So apparently moth balls are limited to moths (2 Viewers)

[sjpitts]

I have been storing my 80 in my backyard in Mesa--I have some horse stalls with a shade structure back there, but no horses. A few months back I opened my hood and saw some evidence that a rodent or two had been hanging out in my engine bay. So I did an internet search and bought some moth balls. I laid the open bag of moth balls across the engine-- making sure to remove them when I drove it----and the problem disappeared. Till now. And now it looks like I have a whole herd of rodents living in my engine bay. And right next to the bag of moth balls.

I am not sure what kind of rodents these are. Roof rats have been seen in my neighborhood. And these rodents clearly were eating some citrus fruit--- which are all over my neighborhood. But they could also be just regular old rats. Or maybe packrats.

The good news is that I haven't found any evidence that they were eating engine wiring. But maybe that is only because the neighborhood is full of fruit right now.

So what should I do for a new plan?

 

[Arizona Jeff]

Pack rats. Start by putting a few bars of Irish Spring soap in the rig. Change out a couple times a year. Youtube it. It seems to work.

 

[jkl72-40]

x2 Irish spring but I would as time goes cut it so the smell keep coming out and change them once in a while as the smell will dissipate

 

[Cruiserhiggs]

Drive it more

 

[Dimples]

Also mint is a fairly good deterrent. Alternate the Irish spring and some bags of mint tea to prevent them getting acclimated to one smell. There are also some flashing LEDs that people put under campers to prevent mice/rats. Apparently they can suffer night blindness after a bright flash just like people.

 

[Funner]

 

[LongDuck]

- from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

 

[Dumkid]

Excessive amounts of poison might do the trick if you don't have dogs

 

[sjpitts]

Excessive amounts of poison might do the trick if you don't have dogs

I thought about this, but I do have dogs. I bought a couple of sticky traps that I am going to put on the top of the engine and see if they catch anything.

Jared

 

[brices123]

1. Move the wife's clothes into the horse stall.
2. Move the cruiser into her closet.
Rodent problem solved.
Shortly after that happens.
1. Hire a divorce lawyer.
2. She takes everything but the cruiser.
3. Live out of the cruiser.
Problem solved again!

 

[splitshot]

These work well baited with peanut butter. Just need to tie a lanyard on them.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tomcat-rat-snap-trap-pack-of-1

We get occasional population explosions and the only thing I have found that will knock them down is bait stations
and a bucket of bait. They nibble, crawl to their nest, and sayonara varmint.
I use this:

First Strike Soft Bait 10g - 16 Lb Pail

First Strike Soft Bait 10g - 16 Lb Pail from Wildlife Control Supplies

www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com

 

[Stepmurr]

I want somebody to buy this New Zealand rat killer and tell me if it works & is worth $180

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/goodnature-a24-home-trapping-kit-a24mr-htk

 

[LongDuck]

- only if it comes with a powerful rat ejector, otherwise you're going to have fun trying not to get contaminated while setting it up for the next rat.

Incidentally, I was helping my mom rid her house of citrus rats coming in through her dryer vent hole, as the construction guys left it open for a few weeks. She bought the BIG plastic rat traps with teeth on them, and they didn't do the job efficiently. I'd have to track those bastards down from blood trails, then step on the trap jaws until crunch. Disgusting...

Plus, her laundry room looked like a murder scene. Ugh,

 

[Stepmurr]

Apparently live rats will push the dead ones out of the way to get to the attractant. You can also leave the basket off and mount it high enough that they fall free. I think I'm gonna get one . . .

 

[isthatalexus]

Apparently live rats will push the dead ones out of the way to get to the attractant. You can also leave the basket off and mount it high enough that they fall free. I think I'm gonna get one . . .

View attachment 3594645

Sure, I could look up how this thing works, but I'm going to stick with my first (awesome) impression...which is...a No Country of Old Mice kind of thing:

 

[peneumbra2]

If you use Irish Spring, the rats will at least smell better...

 

[DSRTRDR]

peppermint spray and/or laundry dryer sheets have worked for us (monthly fresh-ups are required) - these varmints are smarter than traps, don't ask me how I know

 

[kgrove]

A friend installed an electronic contraption under his hood to repel rats… his was battery powered and I think used a combination of a blinking light and ultrasonic sound to annoy rats. He claimed it worked. I’ve seen them on Amazon that you can connect to your battery, but then you’ll have a parasitic draw and risk draining your battery unless you also attach a battery tender. I don’t have personal experience with how well it worked. Killing the bastards is a better solution but an extra layer of deterrence is a good thing in case you miss a couple. There are some great YouTube’s about homemade rat traps - often seem to revolve around contraptions to lure them someplace they fall into a bucket of water to drown. Extremely smelly if you can’t empty it often. Poison can also be very smelly if there are large numbers of rats as you never know where they crawl away to die..

If you know you’re in a rat area, check your engine bay almost every time you drive. If there’s a nest on top, it can catch on fire - burn up wires and torch the hood paint. I learned that the hard way.

 

[LongDuck]

They may be smarter than traps, but they're not smarter than peanut butter! Baiting the trap correctly accounts for the dim-witted ones, leaving you with Einstein-level pack rats that force different strategies.

I've been fighting the VerminCong for years, man. I've seen some stuff,...