I have, of necessity, become somewhat of an expert on rodent elimination.
We have a ranch in the Flint Hills area of Kansas. To say it is remote is an
understatement. The house is used only two months of the year. My truck
stays in the barn 10 months of the year. It is a constant battle to defeat
the rodents both in the house and in the truck and our SUV while we are
there. For some reason, as soon as we arrive they make an all out assault on
the newly arrived vehicle.
Let me begin by telling you the things not to do. This is based on sad
personal experiences.
1) Never use a poison bait in a vehicle. The animal will always die in place
that will be very difficult to get out.
2) If you are in a hot climate (like Kansas in the summer) never use the
glue traps. The glue will get soft and all you will get is tiny sticky foot
tracks all over the place.
Now here is what to do....
1)If you are storing a vehicle for any period of time stuff the exhaust pipe
and all the air intakes for the motor and heating/AC with coarse steel wool.
(don't forget to take it out)
2) leave the hood open....(pack rats like to get under closed hoods. They
consider wires as a real gourmet treat)
3)Sprinkle old fashioned moth balls everywhere you can. Also, buy cheap
fabric softener dryer sheets and distribute them inside the car, the trunk
and under the hood.
4)In order to tell if you have rodents in the car, leave a single peanut on
each floor mat and in the trunk. If a peanut is gone, you have a problem.
5)The best solution to getting rid of them is a Rat Zapper....The is an
electronic trap that electrocutes them. You know where the body is going to
be....in the Zapper. There are a number of people on e Bay who sell them.
They are expensive but they do work. I have found that the best bait is
peanuts. Be sure to wash the salt off and let them dry before you use them.
If you leave the salt on and the weather is humid, the salt attracts
moisture and can short out the contact plate just like it caught a rodent.
I have used a Zapper to eliminate squirrels. They now have a larger model
with larger batteries (D) which should do better on big squirrels.
They will not dispatch a raccoon but they will give them a hell of a jolt.
One morning I found my Zapper on its side 3 or 4 feet away from where I left
it. I figure a coon stuck his paw in to try to get the peanuts, hit the
contact plate, got zapped, and knocked the thing around trying to get away.
If you are unfortunate enough to have a rodent die in you car you will have
a difficult time eliminating the odor. If you are fortunate enough to have
it expire on a painted surface, like under a rear seat, you might be able to
get rid of the smell. Clean the area with strong Clorox water and soap. When
it is dry, spray with a clear sealant like Krylon. This will seal in the
smell. If you don't, you will get that smell on a hot day.
Rodents are very smart....I could regale you with the stories of some of my
epic battles, but you don't have enough time.
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