Hi guys: My excavator is my Ferrari. I try to take great care of it. I recently noticed mouse droppings on my seat (Kubota U55-4 cab model). I had the machine covered in a tarp for a week between rain storms. Since I have put glue traps and traditional traps around and in the cab. Still getting mouse droppings on the seat in the morning. I can't find any nest. Not sure how the mice get into the enclosed cab--maybe following cable channels, etc... I'm very concerned about wires chewed through, nests that I can't find that catch fire from engine heat. My sons Mustang had $1200 electrical damage from mice last year. Now we don't park the car in the same place every day and put mouse bait around it and inside the engine compartment...and still some evidence of mice. Any great ideas on how to minimize mice issues in the country? Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Allan
I've had mice issues with our equipment and vehicles in our yard. What seems to have worked for us is large quantities of traps with peanut butter on them. Haven't noticed any more damage since I started doing that last winter. Not a fan of glue traps, our mice seem to outsmart them. Mice will get in to heavy equipment no problem though, they can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime, and equipment has lots of those.
Make sure all vents are closed. I agree with standard traps and peanut butter.
The cab is not sealed. You can see down through the floor when sitting in the cab. Pull up the rubber mat and look and see all the nice holes kubota left for us.
Moth balls around areas you dont want mice to chew. Mice are evil. This type of mouse trap works great. You could adapt it to a smaller version inside a machine cab. What's great is it keeps on catching them. I made one like the one at the bottom (rolling log ) https://thesurvivaljournal.com/bucket-mouse-trap/
Thanks for the feedback guys. It makes me sick to think rodents are chewing on my investment during the night. I ordered the rolling log trap as suggested above. I'll also use peanut butter on traditional traps and load up with moth balls. A friend also suggested fumigating with carbon monoxide. Tent the cab and connect to car exhaust for 45 minutes to kill anything living inside. I'm not sure if that's a good idea or could cause some other mechanical issues down the line. I'll investigate further. Best, Allan
Thanks guys, I just ordered 2 of the rolling mouse trap bars...Will not be very effective in the winter tho, as the water will freeze. Thinking about throwing moth balls all around my machine, but it has over 2 feet of snow around it just now. I hate that it is outside!
I like those rolling tramps, might look further I have a few 5 gal buckets next to things with just enough diesel to cover the bottom. Mice seam to like the smell and will climb up anything its next to and drop in. They get thirsty and it does them in, and even if it doesn't they can't get out
Just put in a liquid that won't freeze and the smell won't scare mice away, maybe coolant?
Suladas, Great idea!! I have antifreeze that I have removed from my vehicles. That will be just the ticket!
had mice chew up the wiring in my overhead console of my skidsteer. Started putting dryer sheets (like Bounce) stuffed into the console after it was fixed. Never had anymore issues. Peppermint oil is supposed to keep them away too, but that evaporates and has to be reapplied; expensive too. I think it will be impossible to keep mice out.
Cats are the answer.
Make sure other animals can’t get to it!
I do not have any pets, so not really a problem there.
I actually leave the doors open on my skid steer and excavator setting in the shed so the cat can sleep in the seats. I figure a little give and take. I five gallon bucket with holes drilled in the bottom and bait bars works pretty decent. They are a pain, nothing worse than heading down the road in the dump truck and one goes running around the floorboard.Not scared of them just don't want them running up my pant legs.
I ordered the bucket trap. I put glue traps, traditional mouse traps with peanut butter and two additional ones with cheese. The glue trap got this first one--maybe because I had pushed it in front of a floor wiring harness "possible entrance point". I don't get why an excavator manufacturer can't design a better platform to keep rodents out. Now that I've fully examined the machine there are many ways that critters can get in. I've been doing some research on this topic and rodent damage to construction/farming equipment is a huge, expensive issue. I haven't tried moth balls or Irish Spring soap as of yet. I did try peppermint oil (sprayed the undercarriage and around in the cab) which didn't seem to affect this little guy
So, my mice saga continues. I let the excavator sit for 4 to 5 days at a time and always had some evidence of mice in the cab even with regular traps (cheese and peanut butter) and peppermint oil spray. My solution: put 7 or 8 of these (see photos) 5"x10" glue sheets (mice glue traps) on the floor and seat. Two kills and now no evidence of mice in the cab since I started this thread. Yes, it is a pain to remove and store these between usage. But what's my alternative? And, we have millions of mice on the property which explains why rattle snakes are already out this year with our unseasonably warm weather. Maybe a pet rattle snake in the cab as opposed to a cat (as TomA suggested) is another alternative...but more risky. : )
I have had poor results with the glue traps in the winter which is the time when mice are a problem for me. Machine sits all winter loaded up with a cab full of mouse traps. I have seen no sign of mice this winter. Keeping my fingers crossed. Oh by the way that tilt meter is not installed properly.
A final update: I did purchase the bucket rollers online and used two Home Depot buckets for traps. It seems to wipe out an entire mouse family all at once...so very good news. I have found that if I sprinkle rodent repellent granules around my excavator when parked and leave a trap of two inside the cab...no mice. Yes, it's a pain in the butt to do this but I'm trying to protect a nice piece of equipment from rodent damage just like everyone on this thread. My neighbor also uses a three standard trap system with TomCat bait in the center. The traps have peanut butter on them. He swears by this and has these placed along his garage and barn walls.
Hi all: Not to belabor the point...but mice intrusion into my cab have been a big issue. A friend gave me Grandpa Gus's Mice Repellent. It's like tea bags with peppermint and cinnamon oils in it. So, the cab doesn't smell like diesel anymore but no mice...zero mice. I have put only one bag on the floor near the cable duct where I think the mice come in. I've removed all of the other standard traps. No mice for two months. I prefer not to kill mice after they have entered the cab. I just want to keep them out. If you have an issue like I do you might want to give this a try. Best, Allan
Sounds like its worth trying. Might even try it in the boat
Interesting Allan, Here is a video I looked up.
Went out to use my Menzi Muck A91F last week and it would not move on the travel circuit. Also, my heater fan was not working. Everything was fine 2 weeks ago when I last used it. Started checking fuses - those were all good - and tracing the fault issue on the computer. GD mice got in there and cut 5 wires on the travel sensors and a couple more on the heater controls. We have had a bad year here for mice and this is the last straw for me. My shop cat is about 17+ now and he's not keeping the mice cleaned out like he used to. Time for Irish Spring bar soap, repellent bags, baking soda + flour + sugar mix, dryer sheets, sticky pads, bucket traps, treated grains and whatever else I can think of to anihilate these little b**tards. I don't have time for these kinds of break downs. For you guys that want to build the bucket traps, you can build a roller really cheap with empty freon cans and some stainless stick filler rod. I've been having good luck with this build and I usually use 2 cans to span the bucket top. Stainless won't rust up and cause any resistance to rolling. Those freon cans will hold a lot of peanut butter. An inch or two of old antifreeze in the bottom helps mask the smell if you don't bother to check it often. Another thing I've never tried but have heard about was diesel fuel mixed into raw hamburger. Vermin will eat the burger, not caring about the diesel taste and then they physically can not puke it up. The diesel will kill them. Sort of the same principle of the baking soda & flour mix - they eat it and can't puke, burp or pass the gas and they end up exploding their guts from the gas generation effects of the mix. It's been a rough year for me with vermin. They made a mess of the camp in Maine and, when tag teaming with our indoor cat, I crushed the head of a red squirrel with my boot. Got another red with glue traps and the cat caught at least 3 mice that I saw. And NO, I do NOT believe in live trapping! War is war and it's not about being "nice" to the critters. Makes me wonder how many a day I average through a mulcher?
Get some good poison. We had rats a big rat problem at out shop and the poison solved that.
Hey Treemuncher: Uncle Gus's Potent Mouse Repellent seems to have solved the mouse issue in my excavator. The peppermint tea bags only last about a month then mice droppings appear again. I started just using the spray. (attached photo) I keep the bottle in the cab and spray the floor, access holes, spray a towel on the seat (to keep the seat clean), and in non vital engine compartment areas around wiring looms after each use (about once a week). No evidence of mice now for months. In the barn I have bait, bucket traps, etc... I'm not winning that battle. It's a stalemate though and I'm minimizing damage. You might consider using the peppermint spray and see if that helps. I think I have a residue build-up of the spray in most areas now which I think helps. Smells okay too. Best, A
Nutella as bait....hands down the best stuff. We had some mice in our house three winters ago. We have dogs so no poison. I was using snap traps and peanut butter with some success. Someone said Nutella...and I dam near couldn't keep the traps armed they were catching them so fast.
Guess i'm lucky i've had nothing in any trucks or equipment forever. I just make sure to remove any food garbage at the end of the day and don't leave any paper inside so no reason for them to want in. Moving to a concrete yard in city helped a lot I think though, no grass or anything around for them. At home I find the large boxes are the best I don't even bait them just place against wall and catch few here and there. They never even come into the garage though, I have 3 traps never caught one or ever a sign of them though.
I had mice bad a few years ago, and with the mice come the ticks, I did the traps and the buckets and I think they got wise to both of them, and if you see one mouse there are 20 more hiding. I don't like poison but my I was at my wits end, picked up some poison that comes in yellow sticks, once they eat it they go out looking for water so they don't die in the machine. Haven't seen a mouse in a year.
I got the Menzi to operate again. Just finished up a few minutes ago. I think that they had cut 8 wires in total in 4 different connectors. One or two wires were 16 ga - I would think that those would have been tough on teeth! In all cases, they cut the wires within 1/4" to 2" away from Deutsch style connector blocks. Thankfully, for me, these are well known and easy to pull the pins out for soldering service to lengthen the wires that were chewed away. Everything got new shrink wrap and sealed crimp connectors for a good repair. I added a few bags of mouse repellent and nearly 2 full bars worth of Irish Spring soap cut into slivers throughout the cab, engine compartment and hydraulics bays. I also added a few dryer sheets in those locations as well. Now the cab stinks so heavy of the Irish Spring that it's affecting my eyes. I sure hope it burns the snot out of the mice's noses!
We do have the same problem. Moreover, the mouse sometimes destroys the wiring inside so it is pain in the ass. Any effective mouse trap recommendation.
Welcome to HEF, Homer ! There are some good suggestions in this thread already. I have used poisoned cubes and they work quite well. The downside is that I had a couple of mice die inside a wall and stink for a long time. Glue traps are my favorite. Although there is factory applied bait on them, I add a little peanut butter to the center of it to make it more appealing to the little b@zzturds. If the mouse is still alive when I check the trap I drown it in some water. Then if the trap is relatively clean I remove the dead mouse and reuse the trap. I have caught as many as 3 mice with one glue trap. The glue gets stiff in cold weather and that diminishes the ability of to tarp the mice.
i got a box of bounce dryer sheets and put them in my old cars and dont have issues with the mice.
I have had good luck with mothballs but you have to remember to put new ones out ever so often. If life didnt have enough problems.
I personally haven't tested this product but heard about it yesterday, I thought I could share this with you guys: https://www.amazon.com/MouseBlocker-Pro-Ultimate-Ultrasonic-Deterrent/dp/B01MG94UER Cheers!
Me: "Hey Doug, have you ever smelled mothballs?" Common response: "Yep." Me: "How'd you ever get those tiny little legs apart?" (visual effect of both thumbs and first fingers gripping something small and tight, lightly pulling apart) Thanks to my father for getting that one stuck in my head a long time ago. No telling how many people I've caught with that line. My mother had something like that in her house and motor home. Back when my hearing was less aged, it was enough to drive me out of a room but it rarely helped with the mice. Back then, some televisions and computers would cause me pain or irritation because I could hear such high frequencies. Back to topic - I tried dryer sheets, lots of Irish Spring soap slivers and even a couple of "Cab Clean Rodent Repellent", all to no avail. A couple weeks after fixing my wiring and putting all of those products in the machine, little b-tards filled my heating ductwork with leaf chips and a nest. They pulled back the intake cab air filter for access to the system. This time I brought out my secret weapon to try against mice. I soaked that intake filter, soaked the dryer sheets and slung Wood Loch Oil within and under the cab as well as the engine and hydraulic compartments. Wood Loch Oil is a Chinese herbal medicine that is like aspirin mixed with a topical muscle cream in a very thin oil base - works great for aches & pains - I recommend Wong Tu Yick brand. When using this product, you don't want to get it anywhere near your eyes or spill it down the lower crack of your wife's butt - she WILL do the Wood Loch Dance and swear at you profusely! I had to use the machine the next day and my eyes were burning and my lungs were kind of minty. No more signs of mice in there in the past 1.5 weeks and it still smells good!
The mothballs i get are from the amazon rainforest .I have never saw one but they most be the size of a chicken. A guy needs to do a little testing to see what holds it smell the longest and what keeps mice away. The mothballs seem to work for me but i have watched videos were they didnt. I also know mice are thicker in some places and that probably has alot to do with it. I have traps set at my house i havent lived stayed there any this winter but i havent saw any mice . My house was not lived in for 9 years i didnt find any sign of a mouse being in it or any thing to keep them out. I opened a drawer in the laundry room at the farm they had made a nest in it. I bet that Dad carryed a box in with them and thats how they got there i havent found any signs of any mice any were else.
Enclosed cab with closed vents stinks of mice. How do I get rid of the smell without just sticking in something to overwhelm the smell? The old bucket with roller and peanut butter doesn't seem as effective this year. Mice are happy with another new home I just got for them - a nice forklift.
Hey Peter: I've used this Simple Green product (below) in a variety of areas. It seems to do the trick. Spray it on, rinse or wipe off. I've had success keeping mice out using the peppermint leaf oil "Grandpa Gus's Potent Mouse Repellent" in my note above. I just spray around the floor of the cab each time after use (I have an enclosed cab). The spray leaves a peppermint residue on the floor matts but no big deal. The scent is a mild peppermint smell that I don't mind when using the machine. I did purchase the electronic (sonic) device suggested above by Extra Fubar. I haven't install it as of yet. Like you, I just want to keep the critters out of the equipment in the first place. Bait traps, bucket traps extra only catch them after they are inside the equipment and potentially doing damage. Best, Allan Simple Green Product: Simple Green Outdoor Pet Odor Eliminator, 1 Gallon on Amazon for about $15
YEP!!!!
Well I've just had my own experience to join this thread. I hadn't run my skid steer in a couple months and tried to use it late today. Machine smoked black and very low on power. Went directly to the air cleaner, pulled the primary filter and didn't find anything. Restarted machine, no change and it was actually getting worse. Thought maybe I had sucked up some water so I opened the fuel filter petcock to drain but no change. Went back to the air filter and pulled the primary and secondary filter and Bingo!! Mouse nest inside the secondary filter!! Tried machine without filter, it seems the nest has been sucked into the intake piping. I'm going to have to dismantle tomorrow and clean, I'm hoping the mess didn't get past the turbo and into the heart of the engine. With my quick check I couldn't find any holes they could have entered through but there has to be some way they got into that inner filter, it and the outer filter were intact without any holes. I've got my fingers crossed this doesn't turn into an expensive repair.
I'm hoping you're right, but I don't think so.
I got into the 248 today and found how the mice got in. The air filter housing had a chunk out of it on the back side. It was clearly broken out, not chewed and gave the mice a clear path to the secondary filter. The nesting material was lodged in the intake tube before the turbo. I took it all apart and cleaned it out and then looked at the turbo. There was a mouse carcass sucked into the impeller. Took the boost hose off and there was heavy oil presence at the turbo but very light oil coating at the other end where it connected to the intake manifold. With forceps and a pick I got the turbo cleaned out and to spin freely and blew it out from both sides while disconnected from the air tubes. Cleaned all the tubes and put the boost tubes back on. Started the engine and confirmed the turbo was spinning freely at idle and then raised the rpm in increments. The engine smoked at first but then cleared within a minute. With the air source plugged the engine had loaded up and once the excess oil burned off it was fine. Ordered a new housing, $250, will have it Friday. I don't have any idea how the housing was damaged. It's located between the operator seat and engine and there are no moving part anywhere near it. That side of the housing was not visible. The only thing I can think of is when I had the engine replaced they must have damaged it and not told me, it's the only time it would have been exposed.
It's great that you're a skilled mechanic and could trouble shoot that mess. A dealer would have cost you an arm and a leg! I'm beginning to wonder if there isn't a mice proofing system that every heavy equipment manufacturer should sell with each machine...not unlike airbags in cars. Think of the lost time and money that rodents are costing our community. Maybe the system would include: chew proof wiring harnesses, wire screening for all open ports or small access areas, electronic repellent devices and maybe even a misting system that periodically sprays the peppermint or other repellent chemical in vital areas. Or maybe even a switch that runs a mild electrical current through the machine when not in use not unlike an electric fence for animals. I know it sounds weird but just think of the machine down time and lost labor costs. What did it cost you to blow off a couple of afternoons to get your rig running (loss of machine productive time/potential cost of parts)? I'm glad it wasn't more serious. Thanks for sharing.
Well done, could have been a lot worse than $250.
I have a customer that would have duct taped that. LOL
Good its up and going
A few years ago i started my Fat Cat and went for a ride on the way back it stated running bad and about a 100 feet from the shop it dead and wouldnt start. Mice had chewed up the air cleaner . It took 2 cleanings to get the carb working wright agin.
A buddy suggested that aluminum tape used for A/C ductwork until the housing came in but I'm just leaving it parked, I don't want to do the work twice. I don't have anything pressing for it. I learned how to fix things watching my Dad growing up, I don't have any training at all. I've rebuilt engines and manual transmissions and I'm not afraid to tackle anything mechanical but newer equipment and vehicles throw me with all the computerization. Without diagnostic equipment it's tough to figure out electronics failures and I'm finding even many of the technicians trained to repair this stuff are guessing half the time. I'm not convinced you can call this progress.
FYI. You can fix that hole easily with a patch of fiberglass window screen and JB Weld (or other general purpose epoxy). Just clean the area. Cut a square patch of screen that overlaps the hole by 1/2" on all sides. Apply the JB Weld around the opening. Put on the patch and smooth a layer of JB Weld over the screen to cover the hole. Bam. Done.
5 gal pail with 2 inches antifreeze in bottom, smear peanut butter around the inside of the pail about 2-3 inches down from the top. put it where they can crawl on something like the console or the seat, don't need the rolling log or any of that, give it a few days and you will start finding them in the antifreeze. seems like it works better once a few are dead in the bottom, go figure. Anti freeze seems to keep them from stinking.
Check out this video. It will blow your mind. I think it explains why kolot's trap works better with a few dead mice at the bottom. Herd mentality. I did buy a pair of these electronic repellents ( https://www.amazon.com/MouseBlocker-Pro-Ultimate-Ultrasonic-Deterrent/dp/B01MG94UER ) that Extra Fubar had suggested. I installed one in my excavator and one in my truck. I'm out of town now and will return in several weeks. I'll let you know if this device works. There is no shortage of test mice on my property!
I can't let my wife see any of this. One of my cats cornered a mouse a few weeks ago and she saved the mouse...............to just let it go in the back yard. LOL
Here is the bucket trap video link that didn't seem to load above:
Great, today I took my truck out to do some errands, parked in the driveway and put a few things from it into the garage, about 5 maybe 7 minutes. Figured let me check the oil, open hood and theres a mouse sitting on top of the hot engine, down under the plastic plenum where I can't get him. by the time I grabbed a screwdriver, gone. so guess I have to round up a bucket, how could he be comfy on that hot engine?
Hey guys: I've had the best luck using Grandpa Gus' spray peppermint oil. But, I still have seen evidence of rodents in the cab. 6 weeks ago I install the electronic unit (below in bold type recommended by Extra Fubar one of our heavy equipment buddies). I got a two-pack for about $60 on Amazon. No evidence of mice in the cab since. Maybe the combination of the peppermint oil (I spray the floor of the cab about once a week) and this electronic device will do the trick. Meanwhile, our ductless AC/Heater for the house stopped working. A tech came out. Guess what? Five dead mice in the circuit boards of the main heat exchanger/compressor unit which sits outside. One main circuit board is fried with a dead mouse across the transformer. Needless to say I'm not a happy camper. It's hard to believe that a manufacturer wouldn't anticipate that rodents wouldn't be an issue and design to keep these out. So, I'll install an Ultrasound device in this unit too once the faulty circuit board is replaced and see if I can somehow build a wire cage around the entire unit. The repair bill? $1,500. It might be cheaper in the long run to hire someone to sit in a chair by my excavator, tractor and AC unit each night with a rifle with an infrared scope to kill rodents. Loraffe 2 Pack Under Hood Animal Repeller Car Rat Repeller Rodent Repellent Ultrasonic Mouse Deterrent for 12V 24V Vehicle Automobile Get Rid of Mice in Car Engine with Ultrasound and LED Flashlights.
Dang thats unreal .
Making things more complicated than should be, seems a bucket with a lid and a hole cut in top with a knife would of sufficed and saved time.
I've never tried it on mice but fly bait will kill anything that eats it. Seen vermin drop dead at the pan.
Hi guys: There were enough hits on this topic that clearly a lot of damage has been done and a lot of financial pain caused by mice to those looking at this thread. For me, $1200 rewiring on my son's Mustang vehicle and $1,800 for two new circuit boards and wire repair for my split mini AC system on the house. I've felt helpless seeing mice fecal matter everywhere in the cab of my excavator. Here's my final input on the topic after experimenting with different solutions and advice from those on this thread: 1) Killing mice with bucket traps, traditional mouse traps with peanut butter or cheese on them, glue traps, etc... is great for my barn and outbuildings (and I use all of these)...but I don't want to kill mice after they have entered my vehicles. Chances are some damage is already done. Uncle Gus' Rodent Repellent (the peppermint/eucalyptus spray I noted earlier in this thread) seemed to help curtail mice activity somewhat but not completely. I started using "Loratte Under the Hood Animal Repeller Ultrasonic" devices bought on Amazon two for $50. Takes five minutes to install on a 12 volt system; and I used a more powerful ultrasonic unit in my AC system after new circuit boards were put in that cost $80 and ran on 110volts. I just returned from a two month trip and no evidence of mice in any of the above described vehicles or units: nothing in my excavator, truck, son's mustang, AC unit. These little ultrasonic units have minimal battery draw and kick off when the vehicle is running (motion sensor), and also stop working if the battery charge drops below 12 volts (so it doesn't run the battery down). For my situation and California mice (remember these are left-wing socialist mice that believe they are entitled to destroy my equipment) I think I have a working solution. I'll keep my fingers cross and also hope that if any of you have similar issues with mice give the ultrasonic devices a try. I'd like to hear if it works for you. I should note I still spray the floor of the excavator cab with the peppermint spray after each use. I did install the ultrasonic device in the side compartment of my excavator near the battery adjacent to the cable and floor controls that feed into the cab. Best, Allan
(remember these are left-wing socialist mice that believe they are entitled to destroy my equipment) I think they are that way in my state also. Gave me a smile when I saw that.
I haven't seen anyone mention snakes as a rodent repellant. We have carpet pythons here, that are non-poisonous, but they sure make for good rodent control. Buy half a dozen really life-like rubber snakes (there's plenty on eBay) - particularly those designs that resemble your local snakes, place them on the ground near tracks or tyres, and the rodents will vamoose immediately they sight the rubber snake. https://www.qm.qld.gov.au/Explore/F...ngerous+species/Carpet+Snake+or+Carpet+Python You guys must have pretty dumb rodents to fall for the 5-gallon bucket trick! I went to great pains, manufacturing a rodent trap using a durable poly bucket with a stainless steel polished roller, a beautiful timber pathway to the roller, baited with peanut butter, apple, ordinary butter, biscuits - you name it, every bait that was ever recommended as being infallible for catching rodents - and not a single rodent of any kind, ever went near that bucket in 18 mths!! Meantimes, the rodents ate the fruit off my trees, ate most of my grapes, ate piles of the garden snails, and made multiple nests in my back garage roof!! I reckon there was a Sgt Rat or Cpl Mouse carrying out "trap avoidance" lectures to groups of rodents, using a pointer to point out to the other rodents, the specific dangers involved in going near my bucket trap!! The only thing I've found that works locally is a wax block bait called RatSak. It's a small square block with a hole in the middle so you can tie it down, it stops the rodents from dragging it away. It nails them every time.
You must have big brain rodents or intelligent rodents (is that an oxymoron?) Please keep those bad boys on your side of the world! And exterminator company that services my property every other month uses a product similar to what you describe as RatSak. My problem isn't killing mice, it's keeping the mice from doing damage before they die. If you look at the two pics I attached on page three of this thread you can see dead mice inside my AC unit. The electronics didn't kill them, they clearly had feasted on the bait trap next to the AC unit. There were six dead mice inside the AC control system. The urine and fecal matter shorted out two of the three control boards...$1800. The ultrasonic unit installed now two months ago appears to keep the mice out of the housing. That's the only winning scenario for me with my cars, AC unit, and heavy equipment. I'll still use bucket traps, bait traps, pay a service to come monthly etc...to keep the population down around the house, barn, and out buildings. I guess mother nature just laughs. Eventually, everything will once again revert to her. I'll buy you a Foster's if you ever make it stateside. Best, A
Hi Allan - I don't seem to have many mice around the house block (I live on a 600 sq metre inner-suburban block in the city), but my problem seems to be almost entirely roof rats. I reckon they're the most cunning creatures on the planet - and the most "unkillable". I found that garden snails were encouraging them, so I took out plants that seem to harbour snails. The snail population is right down, but the rats are still here. Here's an interesting Australian car news item that reveals U.S. car owners are suing manufacturers - Toyota and Honda specifically - for changing over to environmentally-friendly soy-based wiring insulation. The car owners that are suing, claim the rodents are attracted to the soy-based wiring, and they want compensation. My take on their legal argument is, "good luck with that!". Rodents will chew on anything, in my experience, they simply need to chew to keep their tooth length down, and the flavour of what they chew on doesn't matter. https://thecarguy.com.au/dirty-rats-usa/ Many a camper in remote areas of inland Australia has had their 4WD wiring chewed up by bush rats overnight, while they're camped. Rodent destruction of vehicles is a huge problem in rural and semi-rural areas of Australia. At least one car owner claims rubber snakes work for her. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-25/rats-chew-through-car-wires-seatbelts-upholstery/100478622 I was reading a recent article about the rat problem on the smaller Pacific Islands. The rat problems there are mind-blowing. On Henderson Island, a group set up a rat baiting programme to try and completely eliminate the islands rats - but just somewhere between 60 and 80 rats survived, and now the Henderson Island rat population is back to the 50,000 - 100,000 rats it was, before the major baiting programme was commenced. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-21/rat-extermination-on-a-remote-tropical-island-tahiti/10544694
OzDozer: Followed the links above. Great articles. Didn't know about the soy material in car wiring looms. Makes sense. Shows how trying to be "green" can create a new set of problems. I know that Jaguar had been using a wiring harness insulation that broke down with ozone exposure...which had caused a lot of the electrical issues that they were experiencing in their cars. Ford Motor Company, when they bought them, fixed that. Now I think Tata Motors (Indian Company) owns Jaguar. Rodents like roaches are tenacious. I guess we're lucky that we are fighting 1st world problems like mice and not a darker evil that many of our brothers and sisters are fighting in other parts of the world. Thanks for sharing. A
Have a smart mouse Made a roller bucket trap this summer and managed to get 6 to 8 so all good using peanut butter. The cold weather comes and started noticing all the PB is gone and no mouse. Setup a trail cam and got several pics of a mouse going back n forth from the roller. The little **** goes off the roller, rotates it and goes back for more. Thought I'd try greasing the roller leading to the PB, and just checked, same dang thing, PB is gone and nothing in the bucket. Managed to get a couple with old fashion spring trap Would post the pics but can barely make out what it is.
Dam, maybe you should catch that 1 for the circus
Try dropping the roller axle deeper into the bucket. I built mine with 2 empty freon cans and a piece of 5/32 stainless tig filler wire for the axle. The rollers sit up higher and look wider so the mice are more likely to see it as a larger platform and jump down to it. More peanut butter & Nutella coverage area too.
An update on something that seems to be working to keep the mice out of my cab. I've installed a packet of Fresh Cab Botanical Rodent Repellent in a couple of my cabs that have had the most mice issues. The packet alone did not seem to work for a very long time, if at all. However, once I noted more evidence of mice rehabitation, I added a few drops of my Wood Lock Oil to the packets and that has really seemed to do the trick. I think it has been three months since I last dosed the Menzi cab and I still do not have any evidence of mice in that cab. The Kubota looks to be doing just as well. I bought the packets at Rural King. For the $15 cost for a 4 pack, I find that the packets are expensive and only worked for a short time before the mice returned. The addition of the oil keeps the packet working and smells like everything is working in unison. I don't mind the smell, it's not burning my eyes like a heavy dose of straight WL oil does and the mice have stayed away longer than previous periods. Maybe someone else can confirm my experiment?