Vengeance (warning: minor gore)

Some of the wildlife in the Baker Valley includes smaller critters that sometimes inhabit places we humans would prefer they not. I’ve recently discovered that deer mice have made the Ranger a place to call home, leaving chewed bags of dog treats and droppings as a parting gift. Yesterday, one made it’s presence known by scampering under the dash as I opened the door.

Not wanting chewed wiring (hopefully it’s not), I set a couple of traps near where I saw it scuttle away. Success, a double dead mouse. I have no idea how this happened, but the results were satisfactory.

Now to ensure there are no others, and to figure out how they got in the truck.

Congratulations on one for the price of two with the traps

For several years now, we have been fighting mouse attacks in our vehicles. So far, no (discovered) wiring damage, but major cabin HVAC and engine air filter repairs.

I have had to pay for replacing the cabin air filter, replacing the AC/heating cabin fan that requires R&R the dash area, installing 1/8" hardware cloth on the outside air intake, cleaning up shredded napkins, paper towels, facial tissue, piles of sunflower seed hulls brought in from the bird feeder. Before a trip, I tossed an unopened bag of blue corn chips on the dash after 11:00 PM. It was opened and chips were strewn around the dash in the morning. No thank you notes were left, the ingrates!

Thus far, no entrance into the Hawk (knock, knock, knock). However, relief has come from an unexpected source, the local John Deere dealer. They recommended "Fresh Cab Rodent Repellent" which they sell and use at the local Pape dealer.

https://www.earthkind.com/product/fresh-cab-rodent-repellent/

The bags contain what appears to be sawdust saturated with Balsam Fir oil. On hot days, the smell of Balsam fir oil can be a little overwhelming, but I have adjusted to it and for the last 5 or 6 months, no more mice inside the cab. A bag lasts for several weeks before the smell diminishes significantly enough to replace the bag.

I had bought "Rodent Defense" spray and used it but it was not as effective as the bags.

My guess is that mice don't like camping in evergreen forests. either, but who knows?

Paul

Did you leave the keys within their reach?

Also, might be a nice source for light brown fine dubbing material for midge patterns?

Didn’t think of midge fly pattern, but could be useful for mouse fly patterns.

Paul

It's like what they say about bears,DON'T LEAVE ANYTHING WITH A SMELL,
in your vehicle.
At least you got them before they got you.
Frank

Success, a double dead mouse. I have no idea how this happened


Steve, fortunately we have not experienced rodents in our vehicle. But at our previous home we occasionally had vole invasions in the yard. And I mean by the hundreds. Every morning we would have to fish the dozens of floaters out of the pool and empty our multitude of traps. At night we would hear the traps snapping. Occasionally one would get pinned but not killed. We could hear the trap dragging across the patio. But we had lines of traps all over, so eventually we would hear another snap and the dragging sound stopped. Thus, the two trap mouse.

Good luck with eliminating your mouse problems.

Update: the current count is 3, the last 2 are simple 1 trap mice.

I think I need to find a different place to park.

Update to the update: the count is now 5. This one is a “twofer”. From one mouse in two traps, we go to two mice in one trap. Paul, I hope your repellent works, it’s supposed to be here Tuesday.

No love for rodents here. I've battled rats on and off. Never got a twofer. I've tried repellents for rats and its done nothing. Waste of time. Maybe you'll have more luck with mice.

Yup that time of year to find acorns in the air filter housing. They come in from the cold to get into the attic too here. It took me 30 years to realize that the missing mouse traps ...the ones that only got a leg and the mouse dragged it into the wall...could be avoided. I screwed the traps down with a drywall screw into a small piece of plywood. Can pick them all up at once and no more 'lost' traps. Peanut butter is the best.

i am surprised that they are not getting into the camper. the hold down bracket doors are relatively flimsy in my ATC i may need to run a screw thru when parked/stored.

Wandering Sagebrush said:

I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.

Click to expand...

Web cam and go live so we can all watch?

ski3pin said:

Web cam and go live so we can all watch?

Click to expand...

Then put out on social media get millions of hits and become famous.
What a plan.
Frank

I hate mieces to pieces!

The fight is on.

I suspect they are coming in through intakes under the grill where the wipers are, or under a door seal.

Wow!!

deja vu all over again.

Looks much like mine did.

Keep up the good fight.
Good luck. The mice had stuffed so much debris into my HVAC system that it jammed the fan.

Paul