Mousies chewing on car wiring

09 December 2020, 09:03 PM

So, this is a common problem in our area. Especially if you don't have a garage (or if your garage doesn't have four motorcycles, a lawn mower, a chipper/shredder, several old chairs, piles of lumber, a few leftover rolls of insulation, dozens of garden tools, an air compressor, boxes of tools, boxes of car parts, boxes of motorcycle parts, motorcycle parts that aren't in boxes, and a piano in it).

It has apparently become much worse since we are only driving between once a week and once a month.

I just got my car back from the shop and they said there are exposed wires in the main engine harness. Sounds expensive, but they didn't give me a quote.

So... anyone know of any product to eliminate the problem? And by eliminate the problem I mean (to paraphrase Apocalypse Now) eliminate the source of the problem ... with prejudice?

I don't want to just use the regular bait blocks... I assume they would just melt with the heat under the hood.

--------------------------------
pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

mod-in-training.

pj@ermosworld∙com

All types of erorrs fixed while you wait.

09 December 2020, 09:07 PM

wtg

Never had the problem.

But I found this tip in CR

https://www.consumerreports.or...ur-car-from-rodents/

Also this, but it doesn’t sound all that promising

https://www.amazon.com/Loraffe...gid=pla-781027307949

09 December 2020, 09:16 PM

Steve Miller

DeCon works very well, as long as you don’t mind poisoning a few raptors.

09 December 2020, 09:26 PM

Amanda

Squirrels are notorious for chewing on house wiring too. Those who seek their destruction (professional or amateur) approach it by setting many traps until they stop appearing - Havaheart or Have-no heart, depending on ones compassion level. (Personally at this point, I'm heartless.)

Also, by sealing off to the best of ones ability, points of entry. And avoiding leaving food temptation nearby.

Seems much the same would be true of mice.

09 December 2020, 10:43 PM

piqué

My only near-experience with this is with giant Canadian porcupines chewing up tires and hoses at trailheads. We wrapped the car in chicken wire and it worked.

For mice I like poison. But d-con doesn't work very well any more because the formulation was changed a few years ago. The only really effective poison is called "just one bite". Do not use it in your house.

Or if your car is garaged you can set up a bucket trap that will drown them. Five gallon bucket, wire, tin can, and peanut butter. Lots of videos of how to make this online.

10 December 2020, 12:19 AM

Steve Miller

Interesting about the DeCon. The stuff I have is probably 5 years old.

I wonder if it still works?

10 December 2020, 11:00 AM

CHAS

Old fashioned mothballs will keep them out. If you put them in the heater they will keep you out.

Packrats filled the heater fan on my Subaru with dog food taken from the garage when I lived near Moab.

A bucket trap greatly reduced the number of packrats.

11 December 2020, 08:20 PM

pianojuggler

What about those little devices that emit very high frequency noise. Do those actually work?

--------------------------------
pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

mod-in-training.

pj@ermosworld∙com

All types of erorrs fixed while you wait.

11 December 2020, 08:41 PM

wtg

Here’s one guy’s opinion.

https://www.pestcontrolgurus.c...pest-repellers-work/

11 December 2020, 10:05 PM

Just happened to a local friend. Several suggestions. I'll try to dig up the thread and share.

12 December 2020, 10:28 AM

QuirtEvans

A little bit gruesome, but this reduced the mouse/squirrel problem in my attic in Massachusetts substantially.

https://www.amazon.com/Authenz...dExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

12 December 2020, 10:35 AM

QuirtEvans

Oh, I should also mention ... the best poisons are a variation of blood thinners (Cumadin). They make the mice very thirsty, and they leave the house in search of water before they die. However, don't leave any dog food out ... Vitamin K is an effective cure for the poison and it's contained in dog food.

12 December 2020, 05:45 PM

Going to do some cut and past from others:

Oh no , put some moth balls inside glove box, keeps them away

Toyota and other carmakers use a soy-based product to wrap wires-- mice LOVE this product. How can that be legal?

Moth balls in glove box would give you a head ache and make you smell bad. Irish Spring soap is supposed to repel mice. Fran used this in the shed where our ride on mower lives because of the same problem with chewed wires and nests inside the mower

So, we use bars of Irish spring soap. A mechanic advised us, as hubby gets mice in his air filter every year. Cut a bar in half, drill a hole large enough for one of those plastic electric ties. (Get long ones)Thread it through the soap and attach to places where it will not affect the car or fall...... so far so good. And his truck smells just like an Irish spring