Squirrel Damage (con't)

[TahoeCCS]

Well I've about had it with rodents eating up my vehicles.
Last year it was a $1300 wiring harness on our daughter's Ford Fusion.
Year before that it was an $800 harness to a transmission of our other daughter's Ford Focus.

DON'T MESS WITH MY TAHOE. I've just declared war on these critters.

Evidence of at least one squirrel and a mouse have damaged brake lines, gasoline vent lines, a protective plastic battery cap, a sensor on the air intake, another sensor on the master brake cylinder, and now an $1100 gas tank on my 2014 Tahoe. I will post pictures soon after they drop the tank and replace it.

The fuel system problems had more than one aspect. The shop replaced the cap, several lines with visible damage, and yet I still had the CHECK ENGINE light come on under what seemed to be random circumstances. Tank could be half full, 3/4 full, hot weather, cold weather.

So the job brought out a smoker, which I had never seen before, but recommend it if you find yourself in this circumstance. It is a pressurized canister of mineral oil and a nitrogen component to minimize the risk of fire/explosion. The canister has a heating element that connects to external DC power, and when ready it will produce smoke through a regulator valve and hose that can be connected to your fuel filler.

Today, after having replaced nearly all the lines, they tested again and found that SOMETHING ate a hole in the plastic gas tank. New one coming in tomorrow.

 

[bill1013]

Have you thought about getting a dog or cat?

 

[TahoeCCS]

We have two Labs! But they're not motivated to sit there and wait.
We also have a neighborhood cat that walked right under the truck last night, past the rat trap, uninterested (thankfully).

Ya can't find good help these days.

 

[Doubeleive]

i'd say it's time for some advanced rodent erradication.
this can be done without using poison or harm to pets

 

[Doubeleive]

here is one very simple and effect one

Robot or human?

 

[TahoeCCS]

Tough case here, we live in the woods. So do they.
Some years ago I tried some brute force squirrel eradication.
Went through several dozen boxes of shotgun shells, sometimes getting two in one pattern.
Missed maybe twice as they caught on to the sound of the window opening.
They called in reinforcements from the next county.
I can't hang the Tahoe between a couple poles and thin wire like the bird feeder.

 

[SCiesie154]

Peppermint oil has kept them out of my garage and away from my vehicles!

 

[Doubeleive]

Tough case here, we live in the woods. So do they.
Some years ago I tried some brute force squirrel eradication.
Went through several dozen boxes of shotgun shells, sometimes getting two in one pattern.
Missed maybe twice as they caught on to the sound of the window opening.
They called in reinforcements from the next county.
I can't hang the Tahoe between a couple poles and thin wire like the bird feeder.

it's likely going to take ongoing work....
set the traps around the area and check them routinely and as noted above sprays work too
you can buy bulk commercial disposable traps on ebay pretty cheap as well

 

[Doubeleive]

part of the issue with getting rid of the population is generally they are nocturnal, except maybe the squirrels so traps and deterrents are going to work best
you can put rat-x pellets and disc's where the dogs can't reach them. I would put that everwhere possible, it's not a leaching type poison it makes them not be able to absorb water so they die from dehydration, takes time but is effective

 

[randeez]

at this point you should just cave and provide a couple of bird feeders to appease them
would prob be cheaper to keep filled

 

[bill1013]

Yum! Squirrel…good eating if you get a few. Not much meat, but if you get a couple or so it would be worth dressing them out. But if you poison them they are worthless. Just saying….

 

[TahoeCCS]

Tonight's Special

 

[bill1013]

Tonight's Special

View attachment 429698If you know anyone who has a hound or terrier you may want to see if you can borrow them for a few hours or a day or two. They are natural chasers. A dachshund will work too. I had a brindle hound that my neighbors borrowed to chase rabbits off their property. Two or three times and the rabbits were never heard from, or seen, again.

 

[89Suburban]

I hate squirrels!!!!!! Shoot those sumbichtes!!!!

 

[Fless]

I hate squirrels!!!!!! Shoot those sumbichtes!!!!

Tree rats.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

When it comes to rodents attacking my truck, I have no reason to feel humane in any manner. I take an old plastic milk crate, cut a hole in the side of it large enough to accommodate a squirrel's body, and turn it upside down near the truck, and I put rat poison under the crate. If you are concerned that dogs/cats may find it interesting, put a cinder block on top of the crate, so that it can be tipped over.

As interested as the rodents are on the truck parts, they will be much more interested in the rat poison.

 

[TahoeCCS]

I am fine with rat poison, thank you for the logistics suggestion as well. So far I have used spring loaded rat traps, and a trail cam to see what happens. This perpetrator managed to shake it off and escape, at least this time.

Here's the crowning achievement of the gnawing problem. A nearly complete break in the 90 degree fitting on the top of the fuel tank. The entire repair shop came over to look as the mechanic brought the tank down for replacement. None had ever seen anything like it.

Suggestions for deterrence include peppermint oil, and a motion-sensing water spraying thing that hooks to the garden hose. Those, plus the crate & poison, might be a combination that works. Small arms fire under consideration if not.

 

[GlennSullivan]

First the M/F's got into my generator case and ate the insulation and wiring. Solved that problem with sealing the case everywhere but air intake and exhaust, fine screens there. Lined the floor with glue traps. picked up all the insects and 2 mice.

This past winter, they decided the outside generator was no longer safe so they ate through the rubber seal on the center garage door (stand alone building) and starting attacking the cars and trucks. Nothing as bad as CCS, but what I was shocked at was I left the Tahoe on the lift all winter - 6' in the air and yet there was evidence they were in the HVAC ductwork and glovebox, WTF?

Traps, poison and glue traps everywhere now. We have no kids or pets, so don't need to worry about ancillary harm.

 

[89Suburban]

God this makes me mad!!!!!

 

[randeez]

become one with nature