Studebakers vs. Rodents

[stevo5671]

I hate to say this on such a beautiful Fall day, but it's time for me to start thinking about sending the Power Hawk back to storage for its long winter nap. Every year I put d-con, mouse traps, glue traps, rat bait, etc. all around the OUTSIDE car and every spring I find acorns INSIDE the car. Fortunately, the little varmits haven't done any real damage, but I'm looking for any other techniques that might help keep critters out of my car. The culprits appear to be mice and chipmunks. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[StudeRich]

Be sure you make a seal from a soup can lid for the gas pedal boot hole and the fuel sender hole, seal it to the floor with silicone for easy removal and if there is no floor damage and Windows/Doors are tight, that should keep the little varmits out.

If they get inside, they will have mouse Hotels in the Headliner, glove compartment, and take the stuffing out of the back seat and drag it into the trunk for a nice cozy nest on the spare tire!

Also put the D-Con on the lifter cover so they don't make nests on the Engine and in the Engine Compartment.

[Gunslinger]

Leave a few dryer sheets inside the car as well. Vermin supposedly don't like the aroma from them. I do that every year and have had no evidence of critters in the car. Not saying I wouldn't have anyway, but it's cheap and at least makes me feel better using them.

[gordr]

I have heard that mice detest the aroma of Irish Spring bar soap. May try that this year.

[stevo5671]

I had not heard of fabric softener or Irish Spring...only moth balls which make the car stink too. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Bob Bryant]

Sometimes the critters use the exhaust system for an entry. Steel wool stuffed in the exhaust pipe(s) prevents that entrance.

[Lothar]

I have tried Irish Spring as a mouse deterrent. I can attest that it did NOT work for me. It did leave the mice smelling "manly fresh", though.

[StudeRich]

I have tried Irish Spring as a mouse deterrent. I can attest that it did NOT work for me. It did leave the mice smelling "manly fresh", though.

The same goes for the Dryer sheets, only works on some critters and only for some people in some areas apparently, I would not depend on either. Kill em with D-Con! No Mouse friendly methods actually work, and nothing works on Rats except Dynamite! Just block their entry.

[8E45E]

They also prefer silence. If you have power in there, leave a radio playing 24/7. I do in my garage, and I havn't seen a mouse in there since leaving the radio on all the time. Another 'bonus' of leaving a radio playing will give an impression to lurkers that the place is occupied.

Craig

[53starliner]

I tried the irish spring, moth balls, drier sheet, none of it works. The only thing that does, is a mouse trap inside the car. I check it ever other day. The cars that are tight never catch a mouse; the ones that aren't do. It catches them before they can do damage. One common area of intrusion is the steering column collar. It cracks and goes unnoticed until too late.

My worst is the Avanti. They get into the vent ducting, I think by geting into the hog troughs and up thru the cowl drain hole.

Just my experiences.

[sbca96]

think by geting into the hog troughs and up thru the cowl drain hole.

Too bad you cant train them to do rust proofing from inside .......

Tom

[BobPalma]

As odd as it may sound, I use all three: Moth Balls, Bounce Dryer Sheets, and original-flavor Irish Spring bar soap.

I have no idea which one works, or maybe it is the combination of all three, but seven collector cars have remained rodent-free over a thirty-year period during which we have trapped mice in the house only eight feet away from the Morton Building in which the cars are stored.

(And, quite frankly, the resultant smell from all three of those elements, while strong, is not at all offensive, IMHO. Kind of pleasant, actually.) BP

[Lothar]

I know a guy who has a large car collection in several not particularly tight buildings out in the country. Next to a wildlife management area, no less! He has these electric "ultrasonic" mouse repellers. They looked like silly black boxes to me, but he swears by them, and he has quite a few really expesive old cars. The surest way to keep critters out, though, is to visit a bulding frequently, They get tired of hiding all the time. That's tough to do if your garage is across town like mine, though.

[Bob Andrews]

I'm going with all three this year. I wish I had pictures of the Irish Spring bars I've used that are chewed all the way around with mouse turds stuck to to them As much as I dislike the smell, moth balls have given me the best results. I also should have taken a picture of the dried mouse I found in my Lincoln convertible a couple Springs back. He got his head in that half-inch between the door bottom and the rocker and was stuck- couldn't get in or out. I hope the little b***ard suffered a long time before he croaked.

BOY, do I hate rodents

[Cravin]

What about putting the car up on jackstands? then the mice cant climb up into the car.