Check under you engine cover

Frankly there is nothing that really works. The only thing I have had much luck with is the "bucket of death" and peanut butter. Best night was 10. In the winter I just switch to RV antifreeze and you don't need a lot. http://fivegallonideas.com/bucket-mouse-trap/

 

I wish ive known that as well, I had a squirrel digging a hole from the outside of the house into the attic. For about a month, I tried my best to trap him and relocate him but that didn't work at all. One night I heard this scratching and digging on the ceiling garage...and that was it for me.


R.I.P

 

Why are you putting bait inside your engine? Its only going to attract more of them directly to it. Put it nearby, but not in your truck. With the number of little exposed wires in there, I’d be really worried about gnawing.




The best distraction I’ve found, works for camping in the wilds where a lot of rodents live, is wetting down the engine bay and sprinkling cayenne pepper all over it while it’s still wet. The powder sticks well after it dries.

I learned about this trick back when I was a Park Ranger. My mechanics hate it, but neither me nor my coworkers who used to park their personal and work trucks out at a wildlife reserve had any rodent issues after we started doing that.

 

I like the pepper ideas, definitely going to look into that

 

I subscribe to Shawn Woods, Mouse Trap Monday on YouTube. This is pure entertainment as he test 100s of various mouse and rat catching equipment and techniques. YouTube won't let him show video of the actually "snap and kill" of the rodents but he has his own Mousetrapmonday.com website to see the real carnage. I've used a few of his reviewed methods in my garage and caught a fair share of mice. I have a "Walk the Plank" trap setup in the corner of the garage and check it often. Caught many.

 

I posted this before, but when I was a seasonal at Olympic National Park, our bunk house had bullet holes all along the floorboards inside the living room. When I asked why, they said the fire crew that stayed there had mouse issues!

 

Must not camp much in bear territory? Bears like or are at least interested in the smell of cayenne which is why every bottle of bear spray says to not spray around camp or on your person as a detterent as it will actually have the opposite effect.

After I started using fluid film all rodent issues on my trucks stopped. No one has tested fluid film and bears so hopefully the odor isnt attractive to them.

 

We have some of the largest black bears in the nation here, but I’ve used no fluid film ever used here either. Ok, so they like their tacos spicy where you go? Never had an issue with bears camping, but I’ve scared off enough of them hiking the San Gabriels and San Bernardino’s at night.

 

Yeah on the west coast our bears are more use to humans and the smells of our foods is what I was told. When I was in yellowstone I talked to one of the biologists about it as I was concerned that out here we are required to use Bear Boxes but in MT,ID, and WY they just recommend storing all food in your cars, and most state campgrounds dont even offer boxes. I ended up taking a Bear defense class out there and they constantly talked about people spraying bear spray around camp thinking it would deter when in fact dry repellent actually interests them and could possibly attract them.

I think the FF works with rodents cause it is so greasy. I notice that the leave my oily trucks alone even without FF.

But I am not a bear expert so all the info I have is based on a few rangers and biologists statements and we all know how often people assume stuff and pass it on.

 

NEVER leave food in cars, black bears peel window frames off to get at it.

I cant believe they said that. I used to be a Forest Service wildlife biologist on the SBNF and saw that happen several times...

 

I don't want to be "that guy," but poisons are excessive and have lots of unintended consequences. Use traps, guys. Every animal that eats rodents in SoCal (where I happen to live) is affected by lazy poisons. Our mountain lions are dying of toxicity-related diseases like mange because of the rodenticides... Pull the spring back, put the peanut butter on the lever. It's also more satisfying, because you get to hear the snap at 3am and you know your plan is working.

 

I have spent 30 years living in black bear country. Thats why I questioned them while I was out there. Maybe the difference between black and brown bears?

https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/camping.htm

“Animals are attracted to food and food odors. All food, lawfully taken fish, garbage, and equipment used to cook, serve or store food must be kept sealed in a vehicle, or in a camping unit...”

https://www.nps.gov/glac/faqs.htm

“All food, caught fish, trash, and any equipment used to cook, serve, or store food must be stored securely at all times (except when these items are being transported, consumed, or prepared for consumption). Safe places include sealed in a vehicle or solid, non-pliable camping unit. “

 

What is fluid film?

 

A black bear tried getting into my buds car while he was sleeping in it. He claims there was no food inside. Damn panic button woke me up from quite the sleep.

They break into cars around here all the time. My favorite is when the car isn't locked and they just open the door.

 

Yes sir, and they are waking up around here

 

There are so many feral cats running around here that I don't think a mouse stands a chance during the winter. Just have to remember to rap on your fender liners before you get in to start the truck to scare the cats out of your engine bay. My '16 Tacoma chewed one up. LOL!

 

Its a lanolin based oil spray for rust proofing that the poor guys back east in the rust belt have to use every year. Rocks and dirt stick to it so it coats the bottom of your truck with a coat of grime uou have to steam off. I would not have used it in bear country, you would think that bears would want to tip over trucks and lick it all off.

 

I know the difference between black and brown bears; they tell you to wear bells when you go hiking to scare bears away, black bear scat has berries and seeds in it and brown bear scat has little bells in it.