Rats. Literally. Ugh.

[Mike Self]

When I have to stash my 02 in a garage that's known to have rodent visitors, I take some expanded mesh (like used for gutter covers--it's soft aluminum and easily formed) and make covers for the snorkel air intake, the tail pipe, and wedge two pieces into the underside of the hood to cover the heater plenum chamber air intakes.  You can also use hardware cloth, but it's a lot stiffer and more difficult to form.  Just for insurance, I stuff a wad of coarse steel wool into each of the three "elephant trunks/chicken lips" at the bottom of the plenum chamber.  That at least keeps critters out of the exhaust system, the (factory) air cleaner and the interior.  I also leave a note on the dashboard to remind myself to remove the plugs and mesh before driving...

 

Coarse steel wool, incidentally is the best thing I've found for plugging small openings--car or building--against rodents.  They won't chew it and, stuffed tight enough, they can't dislodge it.  

 

mike

[John76]

3 hours ago, SydneyTii said:

My dog who was a Rhodesian Ridgeback

My neighbor had a Rottweiler who would totally ignore rats. Said he didn't give a "rat's ass" about rodents ... so I gave him one. (see pic).

 

 

Told him he should have gotten a Ratweiler.

 

 

 

[Son of Marty]

1 hour ago, Mike Self said:

Coarse steel wool, incidentally is the best thing I've found for plugging small openings--car or building--against rodents.  

I use bronze wool instead of steel wool, it doesn't rust. Other than that it is the best I've found for plugging gaps, in the house after the bronze wool I stick it in place with expanding foam weather stripping. 

[JQ02]

I'm assuming this was mice. Any reason not to put a rubber plug in these holes .. or even more permanently seal them?

It was a total PIA to get the next out of there!

 

Also, I have one of these in my basement and one in the garage. I hate that they are not humane, but they're the only thing that I've found that works (although, apparently not 100%)

503 - Service Unavailable Error

WWW.AMAZON.COM

 

[SydneyTii]

I think they do have a plug from new, have a look on real OEM it may show them?

Edited August 29 by SydneyTii

[JohnS]

13 hours ago, cda951 said:

----Cats: yes, by all means, if you have a built-in population of feral cats, put them to use in keeping rodent populations under control. But, you should endeavor to have all such cats spayed and neutered if possible. There is a vast overpopulation of "feral" cats, which results in the killing of many, many birds and it affects the local food chains---the cats do not reproduce at quite the rate of the rodents they prey upon, but it is still quite rapid. 

Amen to that.  Our 3 "Ranch Cats" are all spayed or neutered.  It was quite the ordeal trapping them and taking em' in to have it done.  But it's done now and they still hunt...

Edited August 27 by JohnS

[Dudeland]

I have seen a couple of cars here with rats eating all the wiring. It was a page 1 re-do. It's not so bad for NA cars, but EFI conversions would cause nightmares. 

 

Having spent a good amount of time in the Great White North, I know that mice are an issue. Traps are probably the most humane solution, but if you are not on-site, they cause more problems. You can try to seal up the building, but bait is the only option that works if it is an older/open place.   You can try to remove the food source, but typically, they are looking for a place to keep warm and dry. 

 

Cridder Ridder? 

 

 

 

[Pagan]

I have used “electronic” traps in the past with some success.. Sad to say they are smart little buggers and no trap seemed to work more than a couple of times… I see lots of “rodent boxes” around stores- maybe your storage manager could be persuaded to call a professional company, or you could just pay for it yourself.

Good luck man!

T 

[Mike Self]

22 hours ago, JQ02 said:

I'm assuming this was mice. Any reason not to put a rubber plug in these holes .. or even more permanently seal them?

It was a total PIA to get the next out of there!

Those holes are from the factory...on earlier cars, they're closed with little plastic plugs--same as the holes in the inner frame rails (under the carpet inside the car).  For unknown reasons, the factory quit installing plugs in those holes sometime after 1973, perhaps so they could air out.  However, the lack of plugs allows a lot of dirt (and mice!) to intrude into those spaces--one of the causes of inner wheel arch rust.  

 

One way I found to clean out all the stuff in there was to first stir up all the dirt along the bottom with a wood stick, then poke a compressed air hose in one hole and blow stuff out the other (wear goggles and a mask while doing this!).  Then finally fasten a small diameter hose to the end of your shop vac hose, poke it through each hole and suck out all the remaining stuff.  Once you've finished, squirt an anti rust coating (Bilstein 2000 or something similar--a wax dissolved in a solvent that'll creep into seams) through the holes and plug 'em.  That'll keep the mice out, and should (it has for me) keep the inner wheel arches from rusting)

 

mike

[Santawillis]

Ugh I am sorry you are dealing with rodents.  My garage is unfortunately susceptible to mice and I have used a three layers approach. I have set a perimeter of "smell" repellent, I have used a few store bought options with good success. Then it's "sound" repellent, those actually do work. Then if the mice are feeling dangerous they get the good old fashioned mouse trap. The electronic ones do work but the old fashioned version is still the best, there is a reason it hasn't been changed for generations!

 

Best of luck!

 

Rafael

[JQ02]

On 8/28/2024 at 11:55 AM, Mike Self said:

However, the lack of plugs allows a lot of dirt (and mice!) to intrude into those spaces--one of the causes of inner wheel arch rust.  

 

One way I found to clean out all the stuff in there was to first stir up all the dirt along the bottom with a wood stick, then poke a compressed air hose in one hole and blow stuff out the other (wear goggles and a mask while doing this!).  Then finally fasten a small diameter hose to the end of your shop vac hose, poke it through each hole and suck out all the remaining stuff.  Once you've finished, squirt an anti rust coating (Bilstein 2000 or something similar--a wax dissolved in a solvent that'll creep into seams) through the holes and plug 'em.  That'll keep the mice out, and should (it has for me) keep the inner wheel arches from rusting)

Thanks Mike! I am seeing a a slight issue brewing on the front side of the wheel arch (what would be behind the seatback)
Thank you for the suggestions! I will do that! I'm thinking I might put the shop vac on one hole while blowing compressed air in the other.

[tech71]

On 8/27/2024 at 8:18 AM, Mike Self said:

I take some expanded mesh (like used for gutter covers--it's soft aluminum and easily formed)

You can cut/form it around heater box inlet nicely as well, secure with safety wire.

Thats what I did after an unfortunate incident where a mouse got into my freshly overhauled heater box and had a family.

Drivin down the road,  cranked up the heat-fan and baby mice started popping out the lower passenger vent! Thank the universe none came out on my side or I might have crashed.

I pretty much freaked out, had to remove, open and clean my heater box again. Not all of them made it out…eeeewww nasty.

Had to seriously up the rodent control game,  traps, bait, sealing points of egress in car and garage along with constant vigilance.

Little bastards…..They must die

Edited August 30 by tech71

[Mike Self]

13 hours ago, JQ02 said:

I am seeing a a slight issue brewing on the front side of the wheel arch (what would be behind the seatback)

You can cut a smallish hole (say 2 x 2 inches) in that section of the wheel arch (behind the seat so it won't show) and have even better access to the void that's formed by the wheel arch and the spring/shock support.  You won't compromise any rigidity (that arch is thick metal) and it'll provide a neat inspection port to keep an eye on dirt./rust/mice.  When you're finished cleaning/rustproofing in there, cover with a piece of aluminum duct tape.  Did that on both my cars years ago, and whenever I have the back seat out, I peel back the tape and shine a flashlight in that void just to make sure nothing is untoward.

 

mike