Rodents in the engine bay while storing- HELP PLEASE!!

[nmgoes]

I keep my Prism 2150 covered by in an open garage that is near a field. I recently started getting rats in the engine. First time, they made nest from any wires they could chew up, along with leaves and trash. Pooped all over the place and destroyed my ambient temp sensor and DEF monitoring system. Not cheap to fix.

I placed moth balls all over the engine bay and they came back and did it again. Same wires chewed. I even got a little speaker system that is supposed to emit a sound that repels the rats (Doesn't work).

I placed a lot of rat poison which is eaten daily- although the wires aren't being chewed. On Friday, I placed some glue traps and found a big rat there that was stuck, but managed to free himself when I opened the hood.

Today- there was fur on the glue traps- no rat. Poop and rat pee everywhere. Don't know what to do now- thinking about getting some kind of barn cat as a solution. Anyone else have another solution that I'm not thinking about?

Thanks in advance.

[clr]

Give up on the glue traps and get yours self some old fashion Rat Traps sore of like old mouse traps only larger. Bait them with some peanut butter and you will kill the rats. A barn cat would be a so so proposition since only some cats will take on a rat they prefer the smaller and easier to kill mouse.

[rsdata]

I use this to chase all kinds of varmints, from squirrels to woodchucks and mice from my barn... I have several

http://www.amazon.com/Victor-M792-He...tor+electronic

[Still Kickin]

Originally Posted by nmgoes

I keep my Prism 2150 covered by in an open garage that is near a field. I recently started getting rats in the engine. First time, they made nest from any wires they could chew up, along with leaves and trash. Pooped all over the place and destroyed my ambient temp sensor and DEF monitoring system. Not cheap to fix.

I placed moth balls all over the engine bay and they came back and did it again. Same wires chewed. I even got a little speaker system that is supposed to emit a sound that repels the rats (Doesn't work).

I placed a lot of rat poison which is eaten daily- although the wires aren't being chewed. On Friday, I placed some glue traps and found a big rat there that was stuck, but managed to free himself when I opened the hood.

Today- there was fur on the glue traps- no rat. Poop and rat pee everywhere. Don't know what to do now- thinking about getting some kind of barn cat as a solution. Anyone else have another solution that I'm not thinking about?

Thanks in advance.

Look up 5 gal. bucket mouse trap on you tube. You seem to mention rats. So, up the size of your drowning chamber. Believe me, it is a better mouse (rat) trap.

P.S. rats swim, so mix RV antifreeze in their swimming pool, they love it, provides a year round trap use, and it is much better, and safer for the enviroment. Just sayin'

[bruceatlam]

My vote is for the old fashioned traps with peanut butter as bait.

As a preventive measure, I seem to have good luck by spreading "Bounce" dryer sheets around ---- I guess they don't like that smell. But, even though they seem to leave my stuff alone, they're still around in the near vicinity somewhere.

[mud yapster]

Bucket trap worked on youtube I might put one of these in my barn the rats have eaten my wires before also.

[Still Kickin]

Look, you will SH## your pants when you see the first bucket full, i'm dead serious. What I found is mice are extremely delicate eaters, so just putting a narrow band of peanut butter in the middle of the bottle/can makes them reach out to get a morsel, then they fall into the swimming pool.

P.S. read up on drier sheets, makes great nesting material. Also, regarding moth balls. In order for them to work 100% of the time on mice (have no rat expierence) you need to encase the protected item in an air proof enviroment, increasing the toxicity, with the moth balls inside. That creates an extremely toxic enviroment for them, causing them to move on to the next "chew". I say, give em a nice sweet tasting swimming pool!

[MilCop4523]

SURE - INVITE THE STUPID ONES IN FOR A FREE DINNER AND LET THEM GET SNAPPED AND ROT, WHILE THE REMAINING ONES FEAST ON THE SPOILS OF WAR.

How to Use Fresh Cab in Auto, Marine, and RV Vehicles | earthkind

TRIED THE MOTH BALLS.
if they would work for mice and rats wouldn't you thnk they would be called rat and mice balls... they are for moths.
bounce dryer sheets - best used in the dryer.

I use this product in our trailers - no rodents... i use it in our garage... no rodents.
the same people who claim the other solutions work ... in some cases they are the same persons that claim they have never had a power surge in their unit either.

[Karter]

I have a string of flashing Christmas lights laid on the ground around my coach. I have them on a dusk to dawn timer so they come on automatically, and have not had a rodent problem since.

[MilCop4523]

last name isn't Griswold by chance?

and if you have snow on the ground it illuminates the driveway for snow blowing as well.

[rwatson908]

I use moth balls for snakes around the house/creeks.
For rodents and other 4 legged creatures we use planted mint.
In your case pick the mint and place it the area of the nest and ground. That should do it.
If your name is in fact Griswald, a 12 ga is your best choice.

[dowjones]

check with your insurance company...mine covered the cost of repairs = new wiring harness = expensive minus $100 deductible. Hope your insurer does to.

[russellsawatsky 56]

Originally Posted by MilCop4523

SURE - INVITE THE STUPID ONES IN FOR A FREE DINNER AND LET THEM GET SNAPPED AND ROT, WHILE THE REMAINING ONES FEAST ON THE SPOILS OF WAR.

[URL="http://www.earthkind.com/how-to-use/fresh-cab-auto-marine-rv#.Ve8bhiVViko"]How to Use Fresh Cab .

We have used a similar product works well but not 100% it's sold here at AG equipment dealers for tractor and combine cabs

[Still Kickin]

Originally Posted by MilCop4523

SURE - INVITE THE STUPID ONES IN FOR A FREE DINNER AND LET THEM GET SNAPPED AND ROT, WHILE THE REMAINING ONES FEAST ON THE SPOILS OF WAR.

How to Use Fresh Cab in Auto, Marine, and RV Vehicles | earthkind

TRIED THE MOTH BALLS.
if they would work for mice and rats wouldn't you thnk they would be called rat and mice balls... they are for moths.
bounce dryer sheets - best used in the dryer.

I use this product in our trailers - no rodents... i use it in our garage... no rodents.
the same people who claim the other solutions work ... in some cases they are the same persons that claim they have never had a power surge in their unit either.

Jury is out for deliberation, read the critical reviews;
http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Rodent-R...ews/B0021LWPPY

Moth balls ONLY work on mice IF you can create enough toxic gas in the immediate area of the investation. Spreading them around greatly reduces their effect, as the toxic gas emitted will dissipate, if there is any air flow and render that pest control method useless.

Come on people, let em go for a sweet tasteing swim! They deserve it!

[afarren]

Originally Posted by nmgoes

I keep my Prism 2150 covered by in an open garage that is near a field. I recently started getting rats in the engine. First time, they made nest from any wires they could chew up, along with leaves and trash. Pooped all over the place and destroyed my ambient temp sensor and DEF monitoring system. Not cheap to fix.

I placed moth balls all over the engine bay and they came back and did it again. Same wires chewed. I even got a little speaker system that is supposed to emit a sound that repels the rats (Doesn't work).

I placed a lot of rat poison which is eaten daily- although the wires aren't being chewed. On Friday, I placed some glue traps and found a big rat there that was stuck, but managed to free himself when I opened the hood.

Today- there was fur on the glue traps- no rat. Poop and rat pee everywhere. Don't know what to do now- thinking about getting some kind of barn cat as a solution. Anyone else have another solution that I'm not thinking about?

Thanks in advance.

Never did like that mothball stuff... too stinky. Ha... easy solution. WD40 Lubricant and moisture proofer in one. Keep away from fan belt but use liberally on engine and mounts and firewall/fender walls etc. Totally works in 30 seconds. Needs to be redone every six months or so.

[nmgoes]

Thanks for the responses. I've seen the youtube for the bucket and will try that with some antifreeze. They keep eating the green poison (TomCat of D-Conn) like candy. The moth balls did absolutely nothing for me. I also have the victor speaker system that didn't seem to phase them either. I think I'll try the old fashioned traps and the bucket trick. I've also ordered a flashing strobe and will try that. These a$$holes have cost me a lot of money fixing the wiring.

[MilCop4523]

Another trick

THE OLD PEANUT BUTTER ON A CAN OVER TOP A BUCKET OF WATER WORKS WELL IN THE SOUTH leaving slimmy mice in a bucket to stink up the joint.

but then again - if it freezes they merely eat and run.

or how about the random time and location mini flame thrower that dispenses food into a tray and waits for motion to activate the torchs?

Really?


I've had no sign of mice in any location where i use Fresh Cab
neither have any of my friends camps or cottages, antique cars etc. how use it to deter mice from coming into their spaces.

My next door neighbor refused to use or try some when i offered and then when he had an investation he blamed me for protecting my properties.

he now uses the product and is rodent free.

Yes not every product is 100% effective.
If you leave food, paper towels and TP or towels in the unit over the winter you are asking for trouble.
If you don't plug visible holes its like a neon "we're open for business" sign at the corner.


Iam still amazed of what people offer for a solution...
Anti freeze - really,
is it the instant killing stuff or the slow & painful (not worried about the kidney shut down pain) but the smell of rotting carcass in the walls pain in your 300,000 $ motor coach or your 75,000$ 5th wheel kind of pain that you can't get rid of without ripping it apart to find the smell

if I beleived every review posted on Amazon I wouldn't buy a paperclip from them.

Traps mean you have to bait them and that means constant access to the unit. like i said earlier - if the mouse is in the trap and the food is gone... you didn't have human visitors poaching your spot - you had more mice.

Remember inviting in more mice means laying more traps.
i'd rather keep them at bay then inviite them in like the inlaws

[sdgscott]

Hi,

For those of us with significant others that don't want to kill the pest, the following link is to the trap that I use. Caught over 30 rats in the last year.

Put a plastic bottle cap inside filled with sunflower seeds. Place it along a wall or tire. It is a pain to release them somewhere, but at least DW is happy!

Extra Small 1 Door Live Animal Trap Weasels & More | Havahart®

Scott

[nmgoes]

Thank you all for the various responses.

I've ordered something called Rid-A-Rat which I think is a strobe that makes the engine bay uncomfortable.

Thanks for the heads up on the insurance claim. My deductible is a little higher so it made sense to repair. I'll keep that in mind though going forward.

I'm not personally against the bucket trap; but do admit the wife isn't a big fan of drowning anything! May not want to fight that battle.

I'll report back to see if the Rid-A-Rat works at all.

Much appreciated for the FR Community response