Rats!

[Stumpy6Guns]

My new RTL has become a pack rat hotel. Mechanic found a nest of pine needles in the compartment behind the frunk.

I thought I smelled it the other day when I pulled out of the driveway. Has anyone had success keeping the nasty little buggers out of parked vehicles?

[Bob Denman]

Mine is garaged. When I store it for the Winter, I cover the end of the exhaust with tinfoil, and stuff the lower body panels with dryer sheets.
I also don't cover it, since critters like dark, quiet places, and the cover only encourages them to get comfy.

If you parked it over a ground tarp, and could fold/tie it up around the sides of the bike: that might help!

Although that might catch a lot of rainwater!

[Deer Slayer]

Sticky rat traps! Put a dab of peanut butter on them. Works like a champ. Don't be in too big of a hurry to remove the first one. Others will come by to eat on it when it expires. Have caught up to four this way.

[Conaso]

Moth balls in a small container with holes punched into it. Also can be place under decks and porches - will also keep out snakes, opossums, armadillas, groundhogs, nutrias... oh, also moths.

[jthornton]

My new RTL has become a pack rat hotel. Mechanic found a nest of pine needles in the compartment behind the frunk.

I thought I smelled it the other day when I pulled out of the driveway. Has anyone had success keeping the nasty little buggers out of parked vehicles?

Yep set good old wooden rat traps baited with peanut butter... they can't resist. Place the traps next to a wall or other object they might follow. If you have a wary one add some glitter...

JT

[Stumpy6Guns]

I just ordered The Ratinator Live Rat Trap from Amazon. I have the Squirrelinator trap, and it works great. It comes with a plastic container that you fill with water and set the successful trap into in order to humanely dispatch the squatters.

[Bob Denman]

[QUOTE=Conaso;1156943]Moth balls in a small container with holes punched into it. Also can be place under decks and porches - will also keep out snakes, opossums, armadillas, groundhogs, nutrias... oh, also moths.[/QUOTE]

That's good to know... But I think that you'll need a whole lot of them, to dissuade this guy!

1905700_orig.jpg

[ruralgirl]

I just ordered The Ratinator Live Rat Trap from Amazon. I have the Squirrelinator trap, and it works great. It comes with a plastic container that you fill with water and set the successful trap into in order to humanely dispatch the squatters.

I'd never heard of either trap, so I looked up the Squirrelinator to see if I was correctly understanding it's actually designed to drown its prey. And it is. WOW, drowning is NOT humane. A shot in the head is humane, but I guess that'd be pretty hard while they're charging around in there. Could someone electrocute the critters with this trap in, say, an inch of water?

[Stumpy6Guns]

I've always used a .22 pellet rifle to dispatch them once they are in the trap, and I hate it. I ran over the tray, so I can't drown them! I don't like killing any animal for meat or sport, but vermin have to go. I'm not vegetarian, in case you were wondering.
Between the two methods, shooting takes much longer, it's messier, and a misplaced shot causes needless suffering.

[WellsboroSpyder]

We found this when we had our camper.
A couple years ago the wife opened the Spyder shed and screamed as a family of mice ran in different directions. I put one at each side of the machine and mice moved out of shed.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pro...epellant-10-oz

[Fat Baxter]

Minor correction: moth balls don't do squat to dissuade armadillos. I know this from experience.

[ruralgirl]

I've always used a .22 pellet rifle to dispatch them once they are in the trap, and I hate it. I ran over the tray, so I can't drown them! I don't like killing any animal for meat or sport, but vermin have to go. I'm not vegetarian, in case you were wondering.
Between the two methods, shooting takes much longer, it's messier, and a misplaced shot causes needless suffering.

Yes, I certainly can picture the difficulty in shooting them while they're running around in what's apparently a pretty large area. Thus, you're right about that method being inhumane. I regularly catch larger varmints in regular live traps that allow me to use my rifle to get a clean head shot (only because they kill our hens, carry EPM which can kill our horses, and they destroy my veggie gardens from which I preserve our winter fare). But, gosh, drowning ..... anyone who's stuck around to watch even a mouse drown knows it's an awful way to go, hence I wondered about electrocution.

[garb55]

We found this when we had our camper.
A couple years ago the wife opened the Spyder shed and screamed as a family of mice ran in different directions. I put one at each side of the machine and mice moved out of shed.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pro...epellant-10-oz

But where did they move to

[Blue Star]

I just ordered The Ratinator Live Rat Trap from Amazon. I have the Squirrelinator trap, and it works great. It comes with a plastic container that you fill with water and set the successful trap into in order to humanely dispatch the squatters.

When I looked into getting rid of ground squirrels I was told it was illegal to drown them. The only way to kill them is to leave them trapped in the cage out in the hot sun to die.

[pegasus1300]

well if you are really concerned about being humane then the good old regular spring type mouse trap is your best bet. Once that spring loaded bar trips they're dead. No squeek, no move, nothing.

[toota]

I have found that a few cotton balls with drops of Spearmint oil on them and tied behind the tupperware will deter rats and mice from building homes.

Regards, Rob

[WellsboroSpyder]

But where did they move to

back to the feilds? Neighbor's house?as long as there not in my shed.

[PrairieSpyder]

Deacon poison. I once lived in an attic apartment, and had mice would come from behind the walls at night; one ran right across the foot of my bed just before I fell asleep. Creepy. I put Deacon down and the last I saw of that guy was when he came to the middle of the living room one afternoon, keeled over and died in front of me. I think he did it for dramatic effect.

[BlueBayou]

had nest in my F3S, put out electronic traps, electrocuted 5, I have not seen any recently, traps still out (with peanut butter of course)

[Conaso]

Had opossum locked in my garage while I was on vacation for three weeks, died behind the freezer. Only could smell him when the fan was running. Took me awhile to locate the bugger. Cleanup was a mess.

[CapNCrunch]

Moth balls in a small container with holes punched into it. Also can be place under decks and porches - will also keep out snakes, opossums, armadillas, groundhogs, nutrias... oh, also moths.

I PUT MOTH BALLS IN PLASTIC "BUTTER CUPS" UNDER MY SPYDER, AND IN THE 4 CORNERS OF THE GARAGE. NO MORE MICE, AND NO MORE FLIES, ANTS, CRICKETS, ETC! THE STUFF IS MAGIC!
CapNCrunch : =)

[Sam Mac]

Mice can do a great deal of damage. I've worked on more that a few lawn tractors that had mouse condos built in the cooling duct work. They love to eat wires. Here is a pic of one that was so bad it was jammed up tight. If you have found nice in your ride I suggest that you remove the body panels and inspect for damage.

engine 3.JPG

[asp125]

Mice like to chew on ignition wires. One time my car was running rough so I opened the hood and sparks were flying about. Critters had chewed through the insulation and the plug wires were arcing. I would check under the spyder panels.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2

[Bob Denman]

Mice can do a great deal of damage. I've worked on more that a few lawn tractors that had mouse condos built in the cooling duct work. They love to eat wires. Here is a pic of one that was so bad it was jammed up tight. If you have found nice in your ride I suggest that you remove the body panels and inspect for damage.

engine 3.JPG

We lost the engine in our Ariens lawn tractor, after the little s plugged up all of the ductwork, and things cooked solid!

(That was a GREAT tractor: a 1983 HT-16 ) 32ears of faithful service.

[Sam Mac]

Mice like to chew on ignition wires. One time my car was running rough so I opened the hood and sparks were flying about. Critters had chewed through the insulation and the plug wires were arcing. I would check under the spyder panels.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2

We lost the engine in our Ariens lawn tractor, after the little s plugged up all of the ductwork, and things cooked solid!

(That was a GREAT tractor: a 1983 HT-16 ) 32ears of faithful service.

My other hobby is restoring old tractors. Even if you don't have these nasty critters in your Spyder if you have a lawn mower they love to get inside and as Bob mentioned they plug the blower housing and cooling fins, you start it and before you know it they over heat. Very common. I've fixed 3 this year alone (not my machines) dryer sheets work well. Cats work better.