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#4263993 - 05/25/16 11:36 PM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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Rats don't eat acorns? Are you sure it's not squirrels?

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#4264006 - 05/26/16 12:11 AM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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i used a fence shocker to put a few dummy insulated coils of wire with a voltage. one bite through the rubber and it is usually fatal to mice, when they are standing on the metal engine. Field mice can carry and store acorns and walnuts, and once they start stockpiling them in a vehicle, or lawn mower, they are hard to get rid of. I suspect the OP is dealing with mice rather than rats, from personal experience. Glue traps work well.


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#4264011 - 05/26/16 12:19 AM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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Gotta love having underground heated parking with car wash bays. Yes it does get hot down there
during the summer with building AC compressors running. But we have a trap line set for all entry
points. Never had a rat. Just a few mice. Actually had more in Apt from a resident who moved
in from off the farm, Yeah they brought pets. Set sticky traps in 3 units and picked a couple
dozen. Same in the storage rooms.


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#4264018 - 05/26/16 12:30 AM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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How exciting!

All we'd ever find here are the occasional cat in the engine or in the wheel well.

#4264020 - 05/26/16 12:35 AM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: CG2015]  
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Originally Posted By: CG2015
Rats don't eat acorns? Are you sure it's not squirrels?


That would be my guess, and if there are red squirrels where he lives I bet it's them and not greys.

Get a plastic trash can or 55 gallon barrel, fill it half full of water, and pour oily bird seed in so it floats. Leave a stick leaning against the barrel. Tree rats will jump in for the seeds and drown. It's the quickest, easiest way to get rid of them, just check daily and throw the carcasses far enough that you can't smell them. You'll want to drain and refill the barrel maybe twice a week. The oil from the seeds will keep mosquito larvae from surviving.


Phil

“The biggest problem people have is they don’t think they’re supposed to have problems.” - Hayes Barnard
#4264026 - 05/26/16 01:13 AM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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Yeah, I had the wiring harness on one of my pick-ups eaten not long ago. And yes, rats and mice WILL eat acorns if they are readily available. Like any other animal they take what is easiest and quickest. If it's acorns then they will eat them, if it's oats, etc.


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#4264052 - 05/26/16 04:30 AM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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CG2015 Offline
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Acorns are from oak trees, right?

I am calling the landscaping company and getting all the oak trees cut down.

If the wife wants to complain about the lack of shade and the upstairs being hot, she can turn the AC down.

#4264214 - 05/26/16 05:16 PM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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So, I set 2 traps last night.

I put one on top of the tire on the side he's been going in on, and put one in the motor. When I came out to the car this morning, the one on top of the tire was tripped and laying on the ground underneath my car.

The one in the motor (pic below) was untouched as far as I can tell.



I guess I will keep trying!


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#4264249 - 05/26/16 06:33 PM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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When I bought my first Miata, something had been storing food away for the Winter in the air box. No damage, at least not from that. It never chewed through the filter to get to the rest of the engine. The car was full of surprises.



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#4264260 - 05/26/16 07:07 PM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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Ice Cold in Alex or Eating in ...
This is what I found in the rear footwell of my MG



The nearest walnut tree is about 200m or about 4 gardens away


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#4264404 - 05/27/16 02:43 AM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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That's insane that it's your daily driver, and you still get nests. Stubborn rodents!

I have a '91 Dodge W150 truck that sits by my barn all of the time, and I might drive it maybe 200 miles a year. It's mainly just my hauling truck for wood I cut, trash, or if my Jeep is in the shop. I know when I get in it I have to open the passenger door before I fire it up...so the mice can escape. Mice are always living in the heat/air ducts when it sits for a long time. Smells like mouse piss any time I need to turn on the heat...lol. Luckily they've never chewed through any wiring, but they do leave a mess. Last year I actually had a starling nest in my spare battery tray under my hood. The beast still fires up and runs like a champ though...lol.

As far as other things...I've had to clean mouse nests out of my riding lawn tractors and push mower. An old Cub Cadet I used to have, mice had the air cleaner so packed full of crap that it wouldn't even start, and one of my push mowers seized up when my wife was using it because the air cooling fins on the engine was packed with mouse nest that it over heated.

I have some barn cats now so it doesn't seem to be as bad as it used to be. I hate small rodents...lol.


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#4264566 - 05/27/16 03:44 PM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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Update:

Just to review a little...the night before last, I set two traps. One on top of the tire where I think he's entering from and one on top of the engine block where his shells are. The next morning, the trap on top of the tire was tripped and laying under the car and the trap inside the motor was just where I left it. There were no shells or evidence that he made it inside...I was thinking the tire trap scared him and he gave up for the night.

I did find little footprints on the hood near the windshield where I think he tried as an alternative after the tire trap scared him:




So last night, I didn't set a trap in the motor...and just set the one on top of the tire. This morning I checked for the trap on the tire and it wasn't there. I figured it was under the car again, looked under the car...nope. The trap is gone! I mean completely gone...I looked around the surrounding area...can't find it.

So I pop the hood:



I had completely cleaned out the shells from the last time he was there...so the little b@stard is leaving me a message. I had to go to work so I called the wife and asked her to look around better for the trap. She sent me a text message saying " It's gone...lol".

Since I've been trying to catch him the tally is:

Rat: 2 Force: 0

I'm starting to get pissed!

banghead


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#4264579 - 05/27/16 04:05 PM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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#4264593 - 05/27/16 04:42 PM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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Dart Offline
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If the trap is gone that means somewhere there is a rodent either stuck somewhere with a big thing stuck to his tail - or he's without one.

Time to put a box of poison under the vehicle.


The opinions of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

More dumb stuff at http://www.darts-page.com

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#4264595 - 05/27/16 04:49 PM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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Yeah, trapping is an art.
You have to keep your sent off the traps, and make it so he is funneled into the mouth, put brush over the steal if you can, depends on what kind of trap your using.

On a similar note....my reliable 93' Stealth just went down. It needs a water pump.
Problem is, the whole thing is run on a 'timing belt'.
Which means I have to take off the plenum, and the entire front end of the engine, the water pump is in the middle.
The manual says 5 hours work.....it's probably more like 2 days of constant wrenching.
I'm giving it to a good mechanic I found. 500+ labor, 350+ for parts. Lots of gaskets.
And replacing the belt and several other items, 'tensioner' etc....is recommended.
Might as well do the plugs, that's another 100 bucks, while I'm in there.
Then have to do the wires.

It's gonna be well over a grand.

'Water Pump'....yeah.
Bad week for me too. wink

Kill that 'Rat'....boil your traps, cover them, and put a stinky sent on them and funnel him to them.
He'll bite. wink


"Murphy's Law"
#4264596 - 05/27/16 04:51 PM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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I think Dart is right, could be his leg or tail.
Probably his front foot/leg.
He may not come back.
But then again.....lol......

You must be using a regular wood and steal bar 'snap trap', rat trap.
Probably best.
Don't reuse the one he touched already.
And use gloves when you touch them.
Maybe cover them with very light grass cuttings, and put some stink on the wood.




"Murphy's Law"
#4264602 - 05/27/16 05:03 PM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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Force10 Offline
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Thanks for the tips guys!

I was kinds hoping the trap caught his tail/leg or something on the way out and he dragged it away.

We'll see if he comes back!


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Onboard Realtek sound
______________________________________________________

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#4264728 - 05/27/16 11:02 PM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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Dart Offline
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I prefer the glue traps.

They're much less fussy and are self-scented - plus one gets to see what's causing the problem.


The opinions of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

More dumb stuff at http://www.darts-page.com

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#4264746 - 05/28/16 12:09 AM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Dart]  
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Originally Posted By: Dart
If the trap is gone that means somewhere there is a rodent either stuck somewhere with a big thing stuck to his tail - or he's without one.

Time to put a box of poison under the vehicle.


Or.. "They" are working as a team

#4264762 - 05/28/16 01:28 AM Re: Rat in my motor! $3800 fix...ugh [Re: Force10]  
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My last response was a little tongue in cheek, but looking at the pictures again and the amount and size of the nuts, I don't believe it's a rat, but either a chip monk with fat cheeks or a squirrel(s). That's a lot of nuts eaten in a short time.

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