and more had to be made with organic materials. The wire jacket is now a vegetable based material instead of good ole plastic. During the drought years car wiring fell victim to hungry mice, rats, squirrels, and even rabbits.
We replaced a wire harness and repaired a couple of attacks prior to bringing the feral cats in. It has been 4 years without rodents now. All I do is feed a little dry food and keep water available. If they want meat they hunt. And hunt they do.
Plus the cats are spayed and free from a humane society. We are giving them a place to live and they are making that place rodent and rattlesnake free. I read yesterday a cats reaction time is much quicker than a snake.
P.S.
We have lots of big barking dogs that are burglar deterrents but couldn't catch a mouse or a rabbit to save their lives.

 

[Viny]

The only thing that has ever worked for me is a combination of wrapping the typically affected wiring with steel wool and installing 12v ultrasonic repellers.

 

[jgmo]

Last I checked, the Animal shelters don't allow cat adoption to people in my zip. It's because cats quickly become coyote poop where I live. Anyway, I fear attracting skunks and coons too much to leave food out. Leaving hoods open stops nesting in engine compartments but mice still invade interiors. I love the hawks around here too much to even consider poison so I might try some of the deterrent products mentioned here.
It's a HUGE problem for us.
Thanks for the ideas!

 

[m5040]

The best I found was these (see pic of a catch) box traps with the rotating paddles that reset for the next catch. I put then in partially open door between rooms to direct the mice toward the trap.

 

[Flogger]

I use cinnamon oil on a cotton ball. Forgot to do my combine last fall but the residual from the year before seems to be doing the job. A couple of them in the cab does the trick.

 

[bordercollie]

One or the other - NOT BOTH!

Agreed. The cat eats a mouse with the poison and the cat will likely die. I've seen it happen. We have 3 fixed cats at our barn fun of cow feed ( ground corn, cotton seed, hominy , hay etc) and now, no mice for very long. I love watching the cats wait patiently for the mice to move and then pounce. We actually supplement them with food because the mouse population gets so low. I can't say strong enough how nice it is to not have rat poop in my tools and work space.. and besides one of the cats tries to herd cows when we move them to the barn for shots etc.. .Also is a nice seat warmer - just don't let them get locked in a cab or leave the tractor window open- think- litter box.

 

[Flogger]

Yes, but in my nborhood of 789 homes, no one w a decent size dog [that barks] has ever been burglarized.

There are definitely plus and minuses to any type of pet/companion. I prefer seeing about 5-6 US native bird species at my ranch bc I also provide them nesting means/houses. Barn cats that depend on their own food would wipe out these nesting grounds.

Bottomline, we are all free to implement whatever mammal option we wish. For that, I am truly grateful...good luck to all...

Evil can't stand the light or noise. I have an LED light and a radio playing in all my outbuildings. Works on 4 and 2 legged critters. Still use cinnamon cotton balls for the crafty mice though

 

[redmt]

Good to know ... sound like you need a few cats and some rat poison...

Rat poison generally has second kill and dead/dying rodents kill the cats.

 

[sdef]

Always an issue here. Pesky little rodents like to nest under the hoods and in the cabs of my tractors. I do use the bucket traps that work well but that don't stop them from building nests, only catches them when they go in search of food...

When I was clearing my property for the new home build and then the workshop build- which also serves as tractor, truck and UTV storage, my vehicles were stored outside for several years. We have our share of mice around here and had zero mice issues using small mesh bags with a few moth balls inside. The bags were placed in various strategic areas in the vehicles and I never had a single mouse issue.