# What can keep mice/rats from under vehicle's hood ?



## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Arky217 said:


> What is a good repellant to keep mice and rats from building nests under your vehicle's hood ? So far, tried moth balls, vinegar soaked cotton balls, clothes dryer sheets.
> Even have Tomcat and Just one bite 2 poisions under the hood.
> So far, they keep coming.


A good Calico mother kitty taking care of her family is a good deterrent. This one has taken care of any mouse problem there may have been and has moved on to bigger and better things such as gophers.


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## Hick (Nov 21, 2014)

Cats are a great problem solver when it comes to vermin & some other pests but, am guessing you have tried that route.

I am curious why they are building nests in your hood to begin with. Is this a daily driver? is the vehicle kept in the garage? Do you live in a cold climate? Is the area around the car a mouse/rat haven such as lots of food & hiding spots.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

The biggest problem with mice, is that they love to take insulation from the engine compartment, along with whatever they pick up, and tend to nest in the air box for the air filter, or even worse, find a way into the outside air vent that feed into the interior heater/air cond. box.

The best thing to do, is set up some traps in the garage and around the house, that the critters can get into, but not get out. Some people swear by scrambled eggs as the best thing to get mice & rats trapped.

As for the cats, they will grab anything they see on the ground. Even lick Antifreeze if a vehicle is leaking it.

The only other way of getting rid of mice, is to eliminate their food sources, and invite a few Garter Snakes over to keep your yard cleaned from mice & other small critters.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

I was gonna suggest a snake, but was beat to it.

I have heard that human hair in a nylon stocking will repel these vermin.

You might ask a barber/ stylist for some clippings, and get old worn out stockings, fill a loose foot, or lower leg section, and lay under the hood to see, just remember to remove it before driving very far, burning hair stinks.


ED


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## Arky217 (Aug 18, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestions.
I have 3 vehicles, all under a carport; I don't have a garage.

This morning, I opened the hood of my truck and there was a rat about the size of the one in the picture that SeniorSitizen posted. It was nose down between the engine and firewall and stayed there for about 3 seconds.

If I would of had something pointed in my hand, I could have stabbed it.
I had a full stick of Just One Bite 2 wedged between the frame and battery and the rat had moved it to the other side of the engine and had taken just a little bite from it. (Hopefully enough to kill it !).

In addition to putting it under the hoods, I made a couple of bait stations for the One Bite with a 1.5" hole. However, nothing has eaten any of the One Bite in them yet. After seeing the size of the rat, I'm wondering if the hole is big enough !

Thinking of getting an agressive cat, but I wonder if I should wait and see what the One Bite will do. I don't want the cat to eat a poisioned rat and it kill the cat or make it sick.

Which would be a more agressive rat catching cat, male or female ?

I have already tried the 5 gal. water traps with the rotating soda can, but something licked all the peanut butter off the cans. I think it was a fox because I saw one the night before it happened. Besides, I think those traps are more for mice; the rats can proably get the bait without jumping onto the can.

I could set some mechanical rat traps, but I don't want to kill squirrels or whatever.

Evidently those deterrents I used ( dryer sheets, moth balls, vinegar ) have no effect.

Any more suggestions ?


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## PoleCat (Sep 2, 2009)

Rats are a different battle than mice. I would not put any sort of bait in the car itself. You will attract them where you don't want them in the first place. Rats are like squirrels in parts of Florida - everywhere. If you are around a good source of food and water you will not win this one.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Idle autos are more problematic than daily drivers. Try driving those idlers as frequently as possible.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

You have to place the traps along walls. Because that is how they travel. For rats, scrambled eggs work the best.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

for rats you need a bigger cat:laughing:


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## Arky217 (Aug 18, 2010)

Well, I've been feeding the rats 'just one bite 2' for 6 days now and they still keep coming back for more.

I've got 2 bait stations on the ground and I wire a 2 oz. bar in each one.

I check them a couple hours after dark and all the one bite is gone.
They have to be eating a good bit of the bar to get it loose from the wire to carry away.
The hole in the bait station is 1.5" square and they have to get their whole body in to reach the one bite at the back end.
The two that I saw were as big as the one in SeniorSitizen's picture.
Don't know how they can get their fat bodies through that hole.

There's either a lot of rats or it is taking a long time to kill them.

I opened the hood on the truck just before dark tonight and there was one sitting on the air cleaner just staring at me while chewing on some one bite.

It just kept staring and for an instant I thought about grabbing it and slamming it to the ground, but I figured it might bite my hand, so I slammed my hand down fast to try to squash it but it moved and just the end of my fingers hit it. Even then it didn't seem to be in a hurry to get away. (Wish I had a stick or knife in my hand at the time)

The box says it takes 4 to 5 days to kill them. I'm still waiting.

Nothing has been eaten any more in the mouse size bait stations, but the rats drag them a ways off trying to get to the bait.

I hope they're carrying enough back to their nests to kill their young'uns.

I also have 3 regular Victor rat traps baited with peanut butter, but they aren't bothering them for some reason.

Anyone know of a poision more potent than 'just one bite 2' or 'Tomcat' ?

Arky


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Ethylene glycol, A K A anti freeze.

But if you have any pets this is not a good idea. 


ED


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