Marmots at trailheads

[def90]

Have never had wires chewed or any other rodent damage during the last 26 years that I've lived in Colorado. I did have a mouse pop out on to my windshield one time while driving down I25 back from Santa Fe though so who knows about New Mexico.

 

[learnr]

I would definitely try repellent. Had a rat get into my wife’s car. Noticed it when I drove into the garage and the car smelled like pig barn. Set 5 traps and got him on a sticky trap but he got away. Washed the engine compartment out nothing worked. He left the engine compartment and I figured he was into the cab. Put a thermal on a pellet gun and laid in the corner of the garage and shot him when he came down for supplies. He got the fuel tank harness.

 

[tramper]

While on a two-hour moose scouting hike in early June, a marmot crawled up into the engine compartment of my Tacoma and hitched a ride back to the Denver metro area. Had no idea it was up there. Two days later, while taking my lab for a walk, she started going nuts near the truck. When we returned from the walk, I raised the hood and found droppings and two chewed wiring harnesses. The truck wouldn't start. I spliced some of the wires back together and got it started, and took it to the Toyota dealer. $5,500 later, it was put back together again. Luckily, my insurance covered all but the deductible. I've lived and hunted in Colorado for 27 years and had never heard of such a thing. The only difference I can think of is that I was in the mountains in June as opposed to August and later. I think if you check under the hood before you drive away from the trailhead, you should be okay.

 

[LongWayAround]

I had a buddy in Iowa store a beater SUV in his grandpa's barn while he went to basic training. The AC never worked in his truck before he stored it. When he picked it up, the mice had cleared out all of the ducts and the AC worked again. It might have been blowing hantavirus, but it worked...

 

[MThuntr]

I've had pack rats get into my work truck at the trailhead when someone closed my partially propped up hood. 7 years later on a hot day it still smells like rat piss. We replaced basically the entire vent system and cleaned with all the magic chemicals to no avail.

Now I have small rodent repellent pouches that are placed all over the undercarriage of my vehicles with the hood propped open. Not sure if they actually work but it gives some peace of mind.

 

[brian wagar]

100 % pine sol spray around and in engine compartment and around tent no mice or pack rat problem..