Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Anyway to prevent rodents from eating wires?

This has probably been discussed before but I couldn’t find it. I’ve not found anything so far that discourages rodents from eating the wires in my 4-wheeler and UTV. I’ve tried mothballs and that seemed to work for a while but didn’t ultimately prevent having to repair/replace wiring. Has anyone found a deterrent that works?

I'm listening. I've had my share of expensive problems. Someone wrote earlier that the wire insulation they use now is plant based and they like it.

I’ve heard that also. The mechanic at the Honda shop at old me to try Putting slivers of Irish Spring soap around the wiring harness. I’m trying that but don’t have a lot of hope.

Wrap them in Honda rodent tape. It’s somewhat expensive but is supposed to work.

Tabasco sauce, on anything you don't want ate.

Dryer sheets when parked.

Also

Peppermint spray.

This stuff

Little goes a long way.....smells good too

I put out stuff called “one more bite II”

Get it from the co-op / feed store.

Yellow bricks.

It kill mice and rats.

One More Bite, with Diphacinone, takes multiple feedings and can take up to 2 weeks to kill mice. Stuff with Bromadiolone can do the job with just 1 feeding. It can take 2 or 3 days to kill.

Fresh Cab works great.

https://www.earthkind.com/product/fresh-cab-rodent-repellent/

Was introduced to it by a friend whose family has a large farming operation in Iowa. They use it for all of their winter storage and have no issues with rodents. I used it in the camper while in NM and use it here for the camper, and in the shed with the yard tractor and ATV, so far all has been well.

I use Fresh Cab and rejuvinate it with peppermint and Fir Needle Essential oils. Friend of mine uses Fresh Cab in his $500K Corn Chopper. He has too thoroughly clean it after chopping season. That's good enough for me.

Another vote for Fresh Cab. It keeps mice out of my deer blinds and my Toyota 4-Runner when stored for the winter.

Fresh Cab is pricey but compare the price of pure Balsam Fir Oil. It's expensive, like Amazon's price of $94/16oz. If it works, though, it's cheap.

I got a 4 pack of Fresh Cab to try. The only active ingredient is 2% Balsam Fir oil. There are some other oils but only for people to smell. They don't repel mice. You can easily make this stuff with about any dry vegetable matter, like dry leaves, sawdust, or something, a few drops of the balsam oil and maybe a few drops of peppermint oil or foo foo oil for flavor. Just don't make it smell too much like a French bordello. I think the idea is to overpower the balsam oil that's pretty strong. The oils are available on Amazon and anything you have at home will work for the dry matter. You don't even need a bag. Just put a handful in any small open container.

Thanks for the suggestions! The Fresh Cab sounds very promising

I ordered a 2oz bottle of balsam fir oil from Amazon for $17. I'll top up the Fresh Cab every 30 days or so with a few drops. The stuff's expensive but not nearly as expensive as buying new Fresh Cab every month.

Another vote for Fresh Cab--- it works

I said earlier that I'd ordered a 2oz bottle of balsam fir oil from Amazon to top up the Fresh Carb. I got it and tried it. 2 oz is a waste of money. 1 oz will last all winter although it's much cheaper in a 2 oz bottle. Hopefully it'll keep for a long time. A few drops on an old Fresh Carb bag and it smells like new.

I have problems with mice building nests in my 88 Jeep Cherokee air cleaner box (prior to filter). I have to clean it several times a year or all the insulation from the firewall they use plugs air filter. I have tried a small screen over the intake but it will freeze over driving at highway speeds in some cold snowstorms. I have tried a peppermint soaked rag in a small pill bottle with holes but with so much air passing through it does not last long.
Open to any ideas........Something that will last longer?

Louie

In my pickups that sit outside I’m using the fresh cab repellent packets, including one in the air box under the filter. In the past I’ve had mice shred the filter. We’ll see how it works this year.

I've tried it all. Bobcat paws are OK. Irish Spring is OK too. Peeing next to the truck tires after morning coffee every day seems to work the best, but it doesn't rain much here so it doesn't get washed away. There's always 15 traps set and ready and I buy rat baits in the 25# bucket. Nothing stops the rats here. I need a bazooka.

I use a combination of poison, the TomCat rodent repellent and I keep the wiring on my ATV uncovered and open to the daylight.

Since doing a combo of those things, I've not had any problems the last two years since I started.

ya!

GWB

Where I hunted, I set out about a dozen mouse traps all around the truck baited with peanut butter. Removed mice in morning and reset before I went hunting and again before I went to bed. It wasn't unusual to catch 30-35 mice each trip.

Those little bastids decided they wanted to build a nest under the hood of my truck.I noticed a few leaves scattered on the ground near my truck.Good thing I checked,could have started a fire.I removed the nest and put some D-Con pellets in an empty powder container that I cut the top out of and tie wrapped under the hood.It didn't take too long after they ate the D-Con,the problem went away.

I've been trying to trap some mice for weeks. For some reason they don't like peanut butter or nuts. I've never heard of mice that won't eat those. They're supposed to like chocolate. I hate to waste it on mice but I hate mice more than I hate wasting good chocolate. Fruit jam is supposed to work, too.

if you have pets, secondary poisining may be a real problem

Exactly what happened with my springer. We went to a friends cabin and the dog got into their d-Con. That cost me a hundred bucks and a trip to the vet for a stomach pump.

Then since I keep my truck up north in the garage at the cottage and don’t have pets,I put d-Con all around the tires. First thing that the visiting relation’s dog did was eat the d-Con. They called the vet and was told to make the dog vomit with some hydrogen peroxide. The wife had some and all went well. Best be prepared ahead of time because it happens… often.

Heat some bacon with a match when it’s in the trap, guaranteed.

Paint your wires with liquid arsnic.

Have you tried outside cats?

I thought the Japanese makers stopped using Soy in their electric wires a while ago to prevent this.

Flour.

I leave all the hoods up on ranch trucks the don’t get drove a lot, I had to spend 4-k to get a feed trk heater box replaced, mice ate all the fins up on fan and holes through plastic, I don’t drive it in summer much at all, others I leave hood up and they don’t touch them.

Honda makes an anti rodent tape that is laced with capsacin (spelling) that you can wrap the wiring with. Apparently it does work.

I use the Fresh Cab from Rural King and this:


I use them together, and spread a few bags around. Gus's is in a small bag with a tie string so you can tie it up. They also make a spray bottle, but my son took it
Rats destroyed my Gator wiring on the farm. I keep this on the tractor and Gator now, and so far, so good. Gus's has the peppermint oil and cinnamon oil. The Honda tape wrap sounds very promising, and I would have likely used it if I would have known.

Chris in AL

Wet down the wires and sprinkle cayenne pepper on them. The water help the powder adhere.

Besides traps and cats, IF there was sometime that REALLY worked I would spend big bucks for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cayanne Pepper
$1:00 cheapo stuff
Sprinkle it around what you do not want eaten/chewed on.
My open storage shed has mice around and in it year round.
Tried it around a trap with peanut butter on it, vs another 10 ft away without the cayanne pepper around it, never caught one where the pepper was, but multiple caught on the other.
Good luck

Fox urine WORKS, but not cheap.

A mixture of cayenne pepper and fox urine-but it will smell.
Layer it on the harness and wire.
Mice will say goodbye: als0-park outside in winter except in real snow/ice storm. DO NOT leave in garage unused/ run occasionally.

We have a problem with kangaroo rats and mice.

https://www.amazon.com/Tomcat-Repel...p;hvtargid=pla-4584276309324475&th=1

you can get it by the can or gallon.

I leave the hood of my ATV open to the light and the wires exposed. I then liberally spray this on the wiring harness and around the surface. I/ve been doing this the last couple years everytime I leave my lease (about once a month). I've not had a problem since.

I also spray it in my camper.

Seems to work.

Best,

GWB