Rodents win again

[jyoutz]

Was wondering the same thing. Maybe owls in New Mexico are a lot bigger? Ones here might carry off a kitten, but not an adult cat.

Don't forget ultrasonic mouse repellers. All of the above work for a while, but the mice adapt. Traps and/or predators are the only real way to keep them under control.

Wasn't the Vibe just a rebadged toyota (or maybe it was the other way around)? Maybe toyota dealer might have the part? Seems hard to believe parts for an 00s vintage car would be unobtainium.

They are great horned owls: the largest owls in the US, but my bird book shows they occur in most states. I’m sure they get mice outdoors, but of course they aren’t in the barn.

 

[MHarryE]

I don't believe the bit that new insulations attract rodents as we have had the problem since I can remember (in the 50s). Squirrels like copper. One day I tried starting my mini-excavator and no power. I checked the fuses and squirrels had eaten through what turned out to be 11 wires my wife and I needed to splice, sometimes as much as 6 inches of wire missing. Once running, packed the arm rests (filled with wiring from joysticks) and under seat (fuse area) with moth balls. No more problem but it's open station - wouldn't do that with the toxic fumes in a cab. I have known many farmers toss in hosiery with mothballs in their combine cabs off season - combines always have nooks and crannies that attract rodents. My tractors have Fresh Cab and Grandpa Gus sacks in the cab and under the hood during the winter. Need to replace them monthly but they've done the job. Forgot that on my M7-171 one season and it took me over a day removing panels to get rid of the rodent residue - dead mice, seeds stored, blue shop towels they like to use for nests, etc. Overhead was left filled with Irish Spring, Downy, and sprayed with Lysol. All this needs to be renewed yearly.

 

[jyoutz]

We have owls and red tail hawks. Both will take a cat and they like chicken too. Of course they eat mice and voles but they can't get the ones in the buildings, snakes help too. Red tree squirrels have done the most damage to vehicles on our property though.

We have a lot of ground squirrels, but I’m not aware of them doing much damage other than making holes in the ground.

 

[ruffdog]

I trap year round to keep the population controlled. Once you get a nest, be sure to clean the area with a smelly cleaner like pine-sol so the mouse smell doesn't draw future generations.

 

[Fielding]

Get cats

Had rodent issues until I sourced some good semi feral barn cats, within ten acres do not even have moles anymore.

Feed them just enough they know where home is, and in the winter.

 

[jyoutz]

Get cats

Had rodent issues until I sourced some good semi feral barn cats, within ten acres do not even have moles anymore.

Feed them just enough they know where home is, and in the winter.

Works in locations where you don’t have cat predators. I list a dozen in 2 years and gave up on them.

 

[kyryder]

My 18 month old Deere cab tractor was totally disabled about a month ago by either rats or mice. The total damage ended up costing about $11k as the little critters chewed on a variety of wiring harnesses, fuel lines, coolant lines and even the DEF lines. Seems like the Deere dealership had to disassemble half the tractor to get to and fix the damage. It had been parked on a gravel pad under a car port but looks like I need to move it to the concrete pad barn to at least get a little more protection. Been looking through a lot of posts and may look into Tom Cat, cayenne pepper, and some of the other suggestions. I have dogs so want to be careful with poisons. My truck has also been parked under the carport and have noticed evidence of mice on several occasions as they would eat my starlight peppermints and leave their wrappers all over the floorboard. I then put a live trap on my floorboard with the peppermint as the bait and have caught 5 mice in the last six months. I had previously used dryer sheets and heavily scented trash bags in my glove box where they had chewed on kleenex before but not sure they had any effect. All the damage to the tractor was underneath the cab which Deere had to totally remove so I need something I can use under the cab.

My tractor is finally being brought back this Friday. If anyone has any new updated ideas, I am all ears.

The Kleenex didn't harm them it just provided one of their favorite best materials. You have a serious infestation and it will get worse unless you stay on it. On YouTube are several non-poison options. I use the 5 gallon rolling log homemade trap. It catches multiple victims without resetting and you only have to empty and rebait once a week. Good luck.

 

[Raul-02]

Tom Cat,

tom cat works moth balls in old socks hanging around the tractor will be offensive to them and can keep them away.

 

[Elembytes]

My 18 month old Deere cab tractor was totally disabled about a month ago by either rats or mice. The total damage ended up costing about $11k as the little critters chewed on a variety of wiring harnesses, fuel lines, coolant lines and even the DEF lines. Seems like the Deere dealership had to disassemble half the tractor to get to and fix the damage. It had been parked on a gravel pad under a car port but looks like I need to move it to the concrete pad barn to at least get a little more protection. Been looking through a lot of posts and may look into Tom Cat, cayenne pepper, and some of the other suggestions. I have dogs so want to be careful with poisons. My truck has also been parked under the carport and have noticed evidence of mice on several occasions as they would eat my starlight peppermints and leave their wrappers all over the floorboard. I then put a live trap on my floorboard with the peppermint as the bait and have caught 5 mice in the last six months. I had previously used dryer sheets and heavily scented trash bags in my glove box where they had chewed on kleenex before but not sure they had any effect. All the damage to the tractor was underneath the cab which Deere had to totally remove so I need something I can use under the cab.

My tractor is finally being brought back this Friday. If anyone has any new updated ideas, I am all ears.

Gotta love this push for climate change! If these manufacturers had kept with the olden days with proper wiring insulation it might not have been so bad. They are now using a soy based or vegetable based wire insulation product that sadly attracts rodents. They are trying to come up with a fix but I have heard it causes lots of havoc! Sorry for your loss of hard earned money!

 

[rat51]

the Old Head asked "you know what is better than a cat for rodent control?" .....then he answered:
> " 2 cats ".
truer words never spoken. they team up and compete
Picked up 2 (while they're young! weaned kittens) from tractor supply adoption day. Able to observe them for awhile in that setting and they were in a cage right next to some yapping dogs and the kittens were totally nonplussed...which was important because we all have dogs. Bring right to barn (establish this as their home, never feed or give treat up at the house). Takes approx a week to train them, we train them as dogs -- no free feed, we dog whistle them every time we feed--even if they are right there-- see Pavlov, my friends. (family and neighbors somewhat dumbfounded when we whistle for our dogs and 3 dogs and 2 cats come running. the barn cats will follow us to the barn in the evening like dogs--almost like the Chevy truck commercial with the dog-like cat. the barn is more than a football field away through a fence and open pasture, but it's established as THEIR place and cats are very attached to their territory). Protect from predators -- I did build a 16x10 tack room in the barn and we put them up at night to protect from predators-we have them all. yes, cats are generally nocturnal but just like our house cats--for rodents also---it's about the training. We start them and keep them on OUR schedule and they adapt. We never free feed them unless we're gone for a few days of course. We don't overfeed but cat food and hunting are mutually exclusive for cats, within a few days I observed kittens (at the time) hauling a field rat nearly twice her size from the pasture, it was struggling to get away--took a while for the smaller kitty to kill the larger vermin. We also leave our truck, tractor and even atv bonnets (yes, i'm that old) up when not in use. Also what seems to help -- in the fall we mow REAL low a good bit around the barn and its pasture, rodents don't like that exposure. We put a towel or cushion on the tractor seat, usually one or the other beds out on it, guarding the tractor even while napping.. I second the motion on tomcat plastic rat and mouse traps, they have removable cups, so easy to apply the peanut butter YES as a bait in it and so much easier to set than the old wire/board traps. they get put in the Skeeter.

 

[DaveD1944]

Gotta love this push for climate change! If these manufacturers had kept with the olden days with proper wiring insulation it might not have been so bad. They are now using a soy based or vegetable based wire insulation product that sadly attracts rodents. They are trying to come up with a fix but I have heard it causes lots of havoc! Sorry for your loss of hard earned money!

Yes, soy based wire insulation. Who ever came up with that? Some eco genius in a white room who has never been in out the real world!

Several years ago I spent a couple days replacing the wiring on my trailer, which I keep in a storage area in the woods behind the house. I did a nice job and used it once after, then put it back in its place. The following spring I pulled it out, hooked it up, and nothing. No lights. The wiring was completely eaten up. Only then did I determine that the wire insulation was soy based and the mice love it. It was then somewhat easy to find wire with traditional insulation, since this whole problem is becoming well known. So I did it again, but this time I encased the total wire run in metal, including using a stainless steel weaved wrapper around the flexible whip that connects to the truck. No problems since!

Luckily, I keep my Kubota in a pre-built shed that I mice-proofed when I got it (although not a problem with a 1996 B1700--the world was still reasonable then). It is so tight that the little buggers can't get in and that's saying something since they can squeeze through a hole that is only larger than their skull.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

Not welcome on mine either, but that doesn't seem to stop them.

Actually, for some reason rodents aren't a big problem here. Not sure why. Have a couple cats that are good mousers, but don't seem to have any interest in chipmunks or squirrels. Do have some lynx around here, maybe they're keeping the population down. Wish they'd do something about the moles...nothing seems to eat them. Don't seem to get into anything, but they sure make a mess of the yard over the winter.

We have Ermines (weasals) on our property, they are vicious hunters. Cut the hay/grass that is now my lawn. Chased the mice on tractor. Plenty of flying predators and the Ermine I saw seem to have control of mice.

 

[Oaktree]

cats are generally nocturnal but just like our house cats--for rodents also---it's about the training. We start them and keep them on OUR schedule and they adapt. We never free feed them unless we're gone for a few days of course. We don't overfeed but cat food and hunting are mutually exclusive for cats, within a few days I observed kittens (at the time) hauling a field rat nearly twice her size from the pasture, it was struggling to get away--took a while for the smaller kitty to kill the larger vermin.

Not sure I agree with that. From everything I've read, under-feeding cats will not make them better hunters. Mine have always been well-fed, and most have been quite good mousers.

 

[Tpondel]

Sticky pads work for me but the tractor is in a barn with lots of stick pads around the doors.
I have a couple of the pads inside the cab and they are effective.

Never thought of putting them around the front tires. Will add that to the list.

 

[AchingBack]

They are great horned owls: the largest owls in the US, but my bird book shows they occur in most states. I’m sure they get mice outdoors, but of course they aren’t in the barn.

The great gray owl is actually the world's largest. Carnivora-Great Grey Owl v Great Horned Owl