Tractor Down

[johnjk]

Working on another project and I looked under the B3200 and saw a couple dead infant mice. Crap. Sidetracked again. I was counting on the FEL and the forks to move the project and get the fuel transfer tank in and out of the truck.
On closer inspection I could see shredded insulation poking out by the parking brake. Quick disassembly showed that the main mouse was there and dead. I guess it got in to the poison I put out in traps around the perimeter. Good!
What a freakin mess. Mouse house, turds and seeds everywhere. Worst of all they got the harness in a couple places. Stopping for lunch and the to RuralKing for wire to fix the mess. I took off all the shielding where they chewd and found bare wires down in the covered area. Great. Just got a bunch of this no crimp solder connectors in so I will try them out. Thank goodness I didn’t try and start it and cause a fire. Pictures for your enjoyment. Any tips as to what I can use to keep the out of the dash?

 

[Russell King]

There is a SSt wool that you could use to fill that area. It might cause more trouble though since it is sharp so critters try to avoid it. You have to wear special gloves to handle it.

I guess you could also try some mesh or screen to fill up the space underneath the dash.

 

[D2Cat]

I would have left a bag of moth balls under the dash!

 

[hagrid]

A delightful kitty.

 

[Shawn T. W]

A delightful kitty.

Or three!

 

[johnjk]

Highly allergic to cats so mothballs may have to do. I went to my local RK to grab some wire but 10’ of 18 gauge was 22.99. Nope. Got 6 different colors at 15’ each for 11.00 online. I want to buy local but at those prices I can wait on Monday delivery

 

[Shawn T. W]

If your thinking of maybe getting a doggy ... Most of the terriers will also give the mice and rats a run for there money ... Cats are more independent and work for me as I'm gone alot, they are also very patient killers!

Leaving your hood open can help, (if parked inside) so can dryer sheets, some brand is supposed be better than others, I bought a box before I got my cats, but don't remember the brand ... (Bounce?)

If you use a battery maintainer, that might be just enough heat to attract them too, only nest I found was on top of my battery before they did any damage, then I got the kitties !

 

[johnjk]

We have dogs but they aren’t interested in rooting around the barn. Have not had issues with them (mice) on the battery yet and I run a battery tender on things in the winter. They did like the 4 wheeler under the seat but I moved that to the garage after I evicted them and no further issues there.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

I set bait stations outside so they go home full and don't wander inside. It took about two years to go from infestation to decimation.

 

[InTheWoods]

I use bait stations too - it does take time and constant maintenance, but it works.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Wow!!!!!

Thats a lot of damage.


My SIL said to use “dryer sheets” at the cottage in our portable ice shanties, and I did…….but I am not 100% sure/convinced of the effectiveness.

The neighbor has cats and chickens that we “welcome”….I like watching the cats hunt and love feeding the chickens. So they might be the reason for our current “mouse free” status….()

EDIT: I also stuffed all the cracks in the “pole barn” with that Barbed Stainless Steel mesh. (Caution….Wear leather gloves when handling that stuff….nasty sh!t for sure)

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

Dryer sheets overwhelm their sense of smell, but if they're desperate for a new home or already live in yours some may stay. Peppermint oil works better, but that's not absolute either.

Not all mice will fall for the same tricks. (I likely know more about mice than tractors...) I use bait stations, glue boards, snap traps, and live traps...something will get them, though some old and wise ones will still die of old age, leaving the young and gullible.

 

[BAP]

Products like Cab Fresh work good for a while, Pepermint Oil soaked cotton balls are another good repellent. Both require replacing after the smell starts to diminish. Many people will say scented dryer sheets, but my experience with using them in our camper for 3-4 winters was not so. We had as many or more mice those winters. Another thing to do is to constantly blow off the tractor including under the hood and dash after using the tractor in environments where you are getting dust and vegetative debris on the tractor.

 

[johnjk]

I toyed around with sealing the dash stack but there are way too many points of entry to make this possible. I did have the rodent guards put on when they built the barn. May end up going to Round 2 and try some of that stainless mesh Shoved in there as well. I let the weeds around the perimeter get out of control this year. My bad. I’ll be cutting them back, putting down some geotex and covering with some millings at least 2’ out from the sides. I also need to seal up on the roof corners to keep the birds out but that is another issue for another day.