Anyone have rodent issues with their Tahoe?

[Kennystarch]

I found out where the mice were coming into my garage - and put down glue traps. Yes - it's obvious that they suffer. That is part of the allure if you ask me. Most animals will shy away from areas where others of their kind run into danger - mice are no exception.

"Don't go there - you can hear the screams of the dead !!".

The first year I put out glue traps - I probably got 45 mice over the course of the winter. Now - I pull maybe 5 or 6 over the course of the winter. The glue traps are probably cruel - but don't want to leave poison out either because there are other animals (like the neighbor's cat) - that comes thru on occasion.

I used to be "nice" about this. But after a chewed up Suburban , a peed-in Acura, a motorcycle with a chewed thru hydraulic system , mouse crap in my toolbox - with wrecked tools - I have a adopted a scorched earth policy. Mice have cost me thousands and thousands of dollars - and who knows how much time. Now I just kill them as quickly and as efficiently as I can.

I read a story many years ago - about how deer in one of the large Army bases down south - will gravitate towards the artillery range during hunting season. They did the calculation apparently that the artillery range was safer than the surrounding woods as far as their odds of dying goes. Stuff like is why I say: animals aren't completely stupid - at least when it comes to their chances of dying an ugly death.

If the tortured screams of dying mice tell the other ones to stay the hell out of my garage - well then make it so. All the other animals in my yard seem to understand not to screw my stuff. The rabbits, the chipmunks, the gophers..... etc. So I leave them alone. If the mice would figure this out - they would get left alone too..

Torturing any animal is unacceptable. If you have to kill an animal, you do so quickly and humanely. What kind of sicko deliberately prolongs an animal suffering in a trap? Using the rationale that "oh if they scream the mice will avoid it?" What scientific evidence do you have to suggest this is even valid? You still got mice despite what crazy, sadistic things you're saying here - the only difference is that you culled most of the population initially. That's it.

I mean, it's not hard to deploy a snap trap, or put the animal out of its misery, etc. But leaving the poor animal on there so it eventually gnaws its limbs off or what other gory things they do to themselves trying to escape is disgusting. And the people who support this rubbish which basically amounts to torture should be ashamed of themselves. Mice didn't ask to be born mice - the best we can do is give a quick passing if we have to kill them.

Allure?? What the freck is wrong with you? There's ZERO allure to deliberately making an animal suffer more than necessary. And if there is (to you), I suggest you speak to a psychologist.

 

[EvergreenZ71]

Resurrection as I didn’t see an answer to this specifically.

The only problem that my husband has had with his last GMC has been exactly what you, and others, have talked about... he had them get into his fuse box and munch a couple wires and so far it's all he's seen in damage.

I live in a rural/suburban area on 2 acres with all cars kept outside. 1 cat is a good mouser (gets cocky birds too) but that wasn’t enough.
4 vehicles have had engine compartment evidence (wife’s VW W8 Passat was the worst off) and once they got inside my 2010 Suburban.

Engine compartment: found a small metal magnetic note pad holder at Office Depot and have found good mounting points in the engine compartment where the magnet gets good flat contact but the opening is close to another obstruction… single block of Tomcat brand rat & mouse killer and I do have to replace every month or so. Our outdoor cats have never had health issues that could even remotely be linked to it.

Interior: so far dryer sheets tucked up under the front passenger trim panel & driver side center console has kept them away after taking them out with a trap (and getting more strict on food in the trucks). My preferred trap is a white plastic one that I think is by tomcat also, baited with their gel bait. However, after having had a few “disappear” in the shed, I now tether them down with a little picture hanging wire (including when I put them in the suburban).

The Camry had a known entrance point (they'd chew through a plastic grate) that we had to block off with a sheet of steel mesh because they would get into the cabin air filter and makes nests in it and thrash the glovebox- that took care of that. but they're still getting into the cab and into my air vents and I'm wondering if the Tahoes have any similar weak interior entrance spots that I need to be aware of that I can preemptively block.

I looked into that when I found turds in the suburban. One theory was that they entered at the exterior air intake on the passenger side under the cowl and chew through the duct (supposedly in the vicinity of where our cabin filter was intended to be) but I did the cabin filter mod and while I didn’t scope the whole run with a borescope/inspection camera, I didn’t see any evidence in there when I cut it open and vacuumed it out.
But on the engine compartment end it is a large opening that I’m surprised didn’t have a metal screen at least as an accessory option for the dealership to install later.