Having just read one of Judie's posts, I went out to the barn and checked the Lazy Daze. I found fresh rat droppings in my engine compartment and under the engine on the slab. Nowhere else (Other than in the shelves and storage, as usual.). I would like to eliminate the rats living in the Lazy Daze and their eventual wiring damage.
We have a cat who still hunts, but isn't as rat-lethal as he once was. His intermittent hunting precludes using poison. I do use snap traps and Have-a Hart- traps with periodic success. When camping at Karchner Caverns, one of the long term resident geologists had a lamp under the hood of his RV and he told me that the light kept wood rats out of his engine compartment. I have tried putting a bowl of mothballs in the engine compartment of our truck, but it sure stinks up the area. I used to pay my son to take a pellet pistol out at night in the citrus trees and snipe rats for $5 each. He didn't make much, but had a lot of fun. This was the one exception to the "eat what you kill" policy for hunting.
Does anyone have an effective way to keep rodents out of their engine compartment?
Harold
Hi Harold,
What has worked for me is putting mothballs under the hood. My method has been to take some old pantyhose that I cut up to make small sacks. Tie one end, insert 4 mothballs, tie the end and I tie a bright red piece of yarn on the end. I use the yarn to secure the sacks of mothballs to various things under the hood. The red yarn also makes it easy to find those sacks when I remove them.
I try to get at least one of those mothball sacks on the top of each side of the engine and the rest of them are scattered around the engine compartment. I also use a section of pantyhose as a screen where the air cleaner snorkel enters above the radiator and put a sack of mothballs in there too ( i have had mice chewing on the actual air filter!. VERY IMPORTANT to make sure you remove that before starting the engine. The genset compartment gets a couple sacks of mothballs too.
I put a notecard on the dashboard as a reminder to remove 8 sacks of mothballs from the engine compartment and 2 from the genset. Before I started this routine, I did have nesting materials on my engine and in the genset; the last 8 years have been rodent free.
Good luck,
Steve K
Rodent damage is insidious and can be costly to repair. After our foray with the motorhome, we started using rope lights under the rig (attached to the chassis) and wound around in the engine compartment. I don't know if these come as LED's, but ours are fairly old, so require electricity to work. A bummer, but our storage area has a plug right by the rig, so we are golden.
Additionally, using zip ties, DH puts fistfuls of GAIN dryer sheets - GAIN because they smell the strongest - around different places in the engine compartment . I don't know if we put them in the generator compartment, but that is a good point.
They got into our car's engine compartment as well. It is parked on our concrete circular driveway and is driven at least a couple of times a week. There is no brush nearby for them to hide in, but they seemed to favor that engine, too. We had two separate occasions of rodent damage to the car engine wires. Finally our repair shop found a different kind of wires and we have had no subsequent damage to the car engine wiring in the last year. Fingers crossed.
Virtual hugs,
Judie < -- listening to a whistling wind
Hi Harold,
What has worked for me is putting mothballs under the hood. My method has been to take some old pantyhose that I cut up to make small sacks. Tie one end, insert 4 mothballs, tie the end and I tie a bright red piece of yarn on the end. I use the yarn to secure the sacks of mothballs to various things under the hood. The red yarn also makes it easy to find those sacks when I remove them.
I try to get at least one of those mothball sacks on the top of each side of the engine and the rest of them are scattered around the engine compartment. I also use a section of pantyhose as a screen where the air cleaner snorkel enters above the radiator and put a sack of mothballs in there too ( i have had mice chewing on the actual air filter!. VERY IMPORTANT to make sure you remove that before starting the engine. The genset compartment gets a couple sacks of mothballs too.
I put a notecard on the dashboard as a reminder to remove 8 sacks of mothballs from the engine compartment and 2 from the genset. Before I started this routine, I did have nesting materials on my engine and in the genset; the last 8 years have been rodent free.
Good luck,
Steve K
Steve, what size pantyhose do you wear? I want to get the same size for my mothballs.
Chris
You can get solar powered LED light strings on Amazon in various colors and lengths for around $10 to $15. They have multiple modes (steady, various blink patterns) so the rats can enjoy a festive light show if you're inclined.
We had one old cat who would hiss at any ground squirrels that came into the yard then chase them into the house so they could eat the buttons off the TV remote, so he was probably an outlier in the concept of effective rodent control. Our current pair are officially retired from anything resembling work.
fu
2015TK
Chris, are you wanting to send me some new pantyhose?;-) If so, I like fishnets, the darker the better.
If you need some, we still have some hosiery from when we cleared out our parents' homes. Garter belts not included.
Seriously though, the sacks of mothballs have helped repel the critters that wanted to camp in our rig while it was hibernating. It is parked in a wooded area from late November to April, under an Rv cover with screening over the exhaust pipes, old prescription bottles of mothballs (with holes in the caps) and fabric softener sheets in each exterior storage compartment, and those sacks of mothballs in the engine compartments. Before I undertook these measures, I had mice eating the air filter and an engine compartment full of shredded leaves, yuk. Thankfully they had not done damage but I do think I was lucky to avoid an underhood fire when I started the engine before discovering the nesting material.
Maybe your tough wild west critters need something more intimidating than pantyhose though? Stinky socks or ....
Merry Christmas,
Steve K (keeping warm by wearing pantyhose like Broadway Joe Namath did back in the old days!)
Harold,
There has been a great deal of discussion on the topic of rodent control.
A few of us use Fresh Cab packets. Balsam scent "blinds" the critters sniffers and since they are poor sighted visually, they rely on their sense of smell to keep them wary of danger. It is said that the Fresh Cab scent messes with this very important olfactory guidance and they prefer to go elsewhere.
It's inexpensive and its scent lasts several months before the packets need to be replaced.
I have them everywhere in my LD. Two zip tied in the engine bay (although they are above the engine so I think I'll dangle a couple more a bit lower). One zipped in the generator. One in each bay. One in each enclosed area of the coach...sink, dinette seats...everywhere I can think of.
After traveling and parking at home, I've only once noticed a nibble on a packet under the hood. No droppings to be found. Check YouTube for their videos. Pretty impressive stuff.
As far as under hood lighting goes, I've purchased a 12 volt LED rope light that I have yet to install, but I've heard good things about them. I think it was Andy who first brought this method to light.
Good luck. I'm really not a big fan of rodent infestation.
Kent
Thanks to all of you for the good ideas. I'll be heading to Home Depot for mothballs and a rope light this morning. Considering who comes through the line, I know I won't raise any eyebrows buying nylon stockings at Walmart.
Thanks again,
Harold
Thanks Kent,
I've never heard of the Fresh Cab rodent repellent, but I'll look into getting some.
Have a good Christmas and I'm still looking forward to that cup of coffee!
Harold
I once had a rodent infestation in which my paper air filter was shredded. Unfortunately I was unaware and upon starting the engine a portion of that material got sucked into the air flow sensor and beyond. I am consequently dead in the water and had to enlist the aid of a mechanic friend to help me get started again.
My permanent 'fix' for that problem was to form fit a piece of ¼" hardware cloth in the air horn and secure it with RTV. No rodent has been able to pass that barrier since. :)
As to chewed wires, I guess I've been lucky there, so far.
We have also had good luck with Fresh Cab. Many Tractor Supply stores stock it.
Over the years I've seen many attempts at rodent control. I've seen nests with mothballs in them, I've seen poison in the nest and drier sheets as well.
The only thing that has worked consistently is light. The little bastards just don't like it so they move on to a darker spot.
With newer LED strip lights, it's easier to make a lighted area without using too much power and this is the way I do it now.
We too have had our battles with mice and rats at different times while our RVs have been stored. We have trapped them and poisoned them and this has also been the case with other vehicles we have stored for the winter also. I have not tried the LED lights or the Fresh Cab scents which Ken suggested but I am glad for the help and ideas here on LDO and all of those who contribute to it. I too am going out to storage today to try to apply some of the suggestions to prevent future problems for our LD and other resting vehicles.
Thank you to All and Happy Holidays!
Karen ~ Liam
98 ~ MB
Merry Christmas to the rodents. So far my gifts include 1 have-a-Hart, two snap traps, one lovely electrocution trap, two bags of mothballs, and a couple of sticky trays just for good measure. No LED light ropes yet and no partridge in a pear tree.
Thanks for all of the good ideas.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to everyone here on the forum!
Harold
These are also very effective at repelling vampires, werewolves, and tigers.
fu
2015TK
I understand having rodent problems when the rigs are parked longer (e.g. storage for the winter). Does anyone worry about when you are "parked" at a site for a week or two?
"I understand having rodent problems when the rigs are parked longer (e.g. storage for the winter). Does anyone worry about when you are "parked" at a site for a week or two?"
Rodents are opportunists. They don't check the calendar or mark your tires with chalk . . . they just hop aboard when it seems propitious. We always hook up the underhood lights whenever the wheels are not going to be moving for more than a couple of hours during dark hours. Might be overkill, but we are in the "once burned, twice careful" camp.
I always thought campers were marking out their territory when I saw lights on the ground around the perimeter of a rig, but now I'm wondering if that might be a rodent prevention ploy.
Virtual hugs,
Judie <-- Sierra Vista, Arizona
Adventures of Dorrie Anne | Photographing the West (http://dorrieanne.wordpress.com)
Today: Christmas Persimmon
******************************
I understand having rodent problems when the rigs are parked longer (e.g. storage for the winter). Does anyone worry about when you are "parked" at a site for a week or two?
Some places seem to be worse than others. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is one. They have signage warning about pack rats. We have boondocked on BLM land near Salida, CO a few times and found evidence of rodents in the engine compartment. It doesn't take long if they are a problem in the area. Luckily we have never had wiring damage but did find evidence of minimal damage to the engine air filter once. That said, we seldom have seen evidence of them.
Jim
A High Desert environment with sage and buck brush usually has a large population of Chipmunks and their close cousins. I can't remember how many times I've see the little buggers jump up into the undercarriage of both the RV and the Toad. My Jiggs would be frantic trying to get to them... to the extent that he once tore apart the fairing around the wheel well on my Honda to the extent that I had to have it repaired. Don't know which is worse, dog or rat! ::)
We were in Idaho with plans to hike in the pioneer mountains early in the morning the next day. Some where along the way we picked up a mouse when we were stopped. Later we herd it scratching for a couple of hours in one of the cabnets just after dinner which kept our 10 year old son up. He did not want the mouse hurt, we did have a plastic have a heart trap and baited it with peanut butter. There was some noise and scratching till about 10 pm when the trap did it's job. we had a captured mouse. The next morning when we hiked, we left the little guy somewhere along the trail about a couple of miles from where we were camped. My son insisted that we add more peanut butter for the little guy to enjoy before we released him to go on his way. Otherwise we have been free of rodents while we have been traveling but have had our fair share while our other RV has been stored. We have only had our LD since April and just today I saw mouse droppings on the battery, they are fresh. I bought some Fresh Cab and hung it in the Engine compartment and one in the Genset compartment. No LED light ropes available here on island since the Christmass Rush. We will have to acquire them elsewhere later.
Karen ~ Liam
98 ~ MB
So if light is a good deterrent, has anyone tried just leaving the hood up when parked to keep the engine compartment "protected"? I do so when I notice critters jumping up onto the LD understructure.
"has anyone tried just leaving the hood up when parked to keep the engine compartment 'protected'?"
From what I've seen, that's pretty common practice, especially in desert areas. Does it work? No way to be certain, but it can't hurt.
"So if light is a good deterrent, has anyone tried just leaving the hood up when parked to keep the engine compartment "protected"? I do so when I notice critters jumping up onto the LD understructure."
----
Several years ago, the Ladeze had a gathering at Ridgway State Park out of Ouray, CO. Like many other locations (mountain, desert, other), Ridgway has a varied "squirrel" population, and in September at that elevation, these are very active prepping for winter. Several of us left the hoods of our rigs propped open, hoping to deter the busy little critters from using the engine compartments as granaries. Leaving the hoods open did accomplish one thing: an opportunity to watch the squirrels hauling piñon cones into the engine compartments, either via the grill or from the tires and/or undercarriage.
As ever, YMMV. ;)
Joan
Thanks again for all of the great suggestions. Christmas eve day was spent cleaning up rodent mess and setting traps. One rat in a have a hart, one in a snap trap, and one unfortunate rabbit in the have a hart. The little electrocution trap hasn't yielded anything, but I'm still hopeful. I really can't get myself to place the sticky traps; they are rather inhumane, even for rats. (I'd use them for politicians, but that is a different and more insidious infestation)
I checked my truck, driven 600 miles a week and a half ago and left with a clean engine compartment, and found a HUGE rat nest in the engine compartment which had to be removed and cleaned out as well. One half of a large craftsman I/O vacuum full of leaves, twigs, snail shells, and fuzzy and foil insulation, formerly wrapping my battery and AC. Placed stockings full of moth balls and no inhabitants since then.
Rope lights are on their way.
Thanks again for the suggestions.
I'm surprised that nobody has suggested the thing that has worked for years for me, and perfectly! Rodents seem to hate the smell of "original Irish Spring soap" as much as I do. I always leave a few bars in the engines of my RV and tow vehicle every summer, also in the coach front and back, and wherever I think they might like to nest, and have never been bothered again. Years ago all the electrical wires in my camper van were eaten up in Southern California by rodents so I know how horrible the repairs can be. The nice thing is that you can just put the bars back into the boxes and use them the next year, just as effective.
Kristin from Alaska
1997 MB
I'm surprised that nobody has suggested the thing that has worked for years for me, and perfectly! Rodents seem to hate the smell of "original Irish Spring soap" as much as I do. I always leave a few bars in the engines of my RV and tow vehicle every summer, also in the coach front and back, and wherever I think they might like to nest, and have never been bothered again. Years ago all the electrical wires in my camper van were eaten up in Southern California by rodents so I know how horrible the repairs can be. The nice thing is that you can just put the bars back into the boxes and use them the next year, just as effective.
Kristin from Alaska
1997 MB
Rodents seem to hate the smell of "original Irish Spring soap" as much as I do.
Thought that Fresh Cab smelled familiar. Got a box off ebay to try thanks to recent posts here and was going to get another but will try the Irish Spring instead. Thanks.
Have to ask - Alaska in winter in a MB?
Rich
Well picked up a 20 pack of "original" Irish Spring bars at Sam's for about $8, quartered 4 of them, and spread them around all the LD outside bins and engine compartment.
Have 4 fresh cab packs spread around inside of coach.
Mice and other critters are around the neighborhood but have not seen signs of them in the RV prior to putting in the fresh cab (a few weeks ago) so figure the Irish Spring can't hurt.
Just have to remember to remove it from generator and engine compartment before monthly exercise.
Rich
"...Just have to remember to remove it from generator and engine compartment before monthly exercise..."
Rich,
Is it the Irish Spring or the Fresh Cab in the Generator bay? If it's the Fresh Cab, you should be fine leaving it be if like me, you have it zip tied to the outside cover of the genny itself (not the bay door).
I did notice though, yesterday, that a pack of FC I placed between the battery compartment door and the battery tray was wet from the last downpour we had so in that regard it's probably a good idea to place it a bit higher to prevent this occurrence.
I do hope the rodent population leaves your LD alone. It's always nice to here of a successful preventative measure.
I climbed under my rig and examined all my bays yesterday and could see no signs of rodent visitations. I use quite a few Fresh Cab packets throughout the rig. So far so good.
Kent
I may also try the "Irish Spring" option, but I've certainly had excellent results with the Fresh Cab, which I started using after Jeanne Bold shared about it at the 2015 Ladeze GTG at Moab. The varmints had wrought havoc with insulation/tire covers/etc./etc., but not since she'd gotten the Fresh Cab. I only put one under the hood, & didn't think about the genn compartment...gotta go to the farm tomorrow, so will add another couple of pouches under the hood & genn compartment...& some Irish Spring for good measure.
Lynne
Lynne,
Thanks for the Fresh Cab tip. In an earlier post I wasn't sure who mentioned it, but one things for sure, I've been using it ever since.
I even have a pack under my S&B's kitchen sink just to freshen up the area. My DW is glad I did.
Kent
Can't speak for the mice and rats, but if Irish Spring soap were scattered around in my rig, I wouldn't go anywhere near it! :o
Joan
Is it the Irish Spring or the Fresh Cab in the Generator bay? If it's the Fresh Cab, you should be fine leaving it be if like me, you have it zip tied to the outside cover of the genny itself (not the bay door).
Soap is inside the genny on a flat spot near or on the air filter I think so needs to be removed when exercised. Didn't zip tie anything - just found a spot to set it in for now.
Can't speak for the mice and rats, but if Irish Spring soap were scattered around in my rig, I wouldn't go anywhere near it! :o
Ha - Will definitely remove before using but actually I don't mind it so much since used it back in high school gym days so its smell is kind of a nostalgic thing - funny how bad or good smells will do that.
RIch
Hmmm...
Irish Spring and high school gym days... I wonder if the Irish Spring soap smell was what made getting dates so difficult? And I didn't even date rats.
Back to my original post; since I cleaned up the messes, trapped a few rats and placed the stockings with mothballs in the rig, I haven't found any rat droppings or nesting evidence in the LD or the truck. The barn sure stinks. Rope lights should arrive today.
Thanks for all the help.
Hmmm...
Irish Spring and high school gym days... I wonder if the Irish Spring soap smell was what made getting dates so difficult? And I didn't even date rats.
Back to my original post; since I cleaned up the messes, trapped a few rats and placed the stockings with mothballs in the rig, I haven't found any rat droppings or nesting evidence in the LD or the truck. The barn sure stinks. Rope lights should arrive today.
Thanks for all the help.
What kind of rope lights did you buy?
Chris
Chris,
Rope light is a LE Solar LED rope light.
https://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-Daylight-Decoration-Christmas-Thanksgiving/dp/B017XDESHW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483228352&sr=8-1&keywords=LE+solar+led+rope+light
I also bought a Powersmith LED work light. 120v. 15 W power use for 1400 lumens.
https://www.amazon.com/PowerSmith-PWL1115BS-1400-Lumen-Light/dp/B00W9M5GII/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1483228486&sr=8-2&keywords=powersmith+led+work+light
The LED worklight is useful for other jobs, so I figured I will use it in the Lazy Daze when we are home. The solar rope lights can be used at home in the driveway for the truck as well as go on trips with us.
We'll see how it goes with the lights. So far, so good with the mothballs in panty hose in the engine compartments. In addition, two rats trapped and one shot. In my world, the direct approach is satisfying. Rats aren't gone yet and there are still droppings in the barn.
Harold
Chris,
Rope light is a LE Solar LED rope light.
Amazon.com: LE 33ft 100 LEDs Solar Power Rope Lights, Waterproof Outdoor,... (https://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-Daylight-Decoration-Christmas-Thanksgiving/dp/B017XDESHW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483228352&sr=8-1&keywords=LE+solar+led+rope+light)
I also bought a Powersmith LED work light. 120v. 15 W power use for 1400 lumens.
Amazon.com: PowerSmith PWL1115BS 15W 1400 Lumen LED Work Light: Home Improvement (https://www.amazon.com/PowerSmith-PWL1115BS-1400-Lumen-Light/dp/B00W9M5GII/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1483228486&sr=8-2&keywords=powersmith+led+work+light)
The LED worklight is useful for other jobs, so I figured I will use it in the Lazy Daze when we are home. The solar rope lights can be used at home in the driveway for the truck as well as go on trips with us.
We'll see how it goes with the lights. So far, so good with the mothballs in panty hose in the engine compartments. In addition, two rats trapped and one shot. In my world, the direct approach is satisfying. Rats aren't gone yet and there are still droppings in the barn.
Harold
Thanks for the link, Harold. With a length of 33', looks like you would need 2 to completely surround the LD or I guess 1 would work if you curled it under the rig.
Chris
I stuffed the rope light in the engine compartment of the truck.
The work light has a base, which I removed. I then placed it on a low step-stool under the engine compartment, facing up. It seems to illuminate the engine compartment with direct and reflected light in addition to illuminating the underside of the coach. I may modify this a little and put it in a oil drain pan on the step stool so that my young bride doesn't get bothered by seeing the light in the barn from our bedroom at night. Happy wife... We'll see how this all works, but I have confidence that following the lead of other members here is the way to go.
Harold
"A clean, manly scent"
"Manly yes, but I like it too" -- said no female ever.
If Irish Spring works, Axe body spray should be even better.
fu
2015TK
"...If Irish Spring works, Axe body spray should be even better..."
Hmmm...
Perhaps our rodent parasites run for the hills from Irish Spring due to the irritation it causes to their skin. I know that's why I avoid it.
Just sayin'
Kent
I prefer Lava myself. ;D
Hi folks
We were listening to our favorite garden show on the radio and Bob Webster was talking about rats, squirrels, and raccoons in the attic. He strongly recommended NOT using mothballs as it is a known carcinogen. Instead he says soak tennis balls in ammonia and toss them in the attic or elsewhere. It gets rid of unwanted rodents. I checked online and found they said the same thing. Also can use ammonia soaked rags in car engines etc. Just remember to remove before driving. We have not tried it but sounds reasonable to me and better smelling than mothballs.
Corky
2013 TK 24 '
I've been following this thread with a small smile on my face. Having been raised on a farm the only thing we found that would keep rats and other vermin of this sort out of the living space was a hungry cat or a shotgun. Since shooting the shotgun into the engine or inside the rig is mostly out of the question using ammonia which smells to the rats like cat urine is a good substitute.
Glen
Colddog,
Are you a Guy Clark fan?
Hmmmm....maybe I can train the cat to accept tennis balls as cat box litter. 😜
Mice are stupid. They didn't have any aversion to hanging out where we kept the litter box in the S&B. The cats weren't much smarter, for what it's worth.
fu
2015TK
I just bought rid a rat strobes
Easier to find a good spot where light would distribute in the Forester toad than the LD.
Amazon.com : Packrat and Rodent Deterrent Device, Model RC-2 : Automotive... (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00D2AQYI2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483770282&sr=8-1&keywords=rid+a+rat)
I also got Mpow solar motion sensor lights to put underneath the vehicles engine. They go on for a few seconds when I walk by the vehicles.
Lots of people with white rope lights under vehicles at Desert Trails RV park where I am near Tucson.
Kirsten - lol, I never really liked that soap smell either.
Hmmm. I am a soapmaker; looks like I should whip up a strong smelling anti rodent soap. Any willing testers out there? If it doesn't work on rats it's still biodegradable and gentle on your skin