Re: Mice eating up my evap system and fuel lines
[Re: rickraw]
#2787667
06/21/20 09:19 AM
06/21/20 09:19 AM
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Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 117 NW Indiana
powertrip
member
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member
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 117
NW Indiana
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I live in a wooded area, mice are a constant problem. Dryer sheets, chlorine tabs, mint spray, nothing works for long. If you are parked outside, DO NOT park close to the woods, park as far away from where they live as possible. Also keep it moving, they seem to set up house in things that are parked for a while. If they are getting indoors, seal up any holes and cracks, they can get through holes smaller than a quarter. Keep vigilant, they will chew through wood to get in. Use lots of traps placed along their paths, and even in engine compartments, check them every day. Some traps work better than others, try a variety of styles. Good luck, I hate the little #$%&!
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Re: Mice eating up my evap system and fuel lines
[Re: Uberpube]
#2787721
06/21/20 11:41 AM
06/21/20 11:41 AM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 669 Los Osos, Ca
CKessel
mopar
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mopar
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 669
Los Osos, Ca
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Get rid of any food and water sources that are in the garage. This includes birdseed. Have bird feeders outside? Get rid of them. Clear out any vegetation up against the house, prune bushes so you have 12" minimum clear so they can't hide and the predators/owls can pick them off easier. If you eliminate the food, water and shelter sources you should be good. Same goes for millenial's that won't leave home. LOL!
Carl Kessel
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Re: Mice eating up my evap system and fuel lines
[Re: varunner]
#2787725
06/21/20 11:51 AM
06/21/20 11:51 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,256 Benton, IL.
DaveRS23
Special needs idiot
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Special needs idiot
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,256
Benton, IL.
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We have about as much trouble with squirrels as with mice. Dirt daubers are also a real nuisance. I have not found anything that works for very long. Although moving the vehicle as often as possible does help.
The biggest problem with cats is that they catch and cripple or kill anything and everything that they can. It's heartbreaking to see. But that is one problem I have found a solution for.
Master, again and still
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Re: Mice eating up my evap system and fuel lines
[Re: DaveRS23]
#2787775
06/21/20 02:12 PM
06/21/20 02:12 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,498 Minnesota
Hemi_Joel
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,498
Minnesota
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I have a ton of mice around here out in the sticks. And 30 years of experience battling them since I build my pole barn shop here. A multi pronged approach is needed. With all this stuff in play, I am winning. But the battle never ends.
Cats help, but they are unreliable. They can get lazy, then your stuff gets wrecked. I had 13 at one time, now I'm down to 1.
Irish Spring soap bars help, when they are fresh. But I've them eaten by mice, too. Cheap to buy, they can be part of the effort.
Bell and Howell ultrasonic pest reppeller helps. I have one in a storage trailer that was infested, now it is clear of mice and chipmunks. I also have them in my shop. Cheap, zero maintenance, never have to change them or empty traps. The thing is, they only help. Not good enuff to be your only weapon. Just yesterday I plugged one in outside in front of my shop because a chipmunk dug his hole there. We'll see how that works.
TomCat mouse poison bricks. They are about 1"x1"x2". I make an upside down T shaped "mouse feeder" out of 1-1/2" pvc pipe. The T is on the ground next to the outside wall of the building. The leg stands straight up and is fastened to the building. The bricks go in the leg, and are exposed 1 at a time inside the T as they nibble away at them. The mice like to go in the tube for security to eat. Pets can't get at the poison. Make the leg as tall as you want and fill it full, it is self feeding and the supply last for many months. This is very effective with zero negatives.
The mouse sized sticky traps are too small, many escape because they learn to eat the bait without stepping in the sticky stuff. Sometimes they sacrifice 1 paw.
Rat sized sticky traps with peanut butter, dry dog food, or commercially made bait, placed right in the center. Placed along the inside walls of the shop. These are VERY effective, especially for an initial clean up of a major infestation, but costly. They learn to avoid them after watching their buddy's get caught. Move them around a bit, but always in their pathways.
A little gray plastic trap called "the better mouse trap" available on line. They are very sensitive, and the mice that have learned to avoid springing other traps will get caught. But they are too light, and the spring is not strong enuff to kill them instantly every time. So they can scurry away and take the trap with them and get lost and die. So I glue a 1-1/2" square chunk of 1/8" thick steel to the bottom of it, then it's too heavy for them to drag. I've tried a couple different knock offs of this design, like the Victor Claw. They don't work, too stiff, bait gets stolen.
Fresh Cab rodent repellent is VERY effective, but expensive and it needs to be replaced every 6 months or so, and it stinks.
"Walk the plank" bucket traps. Didn't work for me. Spent about 40 bucks buying a bunch, and never caught anything.
Traditional Victor spring traps. marginally effective. I get lucky and catch a few, but they are stiff to trigger. I lot of bait disappears without springing the trap.
Dryer sheets. Did accomplish anything.
Moth balls. about the same effectiveness as Irish Spring, but stink too bad.
Spinning, baited pop can or bottle on a rod over a bucket of water: haven't tried it yet, but will some day.
Am I missing anything?
[img]http://i.imgur.com/boeexFms.jpg[/img]31 Plymouth Coupe, 392 Hemi, T56 magnum RS23J71 RS27J77 RP23J71 RO23J71 WM21J8A I don't regret the things I've done. I only regret the things I didn't do. "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. ~ Plato"
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