Keeping mice out of your tractors engine bay over the winter and summer too.

[Bocephous]

I keep the hood up on my tractor and my older Toyota Tundra (kept in our garage) and haven't had a problem with mice making nests in the engine bays. I also keep a 5 gallon bucket trap in our garage.

 

[Paystar]

Not sure if it's been mentioned here but I put a bar of Irish Springs soap in everything. It keeps all the cabs and travel trailer free of rodents plus they all smell nice.

I tried the pure peppermint oil everyone says that works.....soaked cotton balls with it and the mice here would eat the cotton balls.

So far no issues with Irish Springs. Been using it for years.

 

[Paystar]

The big thing with mice is you ddon't need them to hate the smell of something. You need them to not be able to smell and follow their pee trail. That's how they navigate.

 

[scootr]

And preferably NOT the cat unless you are in love with the smell of cat pizz.

Females don't spray (typically) - but the neighbors male cat visits and does a job. I'm okay with that as it is a HUGE deterrent to any mice or snakes. Heck we used to buy predator pee in a spray bottle before the cat... and the cat comes with an auto dispenser. Whoever heard of a farm without a cat?

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

We and neighbors have cats.
1) all cats are spayed/neutered...no spray
2) we have litter boxes. I've never stepped in cat poop in 70 years...dogs, yes not cat
3) yes cat paw prints on new cars, washes right off. Tractor & attachments paw prints hurt nothing, besides it's a tractor for sakes.
4) never had wiring problems or rodent damage.
5) cats shouldn't be overfed.

 

[scootr]

Plus cats don't bark

 

[tstex]

Plus cats don't bark

Yes, but in my nborhood of 789 homes, no one w a decent size dog [that barks] has ever been burglarized.

There are definitely plus and minuses to any type of pet/companion. I prefer seeing about 5-6 US native bird species at my ranch bc I also provide them nesting means/houses. Barn cats that depend on their own food would wipe out these nesting grounds.

Bottomline, we are all free to implement whatever mammal option we wish. For that, I am truly grateful...good luck to all...

 

[scootr]

Yes, but in my nborhood of 789 homes, no one w a decent size dog [that barks] has ever been burglarized.

There are definitely plus and minuses to any type of pet/companion. I prefer seeing about 5-6 US native bird species at my ranch bc I also provide them nesting means/houses. Barn cats that depend on their own food would wipe out these nesting grounds.

Bottomline, we are all free to implement whatever mammal option we wish. For that, I am truly grateful...good luck to all...

Right. What works for 1 will not work for all.

 

[Ghost River Retrievers]

So when we moved to the farm 7 -8 years ago, I wanted a couple of cats for the two sheds. My reason was because I don't like snakes and if you have mice or rats, you're going to have snakes. However, my bride of 40 years said, "Absolutely not ... I hate cats!" Hence no cats.
Over the years, mice had built nests in the engine compartment of my tractor, chewed a few wires, and put their multitudinous droppings on everything.
But then ... one cold early December evening, we were in one of the sheds going through the innumerable boxes of Christmas decorations when a RAT jumped out of one of the boxes and ran right at her! She screamed (admittedly, I screamed too). Suddenly, her attitude about cats changed and within a week we had a momma cat, a poppa cat, and a baby cat (they are all "fixed" now). The day after we got the cats we were back in the shed and heard movement in one of the boxes of decorations. I grabbed momma cat and took her hear the box ... my bride tilted the box and a mouse came flying out. I let loose of momma cat. The mouse didn't make it 5 feet before momma cat had it by the throat (it was like a lioness taking down a gazelle, only in miniature). Momma held it until the quivering stopped, then she called baby cat over to show him what his prey looks, smells and tastes like. It' been a little over a year and the sheds appear to be rodent-free.
I close them up in one of sheds at night so the 'yotes don't take'm out (I've trained them to come into the shed with a dinner bell and a small amount of food). They're good about using the litter box when they are locked up, but during the day they do their "business" out in the fields. They aren't much trouble and are most definitely worth the effort ... they earn their keep. Even though we are strongly "dog people," we will never be without a cat.

 

[scootr]

So when we moved to the farm 7 -8 years ago, I wanted a couple of cats for the two sheds. My reason was because I don't like snakes and if you have mice or rats, you're going to have snakes. However, my bride of 40 years said, "Absolutely not ... I hate cats!" Hence no cats.
Over the years, mice had built nests in the engine compartment of my tractor, chewed a few wires, and put their multitudinous droppings on everything.
But then ... one cold early December evening, we were in one of the sheds going through the innumerable boxes of Christmas decorations when a RAT jumped out of one of the boxes and ran right at her! She screamed (admittedly, I screamed too). Suddenly, her attitude about cats changed and within a week we had a momma cat, a poppa cat, and a baby cat (they are all "fixed" now). The day after we got the cats we were back in the shed and heard movement in one of the boxes of decorations. I grabbed momma cat and took her hear the box ... my bride tilted the box and a mouse came flying out. I let loose of momma cat. The mouse didn't make it 5 feet before momma cat had it by the throat (it was like a lioness taking down a gazelle, only in miniature). Momma held it until the quivering stopped, then she called baby cat over to show him what his prey looks, smells and tastes like. It' been a little over a year and the sheds appear to be rodent-free.
I close them up in one of sheds at night so the 'yotes don't take'm out (I've trained them to come into the shed with a dinner bell and a small amount of food). They're good about using the litter box when they are locked up, but during the day they do their "business" out in the fields. They aren't much trouble and are most definitely worth the effort ... they earn their keep. Even though we are strongly "dog people," we will never be without a cat.

Us too. Good post. I love seeing the cats have been sleeping in my tractor seat or on the roof if my little sportscar. I know there will be no repeat of the years of wire chewing and nest building and peeing in the fresh air filter !