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Topic: Mice... (Read 809 times) previous topic - next topic

Mice...

Every day car still barely turns a wheel and has probably done no more than 150 miles in the past 2 months.

It gets moved around every few days and regular short journeys so not exactly standing still all the time, however it's obviously not enough as there's been visitors.

We live out in the country... wildlife's part and parcel of that, but never had this before.

Different suggestions on the inter-web and as usual lots of potions and devices with unsupported arguments for and against each.

Got lucky and managed to source a good second hand rubber seal, thankfully for not very much... it's a relatively new car so I don't expect to be able to keep doing that so easily and buying new from a dealer is extortionate.

Any other country dwellers have similar experiences with genuine tips (over and above the obvious, like using the car more!)

(Car sits outside all the time... garage is full of Golfs and a Pug.)







 

Re: Mice...

Reply #2 –
Is that an optimiser type car charger socket with the red cap? looks like they've had a go at that too.
So I'd be very vigilante and check they haven't done anything else.

I was initially wondering if you've used any product on that rubber that might have attracted them, as it seems an odd thing to go for.

I spotted a mouse the other day, it's moved in under my new shed. We've only had them in the house once and I found their way in and blocked it. They used to be a problem under out conservatory but that was pulled down this summer.

We're not in the countryside, as such but on the outskirts of a rural market town so the wildlife is still fairly active.

Our neighbours have a wooden an outbuilding, basically a shed, it used to be the old boys painting studio but he passed away quite a few years back and as far as I know it's not been opened up since. I dread to think what's in there but I'm sure it's the source of the problem and they branch out from there. I'm sure it will be a difficult subject to bring up with the neighbour, she has to be pushing 90 and is deaf, her daughter still lives at home she's a total mad hatter and if she's not passed 60 already she's defo late 50s and had a hard life.

Do you know where they're likely to be nesting?

Anyway, apart from strategically placed traps I'm afraid I have no other words of wisdom.

Re: Mice...

Reply #4 –
sadly and rightly or wrongly, i stuff packets of poison in boot and engine bays.... had for too many things eating rubber.  Found that mice love the cycle tape and seats on my de la rosa road bike, mice love undercarpet insulation for nesting, and rats love everthing thing else.

Re: Mice...

Reply #5 –
Have a doozey old retriever who barks at everything, including the various cats that pass through. Ironically we've been trying to discourage them visiting, might have to look at that again.

WD40 could either be the cause or the cure... I'd recently given the whole car, including the engine bay a good clean. It may just be a coincidence this happening now as I've done it often enough in the past without attracting any attention.

Been digging a bit more and it looks like there's not much stops them other than maybe leaving the bonnet up as they prefer it dark and safe.

Great if it was garaged, but it's not.

Very occassionally we get the odd rat, they're usually after the dogs kibble so I have a few 'rodent hotels' about the place that they never check out of. The poison works a treat but would need to work out a way the pooch couldn't manage to get some... hard to know what to do.

Car was mainly sitting at the back of the house which has a field directly behind so have now moved it to the front, more fields but further away, be interesting to see if that helps.

Yes that's an Optimate terminal, have them in all our cars so a single trickle charger is able to cover them in rotation. Handy too to run a tyre pump / compressor from as it's permanently live being directly connected to the battery - saves faffing about with ignition keys / ciggy lighter sockets and cables through doors or windows.