mice & other pests

[arthr31]

hi again, like i said, season of questions... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

So, my barn/shed (fits tractor and used to have few goats) has become pretty much over run with mice. beginning a few weeks back I was finding mice nests everywhere on the 1601d. Everywhere. On top of battery, on top of engine, behind fuel tank, under seat, etc. you get the idea. I'd find each of these nests after it'd sit for anywhere between 3 and 8 days in the shed. it's kinda gross.

So, i just stopped putting it in the barn/shed (wife wants it knocked down!) Now it's getting cold, I don't see any sign of them anymore, but don't want them settling down for a cold fall harvest on top of the engine again... Afterall, they can do damage, right?

At this point I've decided to make "tractor pods". The pod will be raised off the ground, and protected from under moisture. The tractor will then be wrapped with weather resistent tarp and secured. Better than letting the tractor sit in the mouse house?

Next thing I know the mice will be trying to get into my house... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[pruntyc]

I had the same problem with mice, before I had them put tar under my car port. And I found that if you spread powered lime on the ground all around the car, and under it, or in your case tractor, they won't go through it for some reason. They had got onto the engine and even chewed through some wires, that I had to patch as it shut off the air conditioning, and heater. After I put the lime out, they never bothered the cars again. I know it sounds funny, but I guess they don't like it on their feet or maybe it burns them or something like that.

 

[Soundguy]

I have the same problem on my NH 7610s.. mice everywhere.. droppings.. chewing wires.. etc.

I finally resorted to leaving a bunch of traps.. poison bait packs, poison blocks, and glue traps out.

That eliminated them.. but took a week. They came back 3 mos later and i did the same deal again.. again... eliminated them.

Soundguy

 

[Whiskey]

arthr31:

I've done the same as Soundguy with traps, and have good luck with them.

I have the same problem with rats building nest under the hood of my riding lawn mower and tractors.......did one simple thing.....figuring the rats like a dark safe place to build there nest.......I put the hood and seat up when I park them for the night....has worked like a charm.....simple but effective and have not had one nest built even when I know there are rats in the barn.

 

[fig]

I have been told that moth balls will work too. I know that they work on snakes. Get a box or two and spread out in the barn and around the perimeter.

Fig

 

[slowrev]

Do you have AC power in the shed ? If so I have had good luck with the electronic rodent repellers. bought the family farm about 4 years ago, had not been lived in for 6 yrs and house and outbuilding were BAD with mice. fought them with traps and such for a year or so and then bought 8 electronic rodent repellers at Sams for under $40. Spread them around and NO MORE MICE /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Still no more mice after 3 years..I love it.
The main thing is to make sure they have a clear field in front of them, they will not work if they are behind a bed or something like that.
Ben

 

[arthr31]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the great ideas. I definitely think I'll try the lime around the perimeter, hope that it doesn't get rained on too much (not too likely lately..), and follow-up with mothballs in some locations. Fig, I too had heard that works, forgot it 'til you mentioned it... soundguy, i remember reading about your mice problems with your NH in another forum, about a week later I started having the same problems w/ rodents!! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

My last resorts will be traps and maybe electric devices. I use traps in the house (basement), but we only get mice when it starts getting cold... Slowrev, do you recall how much these electronic devices cost? I think this building has maybe another year or two to live... I should take some pictures of it, it's a real work of cheap yankee enginuity built with odds and ends and even full logs!! yahoo! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Needless to say, it's rather "well ventilated..."

 

[pruntyc]

The reason I tried the lime, was I had tried the moth balls and even put them right where they were chewing the wires, they pushed them to one side and kept on chewing. They didn't seem to mind them at all. Moth balls does help to keep spiders away though. My step-son had told me about the lime, as he had used it, and it had worked for him also.

 

[arthr31]

why do mice chew wires? do they like the electic current? It's a real problem...

 

[Whiskey]

arthr31:

It's the coatin'......god knows why...but they love it

 

[mark777]

I have also had great success with lime. Rodents and insects do not like being near it. We have it spread under sheds, mobile homes and shops with dirt floors for years and it just plain works.

Mark

 

[Jagmandave]

Squirells also like wiring (or more accurately, insulation) we had a number of customers who lived in a very forested area north of San Diego, almost monthly a car would get towed in for no start and we'd find the wires chewed in two. One Jag was totalled becasue there was so much damage, the owners had been out of the country for 3 months - what a mess!

On a related note, anyone see the last episode of Pimp My Ride? Girl had a Pacer and she kept finding "mouse droppings", when they tore the car down they found a live rat living in it! Big sucker too!

 

[arthr31]

good. I'm going to get lime this weekend. It'll be soon time to lime my lawn and field anyway... Thanks for all the good suggestions guys. -art

 

[cwarrix]

Hey arthr31, did the lime work for your mouse problem? Just curious, I had the same problem in my pole barn last year. I resorted to adding four new cats to our family of pets. Haven't seen a mouse dropping since! I have seen a few dead mice outside right after the farmer cleared the field behind us. Looks like the cats are doing the job! Haven't seen any birds, rabbits, or ground hogs this year either...

I never was a big fan of cats, but I'll keep 'em as long as they keep killing the mice /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif And I'm actually starting to like them. Might even get a nice little heater to keep my tractor warm so they can sleep on the warm hood and protect my wires /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[cwarrix]

My mouse trap / tractor wiring protection system /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[arthr31]

hi, i don't have any conclusions about the lime since it got washed away pretty frequently. What has seemed to work is leaving the hood open and seat up. I think that since the mice can't "hide" under either they don't take up nesting...

 

[Whiskey]

Arthr31:

Yepper, that simple trick has worked for me for many years, tried it on the riding lawn mower first and now do it on the Yanmar and have not had a problem since.

 

[gws]

Here is a thread I had a couple of years back about birds nest in my yanmar.

Shortened Long Link

MikePA: Please review your message before posting it. It's simple not to create a long link that widens the entire thread. Just insert a descriptive word or two between the {url=http://whatever}<font color="red">Enter words here</font>{/url} instead of the entire URL. Replace parentheses {} with square brackets in previous example. Alternatively, if you use the Instant Markup language URL link, the first prompt is for the URL. The second prompt is for a description. Do not simply paste in the URL again. Type a short description of the link.

 

[Normmm]

I caught part of one of those info-mercials at 3 am last night. They were talking about natural paest control. Oil of pepperment was touted to control mice and other rodents. Seems that they are allergic to it. Put some in a sprayer and spray the area or put some on cotton balls and place arround the area you want to rid of mice. Has anyone heard of this before.

 

[LMTC]

Not that particular oil, but in general, yes. Try Eucalyptus citriodora essential oil sprayed around an area, but beware, essential oils tend to have a low flash point (165 for this one). I mix it 1 oil to 3 water and spray (actually lightly mist...I probably use 12-16 oz total spray on an area 200 x 80) the tractor lot every week or so to keep critters down...it also repels insects quite well.