Rodents & Vehicles

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Yes - chipmunks also. I trap the little bastards because they also get into the engine compartment and pack many little nooks and crannies with seeds. Winter food storage - I guess. A chipmunk is just as capable of doing damage as any mouse or rat.

I can't believe people live trap rodents and transport them to other places. I suppose they also stop along the way and hug a tree. Jesus - get a life and face reality.

Chipmunks don't climb very well.

"Reality" is that sometimes we have to act if animals threaten our possessions, or stock, or livelihoods. Or if hunger threatens. That is life. That is reality. But to JOKE about it and REJOICE in it, to me that is wrong, and un-Christian. Un-manly too. The best men I know are strong and brave but with tender hearts, and they only do "what they have to do" when there are no other options, and then with regret.

"Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

"How countless are Your works, Lord! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures."

"Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?"

 

[oosik]

GirlWhoWantsTractor - - Hey, whatever works for you. Speaking as a true atheist - - I just better let this one ride. Definitely has nothing to do with rodents or vehicles. Have a good evening.

 

[PhysAssist]

Had trouble for the first time ever with mice this year. Packed the blower motor housing on my Tundra so tightly with insulation that it vibrated so bad I though my truck was going to shake itself apart. Did the same on the car, but no insulation, just a nut. Had to replace cabin filters on both.
Trapped 7 and haven't had one in a trap for over a week. Maybe I have exterminated them!

Will

We had never had any problems until last winter, then we had them in both our Hondas- not just in the engine compartment though- all over the interior.

I almost expected them in the Fit, we bought it used, and it had had some body work done- but one [or more] got in the A-pillar- chewed through both the antenna cable and the rear washer tubing.

Our first clue was that the washer stopped working, the second was an orange stain in the headliner over the front passenger door [we use the orange Rain-x washer juice.]

In both cars, anything left in the glove box or cargo areas got chewed up.

We put some traps in caught a few and now only ever have the occasional new dead beasty in the traps- which will stay in the vehicles til they're retired.

We had no trouble w/ our F-350, XC for once a squirrel nested in the air box, so whenever you tried to accelerate the nest would get sucked against the filter and cut off the air flow- stalling out the motor.

Our Kubota had an air cleaner full of hickory nuts last time we sent it in for repairs and service, so I made a screen out of perforated metal to interdict the open end of the intake from rodent entry.

 

[Doofy]

Thanks Doofy - just what I need down here -- a bunch of liberal, left-minded cats from Anchorage - ha,ha. True story - friend of my son goes into Spokane Animal Control and says he need a sack full on barn cats. Word is - they darn near put him down and cuffed him right there. Like he said - they won't have to provide the sack - he had a burlap sack with him.

I think - honest to God - some people where born in front of the plow. At least up where you are Doofy - you only have to face that crap if and when you want to drive down into Anchorage. All you have to do is learn to hold your breath long enough to get your job done and be back home as far as Palmer. At Palmer you can start breathing normal again.

Very true, oosik. Anchorage has become a total cesspool of humanity. We haven't been to "Town" in about 13 years.
Palmer/Wasilla isn't far behind either. Some years we make it to "Three Bears", some years we don't. We are almost to the point of heading South. Rain has been non-stop so we had no Summer. After 55 years, even my nerves are wearing thin.

But, but, my new grapple should be delivered tomorrow and my attitude is bound to improve! Hahahaha

 

[oosik]

Hey - great on the grapple, Doofy. What are you getting?? See - now I had to look up Three Bears. It was still up in Tok when we left AK in '82.

Gee - - you got rain. Its so dry here - a popcorn fart would be classified as soggy. When you get organized with that new toy - post a picture for us.

And just to keep us legit - no mouse nests allowed in or on the new grapple.

 

[Doofy]

oosik, will add photos soon with that new grapple (Wicked60). It has taken 9 days from Wasilla...136 miles. Our only local hauling company is under new management and is a total mess. If I would have know they were going to take so long, I would have taken the topper off the Ranger and hauled it myself. Also getting a 3ph post hole digger an a sub-soiler.

The Three Bears in Tok has really grown but the one they had in Valdez closed down. You may have this rain...10" so far this year. My toes are becoming webbed.

 

[oosik]

Ah - you are really gearing up - got some big projects in mind. Well - everybody has to pass thru Tok - - not so much Valdez. Don't strain anything unpacking the new toys. Enjoy.

BTW - just out for late night call - no sign of rats and none of the traps have been bothered. Maybe that's it for a while.

 

[DrRod]

Started my riding mower this year and there was a terrible rattling noise coming from the engine. Took it into the shop and found a quart of hickory nuts in there. ATVs have ben particularly vulnerable with nests in the air box and wires chewed. I'm not here all the time so I can't sustain and population fo cats but I sure would like to.

 

[ChiefBodie]

I'm boring down I-90 into Spokane. A little field mouse pops out of the windshield heater vent opening. We were both surprised.

I once towed a travel trailer many miles but then needed to stop for fuel. As I was fueling up, a large rat popped up from the overhead a/c unit, ran down the side of the trailer, across the asphalt, and into the ivy in the service station planter. It's called rehoming.

 

[ericm979]

The **** rats ate all the tomatoes and peppers in the garden last night! Even the unripe ones. I bought some more rat traps at the Home Despot today and the clerk told me they've been selling a lot of them.

 

[rgr33]

[

I can't believe people live trap rodents and transport them to other places. I suppose they also stop along the way and hug a tree. Jesus - get a life and face reality.[/QUOTE]

My wife insisted we trap and relocate 38 squirrels last summer, not too happy to have my neighbors witnessing the release. Pretty sure they are all back this year, fat and happy

 

[dfkrug]

We have been overwhelmed with wood rats in the past year here in the Santa Cruz Mtns. Last year, we started having problems with them climbing the stucco of the house, then biting holes in the screen. When I would hear them, usually at 3AM, I would get up and shine a flashlight on them.

This year, I was getting nests in the BBQ, up on my deck. Clear them out, and they would be back, sometimes only a day or 2 later. So I started trapping them. Made a bucket trap to supplement my conventional rat traps. Sometimes, the bait would be gone, but no rats in the bucket. So I bought a game camera, and here is one of the first videos. My rat count is now 20, over the past month or so. I sometimes get 2 in one night. wood rat 18AUG18 - YouTube

To the OP: I park most of my vehicles indoors, but a friend had $1200 rat damage done to his new SUV 7 or 8 years ago, and the only solution that has worked for him is to park it with the hood open.

 

[Doofy]

We don't have wood rats. Red Squirrels are our big problem. They chew and ruin any wire they find, even live wires. We thought about rat traps but we have a ermine that keeps the red-backed vole population down so we don't want to trap him. Subsonic .22 is our remedy.

 

[oosik]

dfkrug - if your wood rats(pack rats) are anything like what I'm getting here - they are either intensely stupid or amazingly brave. In the last month I've killed four. One in a trap and three with my 22 pistol. I have been able to get within ten feet of the three I shot - fortunate, because in the pitch black of night a long shot would probably miss. Spotlight them with my big 'ol Makita flashlight and then "BANG".

Doofy - about 25 years ago we had one pine squirrel around the place here. Nothing before or since. I think I might have killed him - with kindness. I bought a bag of unsalted peanuts, filled a plastic Shed Spread bowl half full - set it out in a pine tree about half a mile from the house. Pine squirrel found the nuts - ate them all - we never saw hide nor hair of him again.

I initially used some yuppy designed plastic rat traps. They were somehow getting the food and not being trapped. I, just today, bought some good old Victor wood rat traps. Wow - what a difference. One misfired while I was setting it and it darn near took my thumb off. I'll get to see if they work any better, in the morning. I'm trying new bait also - across the trigger/foot - a spread of peanut butter and sprinkled and pressed into the peanut butter - salted sunflower seeds. Heck - its taking all my willpower to keep from licking the bait off the traps myself.

It just doesn't make good, common sense. I know the rats have always been out here in the country - but this is the first time in 36+ years that they have moved in and are building nests in my two vehicles. I have changed nothing in the 36 years and do nothing, now, that should attract them. I quit burning my garbage 25 years ago because it was attracting the raccoons. Maybe just a natural population explosion - who knows.

This certainly - by far and away - is the worst year I've ever had for pocket gophers. One large section of my lawn looks like a practice area for the light infantry mortar brigade.

Lord help them if they so much as lay a paw on my tractor. Out comes the 12 gauge - number two shot with high based loads and 70% nitro ditching powder.

So far they are only building nests and crapping everywhere. My resolve will increase directly proportional to their actions.

 

[Doofy]

oosik,
For 20 years we had just one squirrel and he never acted out and never came to close to the house. He ate a little bird seed and a few peanuts but never chased the birds like this new crop.

 

[oosik]

I though about various forms of poison but I have an 8 month old Chocolate Lab and EVERYTHING outside goes in his mouth - for a taste, at least. Fortunately - the other day he found that hot, green, steaming cow s h i t was not to his liking. I almost passed out - I laughed so hard. And surprisingly - like all the other stinking things he finds to roll in - he didn't roll in the fresh pies.

 

[Jstpssng]

I though about various forms of poison but I have an 8 month old Chocolate Lab and EVERYTHING outside goes in his mouth - for a taste, at least. Fortunately - the other day he found that hot, green, steaming cow s h i t was not to his liking. I almost passed out - I laughed so hard. And surprisingly - like all the other stinking things he finds to roll in - he didn't roll in the fresh pies.

Oh, you're in for a treat. :laughing:
My last dog loved to roll in stinky stuff, usually on the right side of her neck. Then she would come up next to me so that I would scratch her neck; I think she did it just so that I would look down at my hand and go "EWWWW!"
One time I gave her a bath just before heading off to New York; I thought "Great, there aren't many moose there so she will stay clean for a while. That lasted about half a day; I was eating my lunch when she found a nice big pile of otter s*** to roll in.

Getting back on topic, have any of you who use .22's on smaller varmints ever tried the shotshells?

 

[oosik]

Jstpssng - long time ago I tried 22 shot shells. Work good out to about 20 to 30 feet. Beyond that the spread is just too big. My current - up close - adventures with the pack rats is very unusual. Usually its me and my Winchester Model 9422 - out on the porch making a fairly long shot. The rare skunk or porcupine or chipmunk. I usually let EVERYTHING go on its merry way - as long as that is there intention. Its been MANY years since I've found it necessary to shoot anything. Except these dam pack rats.

 

[Ritothebull]

My daughter got a cat about 5 years ago and this cat liked to chew those soft I-Phone charger cords. After replacing 3 or 4 cords I started wiping them with Louisiana hot sauce and that was the end of the cord chewing.

 

[oosik]

Never had an INSIDE cat here. Many outside cats but they eventually go the way of - barn owl, great horned owl or coyote. Some have even lasted 6 to 8 years but eventually they become brave(stupid) and go out beyond the influence of the big 'ol yard light at night. This is the realm of the coyote and owl - the cat always looses.

However - an old friend came to help the other evening. Yesterday I backed the Jeep out of its carport stall and there was a fresh pile of coyote poop. Looks like they have come in to greet the pack rats also. They are more than welcome - never have been a problem for me. Wish they would take a look at my pocket gophers also.