#@%$@#$ Tree Rats!

[Cougar281]

So for the FIFTH time in the last two weeks, I have had to remove a yardfull of leaves from the top of my engine bay that was put there by POS tree rats - the first time they chewed a bunch of wires so when I jumped in to go somewhere, it didn't want to start, and when it did, it sounded like it was trying to run on 4 cylinders, smoking like crazy, DIC saying that the engine had overheated (it was also like 10* out), so I had to spend Sunday afternoon repairing those wires. Since repairing the wires, I've been leaving the hood cracked with two pieces of 4x4 on top of the engine to keep them away from the wires that I just repaired. Go out today and MORE leaves packed in there!

I don't know what it is with the truck - Do they love the smell of diesel fuel?? They have never gone after any of the cars, no matter how long they sat - only my truck!

Short of going Caddy Shack on them, does anyone have any suggestions to keep them away from my truck? I'm tired of fixing chewed wires and removing bushels of leaves from the engine bay...

 

[turbo_bu]

One quick thing to try - my Dad has had issues with mice chewing up the insulation on the firewall of his 2003 truck. The truck sits outside, and he used to pull all the way up to the garage when he parked it. Now he parks it about 1/2 to 1 full car length away from the garage. With the truck up close, it shields the front of it and makes it a more sheltered area for the mice to hide. By parking short, he feels that this leaves it less sheltered and the mice won't try to hide in there. So far, he hasn't seen as much evidence of mice trying to build nests under the hood.

 

[Cougar281]

The tree rats removed most of my firewall insulation a while back but I back into the driveway, leaving the front end of the truck a long way from the garage door and very un-sheltered.

 

[Chevy1925]

we have pack rats out here. buddy has them all over his place (lives in tucson out in a very desert rural area) . he uses this high pitched siren that goes off every so often and then leaves a light on under the truck and under the hood with hood up. has not had one mess with a vehicle or trailer yet setup that way. brighter the light, the better

 

[snowman22]

we have pack rats out here. buddy has them all over his place (lives in tucson out in a very desert rural area) . he uses this high pitched siren that goes off every so often and then leaves a light on under the truck and under the hood with hood up. has not had one mess with a vehicle or trailer yet setup that way. brighter the light, the better

I know a few people that have had luck with the high pitched devices too. But I will say it can come with a downside "IF" you can hear it. I am the only one who can, but holy hell is it obnoxious.

 

[CarolinaHD]

Squirrel n dumplings

 

[PureHybrid]

Powder fly bait mixed with some coke in a sauce pan. Hope there's no animals around that you want to keep alive

 

[slowlml]

.22 and finish them off with some flour in oil is how we do it:roflmao:

 

[Cougar281]

.22 and finish them off with some flour in oil is how we do it:roflmao:

Yeah, I'm thinking that may be what ends up happening.. We have a few too many of the things in the area... I think some culling is in order. The neighbors are cool with me taking out the pests (I've taken out three groundhogs this year that were tearing up our garden and neighbors gardens) and I'm unincorporated, so no pesky 'discharge of a firearm' city ordinances to worry about.

Added some pics - the chew damage and what I came out to today...

 

[prostreeter600]

Caddy shack followed by rat dumplings :d:d lol

 

[slowlml]

Damn they are causing some havoc. I went to the older woman who worked for us house this year and picked off about 12. They drive her nuts, and I like eating them so it worked out well. Plus I got to sit on a porch drinking coffee instead of walking around the woods lol. I'd definitely start picking them off cause once they start chewing and trying to nest somewhere it just gets worse

 

[duramax on fire]

I had the same problem with rats on a truck that sat in the field. I just left the hood up. Never had a problem again. But that's rats. I think they didn't feel like at home with the hood up.

That " just one bite " from ace or anywhere else I bet would kill them. I hate damn tree rats.

 

[Cougar281]

Damn they are causing some havoc. I went to the older woman who worked for us house this year and picked off about 12. They drive her nuts, and I like eating them so it worked out well. Plus I got to sit on a porch drinking coffee instead of walking around the woods lol. I'd definitely start picking them off cause once they start chewing and trying to nest somewhere it just gets worse

Yeah, I'm certainly not against shooting them... I've got some .22 ammo that shoots 'minute of squirrel head' at 25yds, so that'll probably work. Unfortunately, where I am, while the neighbors don't give a hoot if I shoot the vermin (I took out three groundhogs last year that were eating our veggie garden and the neighbors flower gardens), I need to keep it low key because there is a shopping center nearby, which I'm sure has enough 'people' running through it that if they recognized a gunshot, they would soil themselves and call the SWAT team... so I need to keep it low-key.

And I don't want to do anything with poison as that tends to be bad all around... but I had thought about an A24 - google A24 and mousetrapmonday - you'll probably find it. Seems to work well. Maybe worst case, I get a small 'havahart' trap and each tree rat that I catch gets 'lead poisoning' and ends up in the skillet...

 

[slowlml]

"Minute of squirrel head" haha.
I've used a high powered 22 caliber pellet rifle before when my ex lived in town. Works just as well. Those a24 definitely seem like a viable option. Never heard of them before

 

[LBZ]

Not really related as you park outside but back on the farm my grandfather used to park everything in the barn with the hoods open and never had any problems with critters after he started doing that. I’ve done the same.

Buddy had packrats doing the same thing in his dmax last fall. Only fix was to get rid of the bastards.

 

[Cougar281]

Not really related as you park outside but back on the farm my grandfather used to park everything in the barn with the hoods open and never had any problems with critters after he started doing that. I’ve done the same.

Buddy had packrats doing the same thing in his dmax last fall. Only fix was to get rid of the bastards.

Well, the hood being closed gives them a sense of shelter, so leaving it open negates that. Problem being if it's not under some sort of cover, rain, snow, sleet, etc can then get in there and that creates a new problem.. for the moment, I've left it open because no weather is expected for another half day or so... but odds are it's one or two tree rats that have taken a liking to my truck, so if I can off those, maybe the problem will go away for a bit... It's just crazy that my Cougar sat exactly where my truck is sitting for months without moving, and nothing touched it. Truck sits for less than 24 hours? Wires chewed and nest built. Literally, no vehicle other than my truck has ever been molested by vermin. Diesel fuel must attract them .

"Minute of squirrel head" haha.
I've used a high powered 22 caliber pellet rifle before when my ex lived in town. Works just as well. Those a24 definitely seem like a viable option. Never heard of them before

lol yeah, I kinda stole that one. I've read talk about people saying deer rifles are sighted in to 'minute of deer' (You don't generally need MOA accuracy for deer hunting as much as some of us might like), so I figure the same thing can apply to tree rats. If I can cover all shots with a half dollar, it'll probably work on squirrels, like if it can be covered with a paper plate, it'll probably work for deer.

 

[jlawles2]

Yeah, I'm certainly not against shooting them... I've got some .22 ammo that shoots 'minute of squirrel head' at 25yds, so that'll probably work. Unfortunately, where I am, while the neighbors don't give a hoot if I shoot the vermin (I took out three groundhogs last year that were eating our veggie garden and the neighbors flower gardens), I need to keep it low key because there is a shopping center nearby, which I'm sure has enough 'people' running through it that if they recognized a gunshot, they would soil themselves and call the SWAT team... so I need to keep it low-key.

And I don't want to do anything with poison as that tends to be bad all around... but I had thought about an A24 - google A24 and mousetrapmonday - you'll probably find it. Seems to work well. Maybe worst case, I get a small 'havahart' trap and each tree rat that I catch gets 'lead poisoning' and ends up in the skillet...

Have you tried CB's for the 22? Friend of mine used them for shooting rats in the back yard, super quiet, but needed a bolt action because of low recoil.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1301367227/cci-ammunition-22-cb-long-29-grain-lead-round-nose

 

[slowlml]

I use 22 quiets before they're very very silent. Hes right though they wont cycle in any of my semi autos.

 

[PureHybrid]

Air rifle then. Pretty cheap, decent Gamo is under $200

 

[Dozerboy]

I’ve used quiets in my semi autos and just used it like a bolt action.


Never had a problem with squirrels in my life. Not on the farm or anything. Now they are trying to make a home in my 2015. I don’t get it either. It rarely sites 24hrs and its not even cold here. Well we did drop into the 30s a few nights last week, but damn the had 1/2lb of acorns under the hood.


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