Rats!

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)! We like pics of your Tundra here, whether it's 1st, 2nd, or 3rd gen!

 

was it running ok? did that happen during the shipping process? It looks like it had been that way for some time.....

 

Was/is running fine, I purchased the truck in April, It set in Idaho until July, that's when I think they made it their home. Lil bastards!

 

Damn, I am paranoid now with my new truck. My moms Mazda previously had an issue with rats and the coil wires, but her car sat for weeks next to a giant tree where I think the rats lived. I have not had issues so far with the Tundra, but the soy based wiring and horror stories, as well as past experience has me wondering. I want to just apply that honda tape and forget about it. Wondering if the tape would eventually lose effectiveness if the material degrades over time as well.

 

Like others have said, bucket trap and cats. Some People don’t like cats, some people don’t like paying thousands of dollars in repair bills either.

 

I'm lucky, no rats where where I live

 

Yet another great reason to move to alaska

 

My mechanic said he only used one roll and it was plenty. He did charge me 50 dollars on my bill for it and gave me a half a roll back to me and said I could use it on some of the other wires if I wanted.

 

Awesome, thanks for that info.

 

They got me last winter chewed knock sensors couldn't go over 40mph .....i usr rodent away from homedepot haven't had a issue sense

 

They're getting more daring... got a clip of a rat on the motor with the hood up at 6:40 this morning so it was hardly dark... just quiet. Have had zero luck with the bucket trap. Might have to start using poison to cut down on the numbers.

I wish I could just seal off the entire engine compartment with hardware cloth

 

That's the worst. I had this problem at my old house and am always worried about it, especially as the Tundra sits outside.

I had a rat constantly getting into my garage at my old house. Every morning there would be new rat urine and droppings all over the engine cover of my Highlander. I started out with gentle deterrents, like peppermint oil and such, which did nothing. Then up to humane traps before moving to "inhumane" ones (the sticky traps).

At night I even set it up like this!

Even still that thing would just walk around the traps and crap all over the place. Very frustrating. I finally caught him with some peanut butter in an electrocution trap. I also found where he was getting in to the garage and sealed that off. Thankfully no problems after that.

Good luck!

 

I also saw a test where rodents like 'black walnuts' a lot. I got a bag off Amazon and put a few on top of the peanut butter (snap trap). My dad taught me that when those little bastards gently lick the traps clean without tripping them, he'd stuff a raisin in first then cover it with a little peanut butter. They head into garages here when it starts to get cold, mice, no rats in our province. That might be all we have going for us right now 'no rats'.

Hate seeing those pictures of rats crawling around the engine bay. I'd lay a big rat snap trap up there and leave the camera running.

Strange but true fact: In the city (1.4 million people) I live in it's illegal to let your cat outside unless it's on a leash.........F ing crazy. Also illegal to wash your car in your driveway.....

 

You need a cat or two, out door, barn, wild...

 

I cant tell you how many times Ive thought about doing exactly what you did here or around the wheels or something haha... good to know it wasnt successful. Parking outside I feel as if Id have to do that all the time unfortunately.

Worth a shot maybe even suck in some peanut butter on the spinning bucket trap Ive been running. I was living in the woods in a different area last year and had far fewer issues, but those were mice I guess.

 

To be honest, this is probably the most scalable and realistic solution.

Could you tell me more about how having feral/wild cats works? Obviously you get them from someone who knows they are wild, but do you just feed and water them after placing them outside?

 

Years ago when my dad had property, he had a mole and mouse problem. He tried everything to get rid of them, everything. Then one day he bought a few intact cats and set them up with food, water, and bedding in the garage. Every time that I would go to visit him, there would be more cats. It wasn't long before the rodent problem was gone.

A few years later he had an owl problem. The owls eventually thinned out the cats but the rodent problem never came back.

 

Cats are easy. As a domesticated animal, they can easily live out in the wild and survive. There's certain things to keep in mind though. Vehicle traffic, coyotes, raccoons, birds of prey etc. Other than that, as long as you don't adopt a cat that was indoors and then throw it outside, you'll be fine. Often people have a barn cat that has kittens. That would be your best option.

Maine coons are good because they're a big, solid, hardy cat. But their long hair can get matted easily. Especially outdoors.

It would be wise to make sure they have a warm spot to go to in the winter and make sure water and dry cat food is accessible for them if they choose to eat.

 

Tom Cat Rodent repellent, HD,Lowes etc. carries .Works great just spray all under hood wiring, no smell.34ford

 

He's a male cat was born under an RV across the street. He came over one day and has not left. We just give him dry food and companionship. Water, he drinks out of the puddle in the drive way, the drainage ditch or an old cooler that collects rain water. Where does he sleep under an F250, a Tundra or in the corner of the porch by the door where we almost step on him, other then that who knows. The best thing about him, he Doesn't poop in the yard.

 

Thanks for all the input! Definitely got some stuff to consider.

This cat sounds like the one in the old Always Sunny episode where they buy a cop car and get a "junkyard cat" that was born in a pool of gasoline haha!

 

One of my favorite shows, can't wait for the next Season.

 

I had rats in my engine bay fro a while also. Caught 'em on cam just like you. I nabbed a few of them with traps stuck onto pathways with duct tape in "unexpected" locations. Rats are friggin' smart.
I went out on a limb and 1/2 filled a generic spray bottle with water and about 30 drops of peppermint oil mixed in. Sprayed that stuff all over the engine bay, inside of the wheels and all over the suspension parts, ( control arms, shocks, axles, etc. ). I haven't had a problem since.....

 

What about those electronic repellents, anyone ever try one and know if they work?

Something like this. https://www.electronicpestcontrol.net/

 

I've heard mice like toyota wiring because the wire jacketing is soy based.