Any good solutions for rodent problem?

Nope. Gotta be a full-time outdoor cat. Don't feed it - got to keep 'em hungry so that he/she will hunt.
Once you start feeling sorry for them and give 'em some food, mice aren't so tasty any more.

 

I have the opposite problem, too many stray cats. They sleep in the engine bay of the truck and I see paw prints everywhere.

 

Get oleoresin capsacin concentrate in a squirt bottle mixed with water, spray things down and let it dry. If vehicle is parked for a while leaving the hood part way up helps.

 

Big bummer. Rats are smart AF. You have to stay on top of it if you live in a rat-prone area. We back up to open space with a lot of rodent activity and are constantly staying on top of it to keep them out of our house, shed, and vehicles. My wife has an eagle eye for their clues, even down to just seeing their oily tail marks, which is super handy for catching them before they infest. Keep a close eye out for activity.

What kind of bait traps are you using? What kind of bait are you using? We've tried a lot of traps and talked with expert exterminators. You can't beat a snap trap. It's quick, super effective, and cheap. Though they can be dangerous, especially if you have little kids or pets running around. Keep that in mind with where you place them. Bucket traps are no more effective and are far more cruel (no need to torture animals needlessly IMO). Most rats aren't getting away from the trap, they are avoiding the trap.

To make traps effective you need to get the rat comfortable with the trap. Mice are different because they're pretty dumb and will typically go to food regardless of a trap. My guess is that if the traps aren't working then you have rats. To make a rat comfortable with the trap you have to introduce it to them slowly. Set it out first un-baited, and leave it out for a couple days like that. Then bait the trap and don't set it. Payday candy bars work great and were recommended by a local exterminator. You can smoosh it over the bait pedal or you can use some peanut butter to glue it down. Re-bait the trap every time it is taken and do that for a couple days. Now that you've built up their comfort with the trap it's time to bait and set the trap. One exterminator we talked to said you have to set the trap with love, otherwise the rats will sense the animosity and avoid it. Don't know that there's any truth to that but it probably doesn't hurt! Setting the traps around the vehicle is the easiest and probably the most effective. If you set it in the engine bay or something else you run the risk of the rat and trap getting lodged somewhere.

Like I said before, rats are smart AF. Once you trap a few they learn it's not a hospitable area and move on. But they will come back as soon as they sense the coast is clear so keep an eye out for them. Like others said, cats are a great deterrent too but not all cats are natural hunters so it's no guarantee. Also, moving your truck into the garage isn't a guarantee, even more so if there's a chance you are picking up rats somewhere else and bringing them home with you!

Good luck!

 

Yep, and as soon as one of the little critters crawls in your air duct and dies and you have to pull the whole dash apart to get it out, you'll learn why this is NOT a good idea. The amount of stink that even a tiny field mouse can produce is hard to believe!

 

Agree on the snap traps.
The bait needs to be sticky so it adheres to the trip lever. The varmint will work at it, thereby tripping the trap.

Although, if the mice get to the trap, then something is drawing them in and they have access. Need to eliminate the food source and close their doorway in.

Then you have a chance to eliminate the problem.

 

I had issues with a nesting Squirrel around Christmas that fortunately didn’t cost me a fortune. I wrapped most of my important wires in the Honda rodent tape, keep some cayenne pepper sprinkled around under the hood and use this spray:

Exterminators Choice - Rodent Defense Spray for Cars and Trucks - Non-Toxic Deterrent for Pest Control - Repels Mice and Rats - Vehicle Protection - Safe for Kids and Pets (1 Gallon)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KN3QTWQ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_5JM6GPZ8H6VB8C95KCDE?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

No issues since.

 

Rodent Defense Vehicle Natural Repellent for cars, trucks suv, RV Boats, peppermint and other plant based oils to deter rats, mice and squirrels

Exterminators Choice - 32 oz Rodent Defense Spray for Cars and Trucks - Non-Toxic Deterrent for Pest Control - Repels Mice and Rats - Vehicle Protection - Safe for Kids and Pets

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01DTBOV06/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_Z3QQ6ERQ3FTJKQM97ZBV


I spray this around my engine compartment and in the valley once a month just to be safe.

 

Been doing it for years. A little smell is a lot better than a 3,000 wiring harness or a destroyed airboat motor...to name a couple things, before I started spreading the poison.

 

To keep rodents away, you got to take any potential food source away. That maybe a trash can nearby, or pet food nearby and pretty much any type food that may attract them.
That said, I’d layout some bait poison, I’d pepper spray the wiring harness and engine bay. There’s also snake pellets that stink like chit. I would spread the pellets were I park, but beware, it stinks bad.

Good luck

 

I’ve been parking outside so thankfully none in the garage. Gunna see if I can squeeze the truck in but it’ll be tight

 

It's just street parking where I live and I noticed little paw prints under the hood of my truck about two months ago. No damage that I'm aware of but in an effort to be proactive I had the engine compartment degreased to try and rid the smell of any rodents and since then been using these two things together...

$30 Car Rodent Repellent Ultrasonic Under Hood Animal Repeller Mouse and Rat Deterrent with LED Strobe – Engine Bay Pest Control Device for 12V 24V Vehicle, Automobile, Truck, RV

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JG4V1ZP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

$20 Rodent Repellent Spray for Vehicle Engines and Interiors - Cars, Trucks, RVs, & Boats

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BTRQRBM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Only problem is, it's hard to know if they're working. I was considering dusting some flour under the hood to see if any new paw prints show up, but I don't want to run the risk of attracting anything new either. I know these repellents aren't hurting anything anyway. The ultrasonic one stays turned on pretty much 24/7 and haven't had any battery problems or anything.

 

My wife had a 42 mile to and from work each day. One morning I noticed a cat turd in the middle of my fully enclosed garage. Suddenly I heard the meow. Apparently a cat crawled up in the engine compartment, saw the paw prints under the hood, and took the 42 mile ride home.

 

I've got something that will ease your mind bro as far as giving it something else to look at and think oh thank God that wasn't mine. I came upon this today

Hopefully this helps a little
Perhaps a snake for your rodent problem

 

Holy moley. I'd torch my place to kill those bastages. Mid 90s had a dodge d50 little pickup. Had a field mouse get ground up in the ac fan....or either died trying to crawl out. This was August. In Texas. Putrid smell for months and months and finally had to sell. I will never forget that smell.

 

As some have suggested. This is Goat. How do I know this? Because his name tag says so.
He's an indoor/outdoor kitty. If I let him out this is where I can find him about 50% of the time.

 

On my Gen2 DCSB this is where I could find Goat most of the time.
He seems to be a loyal Taco Kitty! Always standing guard.

 

I vote for no poison, manual snap traps are good. I had a mouse problem and moved a vehicle into a garage to try to combat it. I was worried I was just bringing the mice into the garage. I placed snap traps with bait like crackers, chips, pretzels etc, hot glued to the bait tray. Over the first couple months I was killing mice like no ones business. I think I got about 8 of them? eventually it started slowing down, I havent had one in a trap in a few months now and they are no longer in the vehicle. I keep baited snap traps around the dark corners of the garage 24/7 now.

with your expensive issues, definitely hit them from multiple fronts, mint oil, rodent wire tape, ultrasonic, etc. all much cheaper than your repairs! cant even imagine.

 

Try peanut butter as a snap trap bait. No glue needed. Just figure out if they like smooth or crunchy.