We live in the country (woods) and do not have a garage. Mice and rats congregate and build nests under the hoods of our cars. Boxes of D-CON have not controlled the situation. Ultrasonic pest repellant (via a long extension cord) has not kept the rodents away. We are desperate ! Are there any noxious sprays to keep the pests out ? Are there other solutions to the problem other than building a garage ?
A garage won’t help…You can try some “pepper spray”, a personal defense product, critters don’t like it…Predatory pets can quickly clean up your yard. a “Barn Cat” or certain breeds of dogs are very effective at pest control. Ferrets guarantee a ZERO rodent population…
Get a cat.
Or two.
Cats love to kill mice, and other small animals.
Plus they purr, and some will even let you rub their bellies.
Others won’t, so be careful until you know which one of the two categories your cat is in.
BC.
You are parking in their environment so either you build a garage and keep the door closed and use traps to get the ones that get in…or use live traps baited with peanut butter/bird seeds…relocate them at least 1 mile away or they will return…done the latter and it is very effective…just takes time and patience.
Hi we have the same problem and our cars have been to the shop many times. We’ve tried traps and poison. You end up killing everything except the rats. We now eliminat the varmints via air rifle w/scope and corn for bait… It works and can be a fun evening too! For more info go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PackRatHunting/
If you can make the critters think that there’s a predator in the area they’ll leave. Check with a local garden center and see if they sell a product such as this. http://www.outsidepride.com/repellents/critter-repellent/fox-urine.html
Tester
Do not put bait traps in the car or around the car. That will bring rats… mice… rodents to the car " On the way to the trap, the rat chewed up your car". Try "Rataway Fragrance"
spray non-toxic & non-poisonous safe around pets & children. Go to http://www.Rataway.com for more details
If you live out in the woods, I would be hesitant to use poisons just due to the rodent predator ramifications if they eat the poisoned rodents. Poisons can be very effective, but the bait stations needs to be placed properly along the rats normal traveling path and the success with killing an entire burrow is higher when using a slow acting poison. Rats are super hesitant to try new foods and if they eat a slow acting poison and don’t get sick right away, they will then mark it as safe by peeing on it. Other rats will then follow suit and then bingo. Ultrasonic Repellents are more effective on mice than rats. Rats are much more likely to ignore them. Ultimately, you need to use a combination of methods that hit upon the multiple senses of the rodent, sight, sound, and smells. Here is a great resource for more information: http://www.howtopreventratsfromeatingcarwires.com/
Mint spray. Rats hate mint and it is poisonous to them. So if you buy some mint and a spray bottle you drop the leaves in the bottle, add water and let it sit for a while. I have never tried this but a problem is always looking for a solution so maybe you can try it. Spray it in the area of the problem. Mint oil may be better.
I am familiar with this problem. A cat will help but maybe not enough to stop the problem. I have one great indoor/outdoor cat named Death Ray. He does an amazing job.
For my trucks that are not driven on a daily basis, I try and leave the truck parked facing north and the hood propped open. Yeah it makes my place look like nothing runs but I am simply trying to deter mice from seeking shelter under my hood. They have chewed up wires and hoses that are very frustrating to fix. One of my trucks, they chewed the gas tank filler hose in two. I went to go fill up and gas dumped right onto the hot exhaust. I was lucky that I didn’t burn up in a massive fireball.
Something else you may consider is getting fox urine. This is sold in the hunting stores to cover your scent while hunting. This will probably help but may attract other foxes. That would then take out your outdoor cat(s) and other small animals like chickens. If only they sold cat urine. Maybe you know a crazy cat lady? Maybe sprinkle used cat litter around the perimeter of your place periodically???
Tough problem. I wonder, is there some kind car-port in a bag product that you just drive the car in, then zip it up? So the car is 100% enclosed by the bag? I don’t see anything besides that or a lot of cats on the property solving this problem safely.
Come to think of it, maybe steel wool (or fine wire mesh, less than a dime diameter openings) inserted or wrapped around sensitive areas like wires and where mice/rats hang out will work. My recollection is that they can’t chew through the stuff and so would stay away from those engine areas.
There are different types of electronic pest repellers. The little ones from Home Depot simply do not have enough power. I use the large ones, made by Steren, which look like small loudspeakers in my house in rural Mexico. In the past, I posted a link; too lazy tonight. Google is your friend.
Their figures estimate my 2,850 square foot house needed 3. Scorpions and mice and lizards carried on happily until I had 8 repellers in there.
Now, I have very few scorpions, ditto for mice and rats. We once found a large rate behind the fireplace. He just sat there, trembling, couldn’t move. Not wanting blood and guts all over the floor, I put him in a bucket and tossed him out in the field. Big rats do not sit there and let you put them in a bucket.
And, one day a lizard came running into the house through an open front door. About five feet from the repeller, he froze and could not move. I took my shoe and dispatched him, My builder said he had previously found one dead in the exact same location.
I do not want to advertise for Steren. If you can find another source, go for it, and let us know. But, you need a LOT of power to get any results.
Me thinks Rick is Spamming . The only posts he has are for the product links.
+1
I flagged his post as spam, and I suggest that others do the same.
cdaquila…what say you?
Don’t have actual experience with it, but I’ve heard moth balls are a good deterrent. Might even deter drivers and passengers as well.
How could you ever castrate enough moths to make an effective deterrent?
I have had this problem. I put D-=Con in a nearby shed (maybe 50 feet from where my cars are parked and my house. This has reduced the mouse population at my house and in my car engines by about 90% after the better part of a year.
If there are feral cats in your neighborhood, and if they dine on the rodents that you have poisoned, you are effectively killing those cats, along with the rodents.
I agree with VDC. LinkedIn has a Rick Suddes who is owner of the website he posted. He has a FB page showing him as the owner of that site as well.
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