Annoyed
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,567
Likes: 539
From: DFW
I used to be in the habit of keeping my window partially open when parked inside my Garage/Shop. Stopped doing that when i was drinking out of my coffee cup while running errands one day and i had forgotten to close the flap on my cup before i got out to walk into Homedepot. Drank from it till i got home and found a mouse inside it when i opened the lid to wash it out. I since don't leave the window open more than 1/8 inch . Never had a mouse in my vehicles since.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 19,715
Likes: 12,853
From: Wyoming
Good thing I had already finished breakfast before reading that. I'm still a bit nauseous reading about it. Bleh!
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 19,715
Likes: 12,853
From: Wyoming
4th Gear
Joined: Oct 2024
Posts: 4
Likes: 1
This thread reminded me to resoak my repellent. I use peppermint essential oil soaked on cotton *****. A buddy told me they use that in their feed room. It seems to work. I started using it after one of those critters unalived himself somewhere in the truck. Never did find the carcass, but took a year to get rid of the smell.
I have also heard of the soap thing. We used a cheese grater and shredded up some Irish Spring to put in the pantry. That also seems to have worked.
I have also heard of the soap thing. We used a cheese grater and shredded up some Irish Spring to put in the pantry. That also seems to have worked.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,435
Likes: 732
From: Wisconsin
Never do this, you are literally putting out an attractant (food). Yes it is poison but it will still call them in to eat.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 19,715
Likes: 12,853
From: Wyoming
I use a poison "bait" in critter-proof housings at my storage lot. When the bait is available, I've never had a mouse bother getting into the RV. When I was lax in refilling the housing, that's when I saw they got in.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 14,301
Likes: 2,197
Driving to work yesterday and out of the corner of my eye I see movement on the passenger floor. A mouse is chewing away at my sons applesauce pouch! The nerve of that thing to just come out in the open like that! Lol It was funny at first but then I started thinking about possible damage. So at that point the fight was on.....
The evidence!!! Lol
food scraps will definitely attract critters
Token Redneck
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 9,339
Likes: 350
From: Breckenridge, TX
I don't know if they do anything or not, but I have a bunch of things similar to this wired up in several trucks:
https://www.etrailer.com/Insect-and-...RoC3SQQAvD_BwE
LED overhead lights, a 110V like that one, plus some 12V plugs in ones inside the trucks that run off the truck batteries (because they're all on maintainers), and I have very few rodent problems on the ranch. But my barn cat population seems well fed, so maybe they get the credit. Figure it can't hurt, especially if you have access to 110V outlet wherever you're storing.
I use Victron solar charge controllers and 200-ish watt solar panels to charge 12V deep cycle batteries to run the LED lights and 12V deterrents in my tractor shed. Plus a dedicated MPPT charger for each machine battery. A lot better than Battery Tender branded, cost isn't bad compared to buying new batteries as often as I was.
https://www.etrailer.com/Insect-and-...RoC3SQQAvD_BwE
LED overhead lights, a 110V like that one, plus some 12V plugs in ones inside the trucks that run off the truck batteries (because they're all on maintainers), and I have very few rodent problems on the ranch. But my barn cat population seems well fed, so maybe they get the credit. Figure it can't hurt, especially if you have access to 110V outlet wherever you're storing.
I use Victron solar charge controllers and 200-ish watt solar panels to charge 12V deep cycle batteries to run the LED lights and 12V deterrents in my tractor shed. Plus a dedicated MPPT charger for each machine battery. A lot better than Battery Tender branded, cost isn't bad compared to buying new batteries as often as I was.
Last edited by texastech_diesel; Feb 16, 2026 at 10:03 AM.