Rodent Protection
- Thread starter WTS
- Start date
mylotcat
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2004
- Messages
- 137
- Location
- Oregon WI
- Corvette
- 2007 Silver MT Coupe; 2006 Trailblazer SS
Only bad experience!
I swear a rodent got into my old C5 somewhere and proceeded to rot. For quite awhile after uncovering it in spring, every time I fired it up a horrendous dead animal stench came out of the air vents.
The wife said I should put bags of moth balls underneath the car
.
Dave
I swear a rodent got into my old C5 somewhere and proceeded to rot. For quite awhile after uncovering it in spring, every time I fired it up a horrendous dead animal stench came out of the air vents.
The wife said I should put bags of moth balls underneath the car
.Dave
G Winter
Well-known member
Irish Spring bar soap. For some reason mice don't like it. I put bars under the hood,on top of the tires,on the floor, anyplace you can think of. Be sure to use some sort of dish inside of the car. I also spread them around the car in the garage. I didn't take them out of the box, just opened them.Seemed to work. Only drawback, car smells like irish spring soap for a few days after you take it out.
Glenn
Glenn
D
Dirtfarmer
Guest
Better Irish Spring than dead mouse smell. 
I've heard of people using Irish Spring to keep animals away from stuff. One of the stories you hear in these parts is if you're out hiking and find a bar of soap in a nylon hanging from a tree, then you must be pretty close to someone's growing operation. I guess the pot growers use this technique to keep deer from eating their plants.
Back to the point, the best way to keep mice out of your car is to keep them from getting near it.
First, keep your car in the garage (which you probably already do). Try to find holes and cracks that the mice may use as a point of entry. Keep in mind that a mouse can squeeze through a 1/4 inch crack.
Second, decide if you want to use traps, bait or both.
When using bait, Decon for example, make sure to follow all of the directions on the box. Place the bait in a location where pets and children can't get to it. An out of the way location also allows the mice to feed on the bait undisturbed. One problem with bait is that it takes multiple feedings to kill so the poisoned mice will find a place to die (hopefully not in your Corvette) where they slowly decompose and generally stink it up.
Trapping (Victor snap traps for example) will give you instant results but you have to be persistant and somewhat crafty. I like to bend the trigger mechanism so the trap has a "hair trigger". I use peanut butter smeared onto a small chunk of cheese as bait. Push the cheese into the trigger so the mouse has to really work at getting it all out.
If the mice are stealing your bait but not setting off the trap, sticky traps can be used in conjunction with the snap traps. Put the set and baited snap trap against a wall and surround it with the sticky traps. Instead of being able to sneak up to the trap to steal the bait, the mouse will jump to the baited trap and set off the trap. If they have bad aim, they just end up in the sticky trap.
One more thing about traps. You can improve your catch if you place un-set traps with bait; this lulls the mice into a false sense of security. After a few days of this, start setting the traps with bait.
Of course a good mousing cat can take care of a lot of mice. I wouldn't suggest using a cat in conjunction with the above methods.
Hope this helps.
I've heard of people using Irish Spring to keep animals away from stuff. One of the stories you hear in these parts is if you're out hiking and find a bar of soap in a nylon hanging from a tree, then you must be pretty close to someone's growing operation. I guess the pot growers use this technique to keep deer from eating their plants.Back to the point, the best way to keep mice out of your car is to keep them from getting near it.
First, keep your car in the garage (which you probably already do). Try to find holes and cracks that the mice may use as a point of entry. Keep in mind that a mouse can squeeze through a 1/4 inch crack.
Second, decide if you want to use traps, bait or both.
When using bait, Decon for example, make sure to follow all of the directions on the box. Place the bait in a location where pets and children can't get to it. An out of the way location also allows the mice to feed on the bait undisturbed. One problem with bait is that it takes multiple feedings to kill so the poisoned mice will find a place to die (hopefully not in your Corvette) where they slowly decompose and generally stink it up.
Trapping (Victor snap traps for example) will give you instant results but you have to be persistant and somewhat crafty. I like to bend the trigger mechanism so the trap has a "hair trigger". I use peanut butter smeared onto a small chunk of cheese as bait. Push the cheese into the trigger so the mouse has to really work at getting it all out.
If the mice are stealing your bait but not setting off the trap, sticky traps can be used in conjunction with the snap traps. Put the set and baited snap trap against a wall and surround it with the sticky traps. Instead of being able to sneak up to the trap to steal the bait, the mouse will jump to the baited trap and set off the trap. If they have bad aim, they just end up in the sticky trap.
One more thing about traps. You can improve your catch if you place un-set traps with bait; this lulls the mice into a false sense of security. After a few days of this, start setting the traps with bait.
Of course a good mousing cat can take care of a lot of mice. I wouldn't suggest using a cat in conjunction with the above methods.
Hope this helps.
Rowdy1
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2001
- Messages
- 1,180
- Location
- Lake Hopatcong, NJ
- Corvette
- 1962 CORVETTE-SOLD 2004 Z16 Z06 CE
Bounce
I use the fabric static cling towels you use in the dryer. In the trunk, interior and all through the engine compartment, had mice in the garage where I used to keep the 62 but never a trace of a mouse in or near it.
I use the fabric static cling towels you use in the dryer. In the trunk, interior and all through the engine compartment, had mice in the garage where I used to keep the 62 but never a trace of a mouse in or near it.
Vettepirate
Well-known member
This is something ive been worrying about. The nearby geography includes ravines, large fields, and a river, so i would not be surprised if some mice got into my garage somehow.
I can barely stand the smell of Irish Spring myself, its quite strong. Just about everything except a human cant get close to that stuff. Id expect it to work just from the smell.
I can barely stand the smell of Irish Spring myself, its quite strong. Just about everything except a human cant get close to that stuff. Id expect it to work just from the smell.
MARKSC4
Well-known member
Bounce dryer sheets - my dad got mice in his boat at storage every year until we stuck them around the edges of the cover. No more mice. Now I use them around the Vette.
- Thread starter
- #8
- Thread starter
- #9
- Thread starter
- #10
- Thread starter
- #11
Irish Spring bar soap. For some reason mice don't like it. I put bars under the hood,on top of the tires,on the floor, anyplace you can think of. Be sure to use some sort of dish inside of the car. I also spread them around the car in the garage. I didn't take them out of the box, just opened them.Seemed to work. Only drawback, car smells like irish spring soap for a few days after you take it out.
Glenn
This is a great idea, I am going to try it !
Thanks
WTS
partspup
Well-known member
I place glue boards around the walls of the garage, sprinkle moth balls every where and use the "bounce strips" I haven't had any problems for 4 years, knock on wood. I store my vette in a rental unit so you never know what is in the neighborhood
- Thread starter
- #13
I have put traps inside the car and managed to get rid of several mice, however prevention is a lot better than going to the trouble of setting traps.
Thanks for the information, I'll try this one too !
WTS
- Thread starter
- #14
I place glue boards around the walls of the garage, sprinkle moth balls every where and use the "bounce strips" I haven't had any problems for 4 years, knock on wood. I store my vette in a rental unit so you never know what is in the neighborhood
I keep my car in the garage and I have tried using the ultrasonic repellers to no avail.
Thanks for the information !
WTS
T
tonylong
Guest
Meet Bubba ...
Rowdy1
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2001
- Messages
- 1,180
- Location
- Lake Hopatcong, NJ
- Corvette
- 1962 CORVETTE-SOLD 2004 Z16 Z06 CE
94conv.
Well-known member
I had mice bait or decon packets in the truck area in the convertible but a mouse still managed to get in last winter, I put the hard top on for the winter and in the spring when I took it off and put the soft top up I got a big puff of black fuzz and a quarter sized hole but I did find the dead mouse by the jack next to the decon pack.
- Moderator
- #19
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2000
- Messages
- 7,501
- Location
- Edgerton, Ohio, United States
- Corvette
- 1959 black 270hp (9/2/69) 1981 Beige L81(10/20/80)
I think that killers like Decon first have to attract the mice before it can poison them. I have used it in the past when I had my 59 stored and still had turds on the engine and floor. I have heard that the Irish spring and dryer sheets work well as a repellent so the mice don't have to first get to your Corvette for it to be effective.
My shop is tight and I never leave the doors stand open but to be sure I use Tony's approach. I let a few of our cats into the shop sometimes when I'm working. In an hour or so there isn't a square inch in the entire place than hasn't had a cat nose stuck into it just to see what is there.
My shop is tight and I never leave the doors stand open but to be sure I use Tony's approach. I let a few of our cats into the shop sometimes when I'm working. In an hour or so there isn't a square inch in the entire place than hasn't had a cat nose stuck into it just to see what is there.
Kid_Again
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2004
- Messages
- 1,171
- Location
- NJ - Which exit you from?
- Corvette
- 65 SB Roadster, 66 BB Coupe
very helpful advice, thanks
i don't have a problem in the garage because it is so laden with poison that nothing survives there for very long BUT i leave the CR-V outside and have had a continuing problem...not any more!
...talk about critters, we get everything out here with the mice being the least of my problems....the worst are HUGE brown flies that look like scaled-up house flies with auxilliary fuel tanks AND they swarm :W....when you hit them with a fly swatter, it feels like like you just tee'd off with a driver
...ever have a bat in the house? they ARE silent but can't detect a racquet ball racquet:booty
i don't have a problem in the garage because it is so laden with poison that nothing survives there for very long BUT i leave the CR-V outside and have had a continuing problem...not any more!
...talk about critters, we get everything out here with the mice being the least of my problems....the worst are HUGE brown flies that look like scaled-up house flies with auxilliary fuel tanks AND they swarm :W....when you hit them with a fly swatter, it feels like like you just tee'd off with a driver
...ever have a bat in the house? they ARE silent but can't detect a racquet ball racquet:booty
Similar threads
Corvette Forums
Supporting Vendors
Dealers:
