Mice chewing wires

[oosik]

Welshman - sure hope you are correct. I just, yesterday, put a dozen dryer sheets in the cab of the Taco Wagon.

 

[oosik]

Short story. Been out here on my property for 38+ years now. Up until four years ago - only mice & chipmunks. Imagine my surprise - open the hood of the old Ford pickup - there is one BIG rat. Comfortably resting in his nest. Over the next two weeks I dispatched seven of the rats. They are INCREDIBLY stupid. Three on my back porch - got within five feet of the three. Bang, bang, bang - killed all three with three shots from my 22 pistol.

So - I took one into the local vet for ID. He called it a Wood Rat. I think they could also be called - rat or pack rat.

Haven't seen any evidence of any additional rats since that encounter. I won't be upset if I don't see any for an additional 34 years.

 

[Welshman]

Welshman - sure hope you are correct. I just, yesterday, put a dozen dryer sheets in the cab of the Taco Wagon.

I hope it works for you, too. But if not, at least the mice will be soft and smell nice.

 

[LouNY]

And there nests will be fluffy and fresh smelling :laughing:
I have used the dryer sheets with limited sucess,
and then I have put a few drops of the essential oils on them with a bit more success.
The least amount of mouse problems with my plow truck was the year a couple of garter snakes took up residence in the cab,
of course we won't mention how many years of life I lost when the damned thing started crawling up my leg or how rough it was on the truck
getting stopped so abruptly or the stink when I started using the heater, had to have the windows open when the truck warmed up when it was snowing.

 

[oosik]

You are absolutely correct Lou. Nothing works forever. I rotate every couple months or so. Right now it's dryer sheets and cotton pads soaked in peppermint essential oil. I paid a bloody fortune for the option on the Taco Wagon that included Spanish leather interior. Kind of hard to smell the leather over the dryer sheets and peppermint oil.

If/when any mice show up in the engine compartment - fluffy and good smelling - time to rotate to another deterrent.

I wish I could laugh about this - but, it's an on-going, never ending battle.

 

[Mat4644]

All commercial and industrial institutions especially food processors use bait stations and multiple catch traps all year long.

 

[Mat4644]

You could also live catch little Fievel and release him over at your neighbors. Better yet release him and what ever diseases he's carrying at some public wildlife preserve.

View attachment 666883

 

[newbury]

I like the liquid tape for repairs or if a wire is pierced for testing.
However I have resorted to buying several small containers at a time for a few reasons,
people that borrow it, plus the worst is opening a half used container and it has all set up
or thicken so much you can't spread it.

@LouNY - What brand of liquid tape? I need some. My '88 Ford Van got "attacked" last winter and I need to cover some wires.

 

[Hay Dude]

In past years I've used many methods to eliminate mice. Then I realized - for every mouse eliminated - there are two more out in the brush - "waiting to come on down".

I keep the hood open on the tractor - year round. They seem to dislike this open environment. On the Taco Wagon( 2018 Ram Power Wagon ) I continuously rotate various deterrents. Peppermint oil, dryer sheets, moth balls, cinnamon oil, human urine, human hair tied up in cloth sacks, etc.

Nothing, so far, works forever. Rotating various deterrents seems to work about the best.

I've had mice & chipmunks in the engine compartment of the Taco Wagon. Never once have they chewed any wiring. Perhaps because the wire coating is formulated from petroleum - not vegetable oil. A unique feature of the Power Wagon - perhaps.

Keep the hoods open and the glass on your cabs open, too. It’s less “secure” to them when open. Have not had mice problems YET (running around looking for wood to knock on).
Keep a couple cats around

 

[LouNY]

@LouNY - What brand of liquid tape? I need some. My '88 Ford Van got "attacked" last winter and I need to cover some wires.

I usually get mine from NAPA auto parts I don't recall the actual brand.
If I think about the next time I do an Amazon order I check them out.