Rodent damage! Help! Preventative advice please!

[Danbury Doug]

Wasn't sure whether the technical section is the better place to post this or not. Feel free to move as appropriate.

I have three cars in a dry modern shed, my bay being one of them.
Downside is that my cars have had rodent damage. :evil:
Under their bonnets the sound deadening material has been chomped, along with I guess some wiring too, as both vehicles have suddenly developed electrical faults.
So far my bus seems to have escaped, but I fear not for much longer!

There is plenty of bait down, but does anyone know of ways of deterring them please? I think there have been both mice and rats getting in.
There's not as much on the subject online as I thought there would be.
I've seen mothballs mentioned, but I think that's the old fashioned smelly ones, as opposed to today's eco-friendly ones. Also peppermint oil has been mentioned.
Any other ideas please, that people have successfully used?
Cats are not an option, unfortunately!

Thanks in advance for any helpful advice!

Doug

 

[jonboylaw]

Are you using bait or poison? Bait attracts them, poison kill 'em. If you are only using bait, without a dispatch method then you are feeding the buggers and encouraging them into your shed.

Well placed traps will help a good deal. Maybe some cat turds left around as well. You could get an air gun and a new hobby...


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[Sydney1]

There are a number of ultra sonic deterrents that might be worth a go. Buggers can do £1000's damage and we've just had to replace a large shed which was half eaten by them!

 

[Danbury Doug]

Are you using bait or poison? Bait attracts them, poison kill 'em. If you are only using bait....

Sorry, should have clarified, it's actually poison that the shed owner has been putting down.

Thanks both, for the comments so far.

It's a grain store that I keep the vehicles in. It's newly built, secure, and lovely and dry for the cars, but I guess a great supply of food for the little buggers too! :lol:

 

[busdiver]

without sounding negative :roll: if it's in a grain store you hae to hope's. Bob Hope and NO hope, i used to frequent haulage/feed firms with grain stores, always lot of poison down but i still saw "rats as big as cats".

i guess the make there way into vehicles via the wheels maybe try and put little moats of something nasty like liquid underseal or tar round the wheels or miniture electric fences.

sorry maybe not being helpful but i would try anything to stop the invasion.

actually the electric fence might work just a double height ring all round the van 1cm and 2cm off the ground all you need is battery and an energiser about 100quid all in

 

[Danbury Doug]

without sounding negative :roll: if it's in a grain store you hae to hope's. Bob Hope and NO hope, i used to frequent haulage/feed firms with grain stores, always lot of poison down but i still saw "rats as big as cats".

Ha yes, it did cross my mind when we moved our cars to that building, whether we'd have a problem or not.

Thanks for your advice.

Went back there today with my dad, and we put poison in our engine bays, and then sprayed Jeyes Fluid all around the bases of the wheels.
Will look at the various options in any case.

Doug

 

[skin69]

I had mine in a grain shed last year.
Big mistake, I had mice issues & still get the odd shit drop from the roof.
It did help when I brought some cheap baking trays & filled them with water, then put the wheels in them.
Just jack up, slip under wheel & keep topping up..

 

[Davydomes]

Put a cat in for a couple of nights :msn4:

 

[JohnS]

Had the same problem - mice chewing up doorcards and bits of carpet. Since I plugged up the accelerator linkage hole on the cab floor with an oily rag they haven't been back. Mice in the van pissed me off but not as much as the pine marten that I disturbed in the hen house two weeks ago. It had chewed through the door and killed 5 out of my 7 chickens - the mice may not return but I'm putting money on seeing the pine marten again.

 

[madmike]

Peppermint oil works :mrgreen:

 

[67paulo]

If you are storing your cars for the winter and you are on concrete floor here is a great way to keep mice out of your VW's.
Build a fence out of flashing. I have bought rolls of 8 inch or 12 inch flashing and stand it on end. Circle your whole car and hold the two ends together with squeeze clamps. They are not able to climb up the fence. Only works if you are on concrete. I have done this for over twenty years and I have NEVER had a problem. Lots of mice here on my farm and yes they always get into my shop. But never had a problem since putting up the flashing fence.....good luck!

 

[busdiver]

johnS sorry for the loss of your chickens mate, but i'd give up a testicle to even be in the vicinity of a pine martin, let alone have one come on to my property, do you ever get to see it. or is it just a sneaky little night raider

 

[JohnS]

do you ever get to see it. or is it just a sneaky little night raider

I saw it alright about 6 inches from my nose when I opened the back door of the coop and yes they are beautiful animals. It was back a couple of nights ago but the hen house is a bit like Fort Knox so the chooks are safe for the time being. My neighbour trapped one in a mink trap two weeks ago (probably the same chicken killer) but it managed to bend the bars on the trap and got free. Another neighbour a couple of miles down the road has a family in his loft who get fed with peanut butter and bananas. You can't kill 'em like you can with mink and if trapped they have to be released.

 

[Danbury Doug]

Thank you for your suggestions.

Madmike, I've heard peppermint oil mentioned before, so I may get hold of some. I shall plug up the accelerator linkage hole in the bus too, JohnS. Sorry to hear about your chickens.
67paulo, thanks for your suggestion too, of flashing. That sounds like a great idea, and obviously well proven! Yes, my cars are on a concrete floor, so it should work.
So far I've had no more visits, but I guess it's only a matter of time, so I shall get cracking!

Doug