Mice in the van!

[DaveD]

Not T6 related, but last week my daughter set out in her Nissan, 100 yards away it conked out. I found a rubber fuel return line that had been gnawed through, diesel everywhere.
I fixed it and everything was fine.
This morning......... yes, same again, same fuel return line in exactly the same place. Bloody mice!
Reluctantly I've put a trap in the engine compartment (only when the car is parked overnight), I can't risk her conking out in an unsafe place.

 

[archersam]

Not T6 related, but last week my daughter set out in her Nissan, 100 yards away it conked out. I found a rubber fuel return line that had been gnawed through, diesel everywhere.
I fixed it and everything was fine.
This morning......... yes, same again, same fuel return line in exactly the same place. Bloody mice!
Reluctantly I've put a trap in the engine compartment (only when the car is parked overnight), I can't risk her conking out in an unsafe place.

Can you not replace the hose with a stainless braided one?

 

[Dellmassive]

Wrap that tin foil round it. Or wire wool?

Peppermint oil spray the area?

 

[DaveD]

Can you not replace the hose with a stainless braided one?

No, it has to slip over a connector with a bulge on it, if you get my drift.

Wrap that tin foil round it. Or wire wool?

Peppermint oil spray the area?

Good idea, I've got plenty of wire wool that ought to put the pesky thing off!
I'm still going to use the trap at night, it might move on to electrical wiring next!

 

[Crazymind]

You can borrow my 2 cats, free of charge. Don’t feed them for 2 days and leave them in the car for the night.

 

[archersam]

No, it has to slip over a connector with a bulge on it, if you get my drift.

Good idea, I've got plenty of wire wool that ought to put the pesky thing off!
I'm still going to use the trap at night, it might move on to electrical wiring next!

Yes I do however so do the pipes on my Westfield, the bulge is to stop it coming off however the rubber inside gives to allow it. A bit challenging mind.

 

[Paynewright]

No, it has to slip over a connector with a bulge on it, if you get my drift.

Good idea, I've got plenty of wire wool that ought to put the pesky thing off!
I'm still going to use the trap at night, it might move on to electrical wiring next!

Remember wire wool is good for starting fires!!

 

[Bav]

Remember wire wool is good for starting fires!!

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Teesix]

Rodents have also had a chomp of my van. The garage recommended spraying some rat repellent on any exposed wiring. They said it's very common. I've used this:

 

[RobertO2023]

Avoid wire wool in the engine bay its highly flammable !

 

[DaveD]

Avoid wire wool in the engine bay its highly flammable !

I've got some Rodent Repellent on order instead, thanks @Tee Six , I'd never heard of it before.

 

[Pete C]

There seem to be a lot of mice at the yard where our van is kept. No damage yet, but I found a mouse larder of sycamore seeds on top of the engine a while ago, and droppings on top of the starter battery.

With the permission of the yard owner I put poison down in secure lockable bait boxes - one beside each wheel underneath the van. I also put mouse traps on top of the starter battery too.

The traps caught a couple of mice, and a lot of the poison was eaten. I renewed the poison a week or so ago, and when I last checked it had hardly been touched, which I hope means the mice have gone for the moment.

These are the bait boxes I used:


Roshield External Tamper Proof Rodent Bait Box & Wax Block Rat Poison Kit - Garden & Home Treatment Killer Safety Kit (2 Boxes & 600g Blocks) https://amzn.eu/d/cPPYbqD



Pete

 

[RobertO2023]

You can get AA battery powered ultrasonic vermin deterrents. I use them in my caravan and no mice come near. Amazon etc……..

 

[DaveD]

Reluctantly I've put a trap in the engine compartment (only when the car is parked overnight),

One down!
He preferred peanut butter to fuel line, which was his downfall and probably saved me a ton of hassle this morning! I will continue with the trap, they rarely live alone.

 

[Sackmycook]

I've had quite a lot of mice and rat experience over the last few years at 2 houses I've had. Tried lots of the remedies and deterrents mentioned.
Ultrasonic devices had no effect. Rat poison blocks, killed one rat who managed to die in an almost inaccessible roofloft area. The smell and flies over summer was biblical for 2 weeks !

I've had great success with mouse traps from The Big Cheese. I use peanut butter with a small amount of old cheese. It's all to do with where you place them.....

Over the last 4 weeks, I've caught 20 plus mice in the log store behind my Man Cave. Nothing for the last 4 days now, and the bait is undisturbed so it looks like it's problem solved until Oct/Nov when the come back in from the fields.

 

[DaveD]

Agreed, the Big Cheese traps are the best, easy to set and effective.

 

[Jimmock]

There seem to be a lot of mice at the yard where our van is kept. No damage yet, but I found a mouse larder of sycamore seeds on top of the engine a while ago, and droppings on top of the starter battery.

With the permission of the yard owner I put poison down in secure lockable bait boxes - one beside each wheel underneath the van. I also put mouse traps on top of the starter battery too.

The traps caught a couple of mice, and a lot of the poison was eaten. I renewed the poison a week or so ago, and when I last checked it had hardly been touched, which I hope means the mice have gone for the moment.

These are the bait boxes I used:


Roshield External Tamper Proof Rodent Bait Box & Wax Block Rat Poison Kit - Garden & Home Treatment Killer Safety Kit (2 Boxes & 600g Blocks) https://amzn.eu/d/cPPYbqD



Pete

Please don’t use poison as it will be passed through the food chain and kill your local owls etc. Traps yes, poison no

 

[DaveD]

Please don’t use poison as it will be passed through the food chain and kill your local owls etc. Traps yes, poison no

Agreed, I've got barn owls around and that's why I use traps not poison.

 

[Pete C]

Noted folks. I will modify my extermination / deterrent methods.

Pete

 

[Nigpd]

Both side repeaters stopped working at the same time, which was odd. Not fuse related, so needed a bit a technical expertise.
Found a VW van expert who removed baffles etc to get to the side repeater wiring and this was the first thing he found laying just in front of the ventillation grid. Mice indeed the culpritsl!
There was also some other evidence of minor nibbling to other wires, but nothing to worry about. Strange that they decided to go for the same side repeater wiring on both sides. Must be a favourite flavour.
All rewired and sleeved.
Off to find the most effective traps/repellent now