Winter Storage

[cold1313]

Looking to put away one of my Kubotas that is a mower only.

My pole barn is right next to a field and can get tons of mice, it's an older barn. I keep it baited but I'm looking for a truly mouse proof solution to protect the tractor from mice.

I know moth balls and dryer sheets but there is always someone who had those methods not work. I'm tempted to put plywood on the ground, park the tractor and put some kind of siding around it....basically a box without a top. Seems like over kill but better than chewed up wires. The trick is the siding, I need something that they would not be able to climb. Plastic or something.

I'm sure this sounds insane but curious to see what you guys do or have seen.

Also considered a tarp and pull the sides up some. I know they could chew through it, but I am hoping it would deter them from walking around and decide to climb on the tractor. My gut tells me they'd chew holes in the tarp to try and make a nest.

Also had the idea of leaving the engine cover open and maybe put a LED spot light on it. Thinking that perhaps the light on the engine would make them want to nest somewhere in the dark, not in the light.....again, they would probably get used to it.

 

[bigtiller]

ix-nay on the light idea, it will create heat and draw them in by the dozens.

I think they will chew through or climb just about anything you use for the siding and if theirs no top, that is how they will get to it.

If you made a plywood coffin with a bottom, 4 sides and a top it would probably work but then you would have moisture problems.

 

[cold1313]

I was thinking a material like lexan plastic for the sides. I can't imagine they would be able to climb that surface.

 

[9973720wb19]

in your situation, you might be better off building a nice bunker inside your barn and get a few cats.

 

[KennyG]

A tough problem. My understanding is that mice can jump over a foot high. Either seal the walls or traps or cats - maybe all three.

 

[oosik]

I would certainly appreciate hearing of a permanent solution. I've had the mice/chipmunks chew on anything/everything. Wiring, rubber hose going to windshield washers, paper pleated air filter, even the rubber pads on the Jeep foot pedals, etc, etc. I've tried several solutions - but it seems that for every mouse I trap, two more come in from out in the woods. And they love building nests just about everywhere on any vehicle. I have found one tiny solution - nothing likes to chew on the oil impregnated air filters - K&N.

Barn cats are about the best solution I've found. But I have to keep replacing them also - coyotes & owls.

 

[CADplans]

I used to regularly loose air filters to mice,,,
now, I put a couple drops of peppermint oil on the air filters when I install a new one,,,
I have not lost an air filter since,

I add a couple drops of peppermint oil to favorite nesting areas,,,

NO mice!! :thumbsup:

 

[oosik]

CADplans - I just knew somebody would come up with an idea I've not tried. I will try it and hope for the best. If I get results, as you do, I will be putting in a whole lot of places. Thank you

 

[holeycow]

Plug the exhaust. Plug the air filter box. Hire a weasel.

Peppermint oil does work.

Idk, something crazy just occured to me...park your mower with the wheels on top of something the mice can't climb. I'm thinking shiny steel buckets. Strong ones, lol. Maybe worth some thought...build ramps, park on top of slippery things, remove ramps...or jack up tractor, place mouse defenders, remove jacks.

 

[Huskerfan]

Dryer sheets

 

[Rustywreck]

I've had problems with mice this year in my house and even in my car. A recent article in a local newspaper gave me some comfort in that I'm not alone. Many people are having problems with mice, due in part to a lack of acorns in our area.
A couple scary fact the article pointed out: Mice can have 10 babies every three weeks, and can begin breeding at age 35 days. Extrapolate that out and it seems nearly impossible to win.
I know this doesn't help with your problem, but you're not alone.

 

[TMGT]

Best trap I've had in the garage was a drain pan with coolant, put it under the back of my project car where the dogs couldn't get to it, week later there were 4 mice floating in it.

Works with a bucket and peanut butter suspended.
I haven't found anything that deters them well enough yet.

 

[MF283]

While on the subject, what is the purpose for a mouse to begin with? Other than destruction.

Ronnie

 

[cold1313]

Back to the tarp idea / "wrap" the tractor....I have some heavy (almost 0.100") thick rubber (in sheet form) that I could "wrap" my tractor. Throw bait under the tractor to kill anything that might get in. It'd be easy to see if something chewed through it. And it was free....

I can't really suspend this one off the ground, it is an F3990 and tips the scales at over 2,500lbs.

 

[Ford850]

The problem I've had with baits is that it encourages them to store it. They think they found the ultimate food source, and they chew into all sorts of areas to stuff them full of poison bait without eating any. Sort of creates more damage than preventing it. Along those lines, make sure there is NO food in the building for them. No corn, chicken feed, dog or cat food, birdseed, indian corn decorations brought in after fall, etc. Any food like that must be stored in metal cans with tight lids. They will chew threw plastic trash cans to get it.
I have used peppermint oil and whole cloves, and that does seem to work. But I also keep traps within a foot of both sides of every building door, an inch from the wall. That really works well to keep every new immigrant squashed. But that only works in buildings you will be in at least a couple times a week so you can check and bait the traps. For a 'set and forget' option the 5 gallon bucket trap (ramp, bottle on wire and baited with PB) will catch most of them too. Some days I catch several in my traps, some days none. Sometimes its weeks with no catches and then I catch 6 in a week. Keep the PB fresh and its an easy routine to keep them under control. I have had damage to several vehicles in the past, but since I started the routine I listed above I have had zero damage. I keep this up year round.

 

[cold1313]

I use the large "chunks" or cubes, which I haven't seen moved before, due to the weight. I just toss out fresh ones every month or so. But I have to keep the dogs out of the barn so they don't pick one up.

- I just have the small field mice, so they are pretty small. The bait cubes are larger than the mice.

 

[devildog1]

In my RV I have tried dryer sheets, and mothballs on cheap paper plates, dryer sheets no work for me, mothballs do work. But I think a few female cats would be the ticket. My neighbor next to me operates a dairy farm and he always has what I call barn cats around, gives them fresh cow milk and dry food so they hang around and sleep in barn around hay bails. Of course they still venture outside around the fence rows looking for more food and the fox, coy dogs along with the coyotes take there toll. But hands down the right cat is the ultimate mouse killer.
DevilDog

 

[holeycow]

The ultimate mouse killer is a weasel. I am hoping one shows up in the shop again. They came in ones or twos every winter until I got a shop cat. The cats kill the weasels. Mice are no challenge for a cat. They get bored catching mice. They like birds and weasels more.

Although, as stated "the right cat" is good. Not all cats work at catching mice.

 

[holeycow]

Back to the tarp idea / "wrap" the tractor....I have some heavy (almost 0.100") thick rubber (in sheet form) that I could "wrap" my tractor. Throw bait under the tractor to kill anything that might get in. It'd be easy to see if something chewed through it. And it was free....

I can't really suspend this one off the ground, it is an F3990 and tips the scales at over 2,500lbs.

That's not really much weight.

Set it on blocks. Slippery metal ones or even well greased wooden ones. Mice will not travel over grease.

Jack it up. Block it. Put it back down.

 

[holeycow]

While on the subject, what is the purpose for a mouse to begin with? Other than destruction.

Ronnie

Mice feed all manner of creatures.