What works against rodents

   / What works against rodents #31  
I apologize if this is in the wrong forum. I just got another vehicle (van) back from the shop to repair damage from some kind of rodent eating the wiring. We have tried moth balls, Irish Spring, coyote urine but nothing seems to keep the little buggers away. They haven't found the tractor yet, but we park our car/truck outside. My wife doesn't want me to put poison out since we have a herd of Corgis that are in and out of the vehicles on a daily basis, but I am at wits end. :mad::mad::mad: I am looking for suggestions.
Tractor is kept in a carport for us. We have 2 rolling log mouse traps, one in each corner. They average about 6-8 mice per week. We also keep cabfresh under the hood to repel any survivors from getting to wires or air cleaner elements. Get a cat too
 
   / What works against rodents #32  
With all due respect, nope. For rodents, kill traps only. Live traps are for critters that can be relocated somewhere.

Another option would be rat snakes or king snakes.
King Snakes get rid of copperhead snakes also. The eat them. I have property in the woods. When dynamiting the water line, I stirred up several snakes. I moved a Speckled king snake up to my front yard. Haven't seen a copperhead in 30 years.
My neighbor put out that boundry stuff. He was bitten 3 times in the first 2 years. Guess it kept the copperheads in.
 
   / What works against rodents #33  
Our dog chased stray cats out of our area.
Unfortunately it pretty much ignored bobcats that ate chickens.
Fox here are friends with the cats; my understanding is that very small cats may be attacked but foxes are about the same weight class as most cats and they don't bother each other.
I've had rodents bother diesels; I agree with the "use it or lose it" philosophy (this is why my tractor is parked in a rodent-safe container! Because sometimes it's not used for a few weeks and rodents would do their thing to it)
 
   / What works against rodents #34  
I have had success with several types of traps (snap (peanut butter & bread) and the sticky traps (only for small mice)). In my shop, I use the electronic traps such as the "rat zapper" type. Throw a few grains of corn in the back and turn it on. The only issue is sometimes the trap is triggered without a kill I think when it is very dry conditions.
The most helpful things to get rid of mice have been to clean up my mess, and more importantly I took down all bird feeders !
 
   / What works against rodents #35  
I've been driving down the road at 55 mph in my company truck and had a mouse come up out by the windshield wipers and crawl around on the cowl. That truck certainly doesn't spend much time at rest. This time of year they are looking for places to winter over and can move in overnight. I tried leaving my hood up but it snowed that night...

A couple of years ago I cooked supper on the grill and left the hood up. The next morning there was a big mouse nest built on the grill rack. Oddly enough that was also the first night that somebody had mentioned leaving the hood up...
 
   / What works against rodents #36  
This time of year they are looking for places to winter over and can move in overnight. I tried leaving my hood up but it snowed that night..
This time of year it is still quite warm. Lows rarely reach the 60s. Highs in the low to mid 90s. Winter is a week, maybe two, when the temps get below 30 at night. Not sure how many mice move in for those 2 weeks. ;). Maybe put your truck in a garage with the hood up, if it snows in your garage...it sounds like you have a new project to do.

Side note, with all of the advancement in wireless chargers and Bluetooth...I wonder if they could significantly reduce wiring in engines....just a thought....
 
   / What works against rodents #37  
I apologize if this is in the wrong forum. I just got another vehicle (van) back from the shop to repair damage from some kind of rodent eating the wiring. We have tried moth balls, Irish Spring, coyote urine but nothing seems to keep the little buggers away. They haven't found the tractor yet, but we park our car/truck outside. My wife doesn't want me to put poison out since we have a herd of Corgis that are in and out of the vehicles on a daily basis, but I am at wits end. :mad::mad::mad: I am looking for suggestions.
Tom Cat or Tom Kat green rectangles come in a white tub with green and black, maybe some yellow writing and pictures, with a hole through the center for places where you string them on a wire. Weatherproof. Put them out and when they disappear, replace.

One day they will not need replacing but keep them out and fresh for new arrivals. I have all but eliminated rodents from baby mice to field rats.....and some rabbits...but I didn't plan on that and try to put them where rabbits can't get to them.

Raccoons love them and aren't affected so if outside put in a box with baffles where they can't get their little prying hands on them. Rats love the box as it's a good hiding/nesting spot.....but temporary.....grin.
 
   / What works against rodents #38  
Tom Cat or Tom Kat green rectangles come in a white tub with green and black, maybe some yellow writing and pictures, with a hole through the center for places where you string them on a wire. Weatherproof. Put them out and when they disappear, replace.

One day they will not need replacing but keep them out and fresh for new arrivals. I have all but eliminated rodents from baby mice to field rats.....and some rabbits...but I didn't plan on that and try to put them where rabbits can't get to them.

Raccoons love them and aren't affected so if outside put in a box with baffles where they can't get their little prying hands on them. Rats love the box as it's a good hiding/nesting spot.....but temporary.....grin.
Thanks. At my place getting rabbits is a bonus. Wife does not want them getting her garden.
 
   / What works against rodents #39  
I had rats chewing on my injector wires. I put out bait blocks and the rats just carried them up into the engine compartment. I got live traps and caught several, then I let Mr Ruger have a brief talk with them. Live traps seemed to have solved my rat problem.
 
   / What works against rodents #40  
What works better than peanut butter on the snap traps?? The little buggers here just lick it off without tripping the trap. I catch a few when the traps are new, but then the catch rate drops. If the (copper?) plating on the wire gets rusty, I think they tend to stick and not fire. Good suggestions above. This is my first winter in the country, and need to prepare for battle!

The Victor electronic trap seems worthless. Never catches anything, but the little light flashes as if it fired...
 
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