OK I know it sounds nuts, I am about to lose my mind with field mice problems. My 2005 F150 sits in my driveway (rural area) the majority of the time. I have had the truck to the dealer 8 different times because it won't start / run. It had to be towed on 3 of those times. I have found damage at least 5 times and repaired the damage without need for service. The last time I had it at the dealer, the service manager said he had a Ford Crown Vic in for service as the entire wiring harness was going to be replaced due to rodent damge. He said that Ford started in the early 90's using a soy based insulation for all of the wiring. I went so far as to make a paste of the hottest sauce and ceyenne pepper mix and literally painted it on all the wiring under the hood that I could see. This seemed to slow it down as I had new damage within a month of the last repair. None of my neighbors have had problems like this, they look at me like I am insane. This also happened with a GMC Sierra truck I had before the F150. Last evening i went out to start the truck (very cold here) and it sounded like the battery had went low, so i pop the hood to put a charger on the battery and there is a mouse chewing on the protective red cap on the battery terminal. He ran somewhere behind the engine. Any ideas or suggestions on how to prevent this? I cannot put the truck in a garage, my barn has more mice there so that's out of the question. Does anyone else run into this? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Moth *****...would be one cure. When I store my car for the winter, I scatter them all under the car, as well as wrap in a screen and zip tie them under the hood. Mice hate the smell, and wont go anywhere near them. Had a similar problem with my sled lest year, but they chewed through my oil injection line......

 

The best cure is to encourage a couple of feral cats to hang around the property.
Tractor Supply Company (TSC) or similar rural supply house will have products to hang in the barns, stables, etc. to discourage rodents in those areas. They are also used in vehicles where rodents tend to find places to nest.

 

Moth ***** or Cats, thats what I would use. A buddy that stores a car at my shop puts bars of irish spring soap in it. He hasn't complained of rodent damage at all.

 

I was going to suggest cats as well. This could lead to another problem though. The cats may start hanging out under the hood of the truck. A neighbor had cats that would climb up under the hood in the winter time for the warmth and then get caught in the belt when he would go out and start the truck.

 

I tried that method(Irish spring) and all it did was get more mice inside my car.they were actually eating the soap that I left inside the car.



Terry

 

Purchase poison baits and place them in strategic points under and around the truck. The rodents will eat them and go in search of a water source. Baits are available at feed stores.

 

I agree with shorebird, bait and traps. Traps on top of the wheels and under the hood. Bait under the hood also.

 

I live in a rural community and haven't seen a mouse in the house in 5 years. I use D-Con peanut butter and a crushed up light bulb. I make a 70/30 mix of D-Con/peanut butter and mix in a lightbulb, for texture. The peanut butter attracts them, the D-Con thins their blood and the glass cuts up their innards so the D-Con does its job instead of making them fat.

 

Simple solution. Buy a box of dryer sheets and tie a few of them in the area of the wiring harness, near the battery, and over one or two of the hoses. Don't know why it works, but it really does.

 

also find their nest and remove it from the car i bet if you look under the manifold youll find their home

 

There are also electronic devices out there that emit an ultrasonic noise(normally not heard by humans) and this noise will drive them away.The downside here is that if there are any cats/dogs in the vicinity...Theyll get a dose of it too.
These units are fairly cheap,and merely plug into a wall outlet.
I had a small mouse problem in my garage a few years back,and once I used these things,they vanished....

 

I had the same problem with mice in the engine compartment and I tried a combination of ultrasonic noise equipment, strobe lights, citrus spray. I found the best solution was Bounce Drier Sheets. I taped them to a large sheet of cardboard and laid it in the engine compartment. The smell seemed to drive the mice away and keep them away. I have not had any problems since using the drier sheets. Just another suggestion.

 

That whole dryer sheet thing just sounds like BS, maybe certain odors will keep vermin away for a little while ... but that's not the way to bet.

There are poisons and traps that will work, deployed in pet-proof small containers.

Just remember small critters like that carry bubonic plague, hanta virus and god knows what else, diseases transmissable to humans through fleas and droppings.

They need to be made dead, at least around human habitation, not smelling all purty.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/m/ar...225477,00.html

 

I would use both of mothballs and traps/poisons so you'll solve the problem once and for all.