How to keep rodents out of stored cars

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: How to keep rodents out of stored cars
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Robert L. Cook on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 - 09:04 pm:

Just wondering what you may use to keep rodents(mice) out of your stored vehicles.
I have tried moth balls but don't seem to work very well.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By ben jermainne on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 - 09:10 pm:

I have heard of people using dryer sheets or a bar of irish spring soap. I use moth balls and don't have a problem.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Thode Chehalis Washington on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 - 09:18 pm:

Here are a few ideas:
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/242764.html?1323054817
Jim


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Hycner on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 - 09:19 pm:

Rodents follow a urine trail, they drip a little all the time and others follow the same path. Vile and disgusting vermin. If their head can fit the rest of them will. The way that I've always done it is to concede you will never keep them totally away but offense is the best defense. Stuff the tailpipe, carb and any other thing that you can. Buy a bunch of the Victor mousetraps with the yellow trip mechanism, don't get the crap Tomcat ones that are made in China. The Victor traps do not need bait. Place them next to the tires, on flat surface of the frame and a bunch in the interior. Mice like to walk near the edge or a wall so place the traps perpendicular to anything so they walk across the trip lever. I catch a lot near the tires and garage walls and only once in the interior before it did any damage. I live next to a corn field so mice are plentiful and never had any damage in a car. There are about 20 traps in my garage and in the fall i'll get one a day.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Vaughn on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 - 09:32 pm:

This is what I use, he works pretty good. I also live next to a corn field.



Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George_Cherry Hill NJ on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 - 10:09 pm:

Following on what Jim H. said...

Want to find the exact path of that 'dribble'?

Go out in the dark with a 'black light' and you find out pretty darned quick :-) And yup...that path is where you place your traps!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 - 11:48 pm:

I feed the stray cats just enough for them to hang around.
Mike V, That is a great photo. That cat could almost scare me, and I love cats.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Stanley M. Sipko on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 - 11:59 pm:

I have always had luck with moth balls I buy a bunch of boxes and toss them everywhere inside the cars on the floor of the garage and knock on wood I havent had a problem.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Vaughn on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 - 11:59 pm:

Wayne, he was a stray that someone dropped when he was about 6 weeks old. He chose me I guess. He has lived in my shop for the past 11 years and I don't have any mice in the shop.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 12:02 am:


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 07:28 am:

In Texas, we arm our cats.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 08:16 am:

I have heard moth balls keep the mice out. Unfortunately, they keep me out too, as I can't stand the smell of them. They remind me too much of old people (Grandma used them throughout her house), which I am rapidly becoming one. Jim Patrick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Herb Iffrig on Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 08:23 am:

Last year I tried something new to me. I was at a local farm implement dealer and picked up some little cloth packets of something used in tractor and combine cabs especially made for repelling rodents. Seemed to work, but can't remember the name right now.

Herb


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Manuel, Lafayette, La. on Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 10:00 am:

Ken--tears in my eyes from laughing!!!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Thomas Mullin on Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 10:15 am:

Herb, does this product from Tractor Supply look familiar:

rodent


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Willie K Cordes on Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 10:27 am:

I use a poison like D-Con. I do not have dogs and cats that could eat the d-con. It works very good and unlike traps, you better check a trap almost daily or you will start to smell that dead rodent.
D-con suppose to cause the rodent to go for water, leaving the garage to die. It is rare when I have a rodent die in any of my sheds.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan B on Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 03:27 pm:

Moth balls.

My buddy stuffed his popup camper to the gills with dryer sheets, and he ended up having more mouse damage to it than the years he didn't use it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Craig Anderson, central Wisconsin on Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 06:41 pm:

I use Tomcat All-Weather bait chunks

http://www.fleetfarm.com/mff/detail/tomcat-all-weather-bait-chunx-4-lb-pail/0000 000001488

I toss a chunk about every 15' around the walls in my 40' × 80" dirt floor shed.
Mice are dead before they get into anything.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Herb Iffrig on Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 07:31 pm:

That is it Thomas.

Herb


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Schrope - Upland, IN on Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 08:46 pm:

I've heard that D-Con has been outlawed because it will make pets - and people - sick and vomit.

How 'bout that. That's why it so safe.

Here's the dope: D-Con is dicumerol. It is a blood thinner; the same thing they use for people. The reason it works and is safe is that rodents can't vomit. Basically, they bleed to death internally. That's the reason they go to water. Most/all other animals including humans get sick and throw the stuff up - if they eat it.

Sounds like a pretty good system to me, the trouble is, rodents become wise to it and won't eat it - if they can get anything else. Here at my place, it is worthless.

My answer: traps and cheese, but do check daily or you'll have a stink. Tim Moore recommended traps a few years back and it's his business. I wonder what ever happened to him.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael Mullis on Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 08:50 pm:

Fresh Cab......"endorsed by GREEN AMERICA and the USDA"
In other words its less than one quarter as effective as anything you were once able to buy.
Oh well I guess the most important thing is keeping the tree huggers happy.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Don Sandberg on Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 09:24 pm:

Best way to keep them away is chips of Irish Spring Soap. Use for several years It does the job and leaves the T's soft goods, summer patio equiptment smelling just fine. Moth balls are disqusting and the donor moths are hard to catch.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By A. Gustaf Bryngelson on Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 09:33 pm:

Hey Don, You are using the wrong type of moth balls.
Best
Gus


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Matthiesen on Friday, October 26, 2012 - 12:06 am:

No more d-con for me - dang mice make nests out of the boxes here in Montana. Ken Kopsky, can I borrow your kitty?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By tim moore on Friday, October 26, 2012 - 07:53 am:

Fred,

I am still here and check the forum several times a day.

There was a change in federal law the first of the year--FIFRA, Federal Insecticide,Fungicide and Rodenticide Act that will cause D-con to go away. I believe it is no longer manufactured but existing stock can be sold for up to 2 years but that figure might not be exact. The reason for this is that D-con is a pellet bait that can be moved by mice resulting in accidental exposure to not target animals.

The public will be forced to purchase rodenticides in 3.3 lb quantities and I purchase it in 18 lb pails. I use block baits and mostly in locked bait stations so only rodents can get to the bait and consume it in place. Yes they dehydrate, get thirsty and leave looking for water.

2 days ago I refilled my outside bait stations and the next morning there was a dead mouse in the driveway. I like, use and reccomend Protecta landscape bait stations (look them up on line). They are a decorative fake rock that holds the block bait on wires and lock shut. I have 4 around the house and also small locked bait stations inside the garage and shop.

I am not interested in repelling mice away but instead removal (killing) the breeding population.

Tim Moore

MSU pest mgt. and small business owner of 17 years.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Scherzer on Friday, October 26, 2012 - 12:01 pm:

guard cat


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Frank Harris from Long Beach & Big Bear on Friday, October 26, 2012 - 02:03 pm:

It should be noted that folks sometimes have three things in their storage areas and garages. One is a refrigerator, one is the warmth of a water heater or refrigerator exhaust, and the other one is pet food.

All refrigerators for the past 40 years have been self defrosting and so have a pan to collect water from the defrosted ice. Many folks have a refrigerator in the garage. And they store pet food in their storage areas and garages.


So the pests have water, a warm place to live and plenty of food. Many years ago I went out into the garage and saw a rat on the running board of our 1913 Cadillac Touring car. It hissed at me and demanded that I depart. So . . . . I picked up my lopping shears and took a swipe at it and as it rotated I clipped off it's tail rather than the head at which I was aiming. The rat ran away and I did not get a report on it's condition later that day.


So the message is: Do not provide food and drink and a nice warm home and they will not stay at your hotel . . . .


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bill Alexander in Albion, Maine on Friday, October 26, 2012 - 04:58 pm:

I use d-con, irish spring, drier sheets and moth crystals. Comments about following a urine path are right on so, if you can defeat the urine smell by substituting a different smell that will help. I also have heard good things about the ultra sound devices as rodents rely heavily on their hearing to stay away from predators. Unfortunately, cats are not an option for me.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gary H. White - Sheridan, MI on Friday, October 26, 2012 - 06:50 pm:

I tried the pails with antifeeze and a rotating pop can with peanut butter. (As discussed previously on the forum.) Didn't catch a thing. Stray cat helped a lot but now getting too many cats.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Dewey, N. California on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 12:30 am:

One of my garages has only lights and outlets, no water, no fridge, nada--I still find droppings all over the place!!
Today I put a bunch of blocks of poison around that the local hardware store had on display. They told me that when that supply is gone, it's gone. If this stuff works, I'm gonna go buy a bunch more!
T'
David D.
But I still need something to repel them from my cars' engine compartments.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Dewey, N. California on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 12:57 am:

One of my garages has only lights and outlets, no water, no fridge, nada--I still find droppings all over the place!!
Today I put a bunch of blocks of poison around that the local hardware store had on display. They told me that when that supply is gone, it's gone. If this stuff works, I'm gonna go buy a bunch more!
T'
David D.
But I still need something to repel them from my cars' engine compartments.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Schrope - Upland, IN on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 09:18 am:

Hey Tim, good to see you're still around. I do remember something you said a while back.
Don't just repel the rodents, get rid of them.
Makes sense to me.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve McClelland on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 10:45 am:

These work really well.....

(Disclaimer)----- Warning... use of this rodent control devise may require major body work to your Model T's after each use!
Also in some test it has been shown to cause sever structural damage to your garage.... Use with extreme CAUTION.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Hycner on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 11:11 am:

Lets see one of suckers get by this wall of defense...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxzPN-vdP_0


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 12:08 pm:

I'm with Jim. The last '23 Touring I bought was stocked with moth balls and I do mean stocked. They were in every nook & cranny. While the car was stored in a garage and had absolutely no rodent damage I could not stand the smell when I got it home. Seriously, I took about 2 coffee cans of balls out of that car. I set up a fan in my garage window and the smell soon disipated but I actually felt dizzy a few times before it did. Apparently it worked but Lord I'm with Irish Spring now.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Norman T. Kling on Saturday, October 27, 2012 - 12:23 pm:

Rats are not as smart as one might think! My son set a trap in the garage and the next day he had a rat's tail but no rat. He re-set the same trap and a few days later he had a rat without a tail. The rat didn't learn from the first encounter!
Norm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Hycner on Sunday, November 18, 2012 - 07:05 pm:


Looks like this mouse had a bad day........Went to the shop this morning to work on the "T" and saw this. HAHA...The mouse got stuck in the small trap and dragged it across a rat trap.


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