I hates meeces to pieces

[opus1]

Took the Dakota out for a drive last night...long overdue and I was concerned that it wouldn't start. Took the thing on a 30-mile loop I use to get some time/mileage on a car when it's been sitting for a while. Came home, pulled into the garage and smelled a faint odor, like one of the neighbors had their fireplace going. Walked out to the street to get my mail, came back and it hits me that I only smell the odor in the garage so I pop the hood to see the attached picture.


So I got to clean that up while I marveled at how the thing didn't actually catch fire while I was driving.

Set out some wooden traps last night and came out this morning to see that the bait was gone on 4 of them, but no victims, so I now have Jaws plastic traps waiting for the little demons. At least I know the bait should attract them.

What else can I do to keep them at bay? Anyone have luck with those ultrasonic devices? I've seen mixed reviews online.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Ditto. Air filter from my old Chev 5.7.

 

[HangFire]

When I had my garage built, they built it around all the field mice already there. I fought that battle for a while.

Get the rat-sized glue traps, and put marshmallow chunks in the very middle. Get a bunch and put them everywhere.

Check your garage door bottom and side seals, and see if you can block them off if there are gaps.

 

[MRtv]

Mice got into my rocker panel at some point. I don't drive my 150 daily and park it outside. I am sure while it sat for a few days that or some critter got up in there. I went for a long 3 hour drive to just enjoy myself and get some long miles on the engine. About a week later the smell in the truck was noticeable. It kept getting worse as the days went by. I tried cleaning and vacuuming thinking maybe some moisture was in the carpet or seat. It got worse.

I was under the truck and noticed the smell was stronger. Putting my nose near the drivers side rocker panel revealed the smell of dead animal. I began the project of pulling debris out of the panel. It took awhile with a hooked wire and shop vac but I got the debris that little bugger had stuffed the panel with. The smell was gone. Strange where critters try to set up house. The exhaust system runs near the panel. I think the long trip heated up the panel and cooked the critter to death.

 

[dadto2]

I had a critter living under the hood of my car one winter. I put a box of D-Con in there under the battery handle (to sort of hold it in place) and that took care of it. My dog sniffed the carcass out in the corner of the garage once spring arrived that year.

 

[SteveSRT8]

I have an old coon hound that will go crazy if he smells a critter in his garage. No meeces around here!

 

[PimTac]

You need a good cat.

 

[CT8]

Use traps and poison . You can control them but there are many.

 

[slo town]

I always have fresh Decon granules that come in those little cardboard containers all over the garage.

Scott

 

[Cujet]

The standard snap type mouse traps, baited with peanut butter will be the answer. You'll need about 6 traps to stop a mild infestation.

While a cat may help, mice are very capable of avoiding cats. Mice can't resist peanut butter. Make sure to place the PB farther in on the tab, so they don't simply nibble at the edges.

Interestingly, it seems a bowl of peanut oil might work....

 

[Whipcitywrencher]

I like that trap.

 

[nthach]

The smell of a cat is enough to repel mice and rats - but some cats are meant to be mousers. I had a mouse burrow into my current car via the cowl. Little thing ate through the cabin filter and took residence in the glove box.

At least in other states you have bait that uses Vitamin K as an antidote. In CA, the only bait sold is bromethalin-based. There is no antidote for it, it's a metabolic poison. It works like a slower cyanide or Compound 1080. If a cat or dog eats it, it's a gruesome death.

 

[Donald]

First - I think its worse for cars in a garage, especially heated ones.

I have the electronic Mouse Blocker Pro 8" from my car battery and the mice chewed the felt washer on the battery post.

Traps are good. New cheap snap traps work the best. Old ones have rust and crud and not as sensitive. Mouse more likely to get the bait and run.

I also like the black plastic ones. Easy to set and dispose of mouse. These are still basically a snap trap.

Balsam bags can help as can Bounce dryer sheets.

Peppermint oil on cabin air filter.

Clean vehicle of food or crumbs you or kids left behind.

They make gray tape with a pepper coating mice do not like to chew. They also make expanding foam with similar pepper for spraying where pipes or wires go through walls.

Garage door bottom needs to seal well. No gaps for mice to get in. Go outside at night and look with light on in garage.

I am trying some rodent proof garage door bottom seal.

RATX is a mouse and rat killer that is made of cereals and grains and only will kill a rodent like a mouse or rat. Will not effect a cat or dog who eats the RATX or who eats a mouse that died of RATX. WIll not kill moles or voles, shrews. Just mice and rats. I am trying some.

 

[nthach]

I've been seeing that at Home Depot that RATX stuff. It's almost like the newer Vitamin D3 baits that kill mice via hypercalcemia but has lower risk of secondary poisoning to cats, dogs and birds. CA banned anticoulagulant bait for non-pest control operator sale to "protect" the raptors(birds of prey, not the Ford) and birds but the replacement for it on the consumer market is even more deadly to them.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted by nthach
I've been seeing that at Home Depot that RATX stuff. It's almost like the newer Vitamin D3 baits that kill mice via hypercalcemia but has lower risk of secondary poisoning to cats, dogs and birds. CA banned anticoulagulant bait for non-pest control operator sale to "protect" the raptors(birds of prey, not the Ford) and birds but the replacement for it on the consumer market is even more deadly to them.


The mice or rats need to eat the stuff also. It does no good if it's untouched in the bait container.