Rodents in vehicle at trailhead

[ElkArcher918]

I Hate Packrats! Gotten hit twice during archery in southcentral CO. Damage to underhood insulation and foam. Seems like they like lower elevation sagebrush, brushy rocky dry ditches. The idea of leaving the hood open is interesting. I'm no expert but I read somewhere that smearing some sort of greasy concoction on the underside may work as packrats may be repelled by minty smelling/tasting substances. Anybody care to elaborate?

 

[TaperPin]

I’m sure it technically breaks a number of federal and state laws, but parking near horse trailers has usually been mouse free - most ranch guys seem to keep a good supply of rat/mouse bait that gets tossed around to keep rodents out of their rigs.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I posted in another thread about what a mechanic friend told me. Spray the entire engine compartment heavily with plain lysol and zip tie dryer sheets all over. I also have one of those blinky gizmos and it all seems to have worked well for my truck and our car.

 

[*zap*]

In some places folks are leaving all the doors open to keep the rats out

 

[isItFallYet]

I posted in another thread about what a mechanic friend told me. Spray the entire engine compartment heavily with plain lysol and zip tie dryer sheets all over. I also have one of those blinky gizmos and it all seems to have worked well for my truck and our car.

Im telling you, pepper spray works wonders!

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Im telling you, pepper spray works wonders!

Are you referring to the small containers of the stuff for fending off a thief or the mega cans of bear spray? I am looking for multiple methods as we are rodent central where we live.

 

[isItFallYet]

Are you referring to the small containers of the stuff for fending off a thief or the mega cans of bear spray? I am looking for multiple methods as we are rodent central where we live.

I used an old can of bear spray, but Im sure any pepper spray will work!

 

[DeePow]

Last year I had my slide in camper in the bed of my truck. Since the weather was going to be warm I figured I’d leave the rear window in my truck down because it was going to be warm. I ended up spending two nights in the backcountry before returning.

Monday afternoon I got in my truck and it was a pretty smelly. Figuring one of my kids had left food in their seat. I did a quick search but didn’t turn up anything. I decided to leave my windows down for the night and see if it got better. It didn’t. The next afternoon it was rank. I went through the process of taking their car seats out. Vacuuming all around. I couldn’t find anything. Then, I went to slide the backseat forward to look behind it. I jumped, screamed, and smacked my head. A mouse was hanging in the rear window by one leg. It had either fallen and gotten it pinched or I shut the window on it preventing from escaping. Regardless it was nasty.

I also had packrats chew through wires in my old truck, preventing my manual transmission from being able to get out of second gear. I leave a small thing of moth balls under the hood at all times now.

 

[Blacktail247]

Dryer sheets work great

 

[traildust]

Prop the hood open about a foot, you want some daylight under the hood, place some of these in the engine compartment and under your truck on the ground

https://a.co/d/7Nfpooj

This is what we do in S Texas......those freaking rats can cost you $1000 when they get into the wiring harness or air intake

 

[MallardSX2]

I never had any issues but my Grandpa started his Dodge one time at the PA game lands parking lot one cold fall day and someone's housecat had crawled up inside of his fan shroud to stay warm.... He cleaned cat fur out of that truck till the day he sold it.

 

[Olsolitaire1]

Rodent Sheriff peppermint spray can pick up at Ace hardware or other places. works. Also they have peppermint packets.

 

[lukebrowning]

Me and my friends are on our way to the trailhead!

 

[hikenhunt]

I had mice get into my rig at a trailhead a while back. I thought they were still in it and had traps set inside for a week or two before I figured out they live at the trailhead and get in/out of cars as they please. Any food I leave in the car gets put in a tupperware or similar now when I park at trailheads.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

What truck do you have? In my Tundra there’s a known spot they get into the cab under the windshield cowl. I added some metal mesh to avoid them getting in.

Do you happen to what year tundras are like this ? I came back to my tundra at a trailhead in Colorado a few years back to find a mouse had got in & made a mess.

 

[Marley33]

2 of the last 3 years, while leaving our truck at the trailhead in Colorado for a 10 day hunt, I have come back to find shredded tissues in my truck where a rodent was in the cab. I have not had any damage or found the rodent but just seen the evidence from where it was.
Does anyone have any suggestions for keeping them out of the cab of my truck while in the backcountry hunting for ten days?

Do a once over on the truck and stuff steel wool in any obvious spots, also try to park out of the brush if possible.

 

[Buckman]

Just yesterday i had to repair chewed wires to the crank sensor. I hate the little bass turds.

 

[buffybr]

I've heard that pieces of Irish Spring soap under the hood and under the seats and dash inside will keep the rodents away.

 

[Weldor]

I Hate Packrats! Gotten hit twice during archery in southcentral CO. Damage to underhood insulation and foam. Seems like they like lower elevation sagebrush, brushy rocky dry ditches. The idea of leaving the hood open is interesting. I'm no expert but I read somewhere that smearing some sort of greasy concoction on the underside may work as packrats may be repelled by minty smelling/tasting substances. Anybody care to elaborate?

I use Repels all it works. Live in the Sonoran desert, it keeps them out. just spray your wheel wells and engine compartment. leave my jeep parked outside, they would get in it on occassion, have not any sigh of them since I started using it. The hood thing works, just hope you don't get a wind gust or dust devil.