VARMITS

[My78truck]

Not sure if this is where I need to post. A little friend decided that they would build a nest in my hood latch area and use my new fiberglass Hood insulation as bedding. can anyone tell me if they have seen or no or can suggest how to cover these holes so the Little Critters can't get in. Thanks

 

[WP29P4A]

Where are you parking the truck when not in use? (In or near a field?) Is it a daily driver? Do you have any friends with Dogs? You could have some friends over with Jack Russel's or some other kind of dog that likes killing rodents, let them lose, then when they are done killing everything in the area, you should be good for a while. If you have access to a video camera, you can set it up near the truck to see where they are getting up on your truck.

If you look on line, there are plenty of videos of people making rodent traps out of simple items we all have laying around.

 

[nvrenuf]

An exterminator once told me rodents hate moth balls.

 

[85K304SPD]

What kind of critter was it? You could cut some light sheet metal or plastic sheet, to fit inside the recessed areas or just a long strip over the whole side and screw it on with little self drilling screws. Something like that.

 

[My78truck]

Where are you parking the truck when not in use? (In or near a field?) Is it a daily driver? Do you have any friends with Dogs? You could have some friends over with Jack Russel's or some other kind of dog that likes killing rodents, let them lose, then when they are done killing everything in the area, you should be good for a while. If you have access to a video camera, you can set it up near the truck to see where they are getting up on your truck.

If you look on line, there are plenty of videos of people making rodent traps out of simple items we all have laying around.

When not in use the truck if parked under a carport. It is not a daily driver and only driven sparingly other than started up every once in a while. I have 5 dogs on the otherside of the fence and cats that roam the area.

 

[My78truck]

An exterminator once told me rodents hate moth balls.

Yeah, except not sure how you keep the moth balls from rolling out.

 

[Soundmound]

Pouch them in cheesecloth and zip tie the pouches under the hood. Doesn't necessarily have to be in the hood. Could also stuff the holes with steel wool. I have done that with mouse holes then filled with expanding foam spray. They won't chew threw that combo.

 

[SirRobyn0]

An exterminator once told me rodents hate moth balls.

Yeah, except not sure how you keep the moth balls from rolling out.

Pouch them in cheesecloth and zip tie the pouches under the hood. Doesn't necessarily have to be in the hood. Could also stuff the holes with steel wool. I have done that with mouse holes then filled with expanding foam spray. They won't chew threw that combo.

I have heard and seen people doing the moth ball thing, and yes just like Dave described.

When not in use the truck if parked under a carport. It is not a daily driver and only driven sparingly other than started up every once in a while. I have 5 dogs on the otherside of the fence and cats that roam the area.

It would be good if you could get an idea what the critter is, here the main things are mice, rats, and squirrels. Squirrel here are not to much of a nuisance they will get into feed and sometimes automobiles outside, but generally don't get into houses at least not here. And they aren't hard to keep out. The moth ball / steel wool trick is probably your best defense in that case.

But if it's mice and you try to block them from under the hood the next thing you know they might go down the heater duct. If it's rats that's bad news because they are just so destructive and hard to get rid of once you have them.

I would really encourage you to try to figure out what the critter is. If you think it's mice set some traps under the hood. You might just prevent them from getting into your house next.

I live on a farm and it's a constant battle with mice and rats. If I wasn't proactive with trapping, (I've got animals so I can't use poison) They'd be into everything I'm sure.

I just don't want to see you bandaid a larger problem by just keeping them out of the truck. Good luck however you choose to handle it.

 

[Doppleganger]

Growing up, we lived next to and across from a field. The little b@stards would nest in a weekend. Was told if I was to store something or leave it sit for a bit to get a package of ladies knee-highs....fill them full of moth balls then tie them shut. Lay them around the engine bays, under a seat, etc. Never had another issue again.

We had raccoons move into the soffits on the garage - could not get them out. So got the knee highs and moth balls and tossed them in the soffits.....they were gone in an hour.

 

[Ricko1966]

They nest under the hood because they feel safe,leave the hood open when parkin for extended periods. I'm on 20 acres so is everyone around me. If I leave my hood down I have no idea what I'll find next time I open it.

 

[WP29P4A]

It would be good if you could get an idea what the critter is, here the main things are mice, rats, and squirrels. Squirrel here are not to much of a nuisance they will get into feed and sometimes automobiles outside, but generally don't get into houses at least not here. And they aren't hard to keep out. The moth ball / steel wool trick is probably your best defense in that case.

We have chipmunks here in addition to the others you mentioned, I have had clients that had some in their attic, they chewed the little wires off the back of the in-ceiling speakers.

The ideas about putting something to cover the hood access will only relocate them. On my son's truck they climbed onto the air filter and chewed up the hood blanket from the engine side to acquire the building materials they needed.

Kind of like the professional free range campers, if they steal your gas and you put on a locking gas cap. It does not stop them, it just makes them move to another vehicle.

 

[CalSgt]

They nest under the hood because they feel safe,leave the hood open when parkin for extended periods. I'm on 20 acres so is everyone around me. If I leave my hood down I have no idea what I'll find next time I open it.

^^^^ This

Anything parked for more than a few days around here gets infested if the hood stays down, we left the hood down on my square for a decade because the Eastern Sierra Mountain winds would have eventually folded it otherwise.

Picture doesn't show it well but there's a pretty good rat nest in/under the air cleaner, and they chewed on wiring here & there throughout.

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Cab was fairly clean when parked, most of the discolored areas are rat feces and urine stains.

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Take note of the C60 in the background

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[SirRobyn0]

We have chipmunks here in addition to the others you mentioned, I have had clients that had some in their attic, they chewed the little wires off the back of the in-ceiling speakers.

The ideas about putting something to cover the hood access will only relocate them. On my son's truck they climbed onto the air filter and chewed up the hood blanket from the engine side to acquire the building materials they needed.

Kind of like the professional free range campers, if they steal your gas and you put on a locking gas cap. It does not stop them, it just makes them move to another vehicle.

Right that's my point exactly, don't want to relocate them. Next thing a guy knows there isn't an issue in hood insulation anymore but they are in the air cleaner or go down into the heater and create a truly awful smell in the cab.

My Wife is from Chicago original and moved out here in 82' She remembers having problems with squirrels getting into the attack of their house in Chicago and even into the walls. For whatever reason that does not seem to be a problem here, perhaps it is because we are living in what is left of the country here and they'd just rather be in trees IDK.

 

[Trucksareforwork]

Probably worth verifying but I was told that dryer sheets (like bounce) keep mice away, and found that leaving a bunch of dryer sheets in the interior was a better experience than moth balls.

 

[My78truck]

I have heard and seen people doing the moth ball thing, and yes just like Dave described.



It would be good if you could get an idea what the critter is, here the main things are mice, rats, and squirrels. Squirrel here are not to much of a nuisance they will get into feed and sometimes automobiles outside, but generally don't get into houses at least not here. And they aren't hard to keep out. The moth ball / steel wool trick is probably your best defense in that case.

But if it's mice and you try to block them from under the hood the next thing you know they might go down the heater duct. If it's rats that's bad news because they are just so destructive and hard to get rid of once you have them.

I would really encourage you to try to figure out what the critter is. If you think it's mice set some traps under the hood. You might just prevent them from getting into your house next.

I live on a farm and it's a constant battle with mice and rats. If I wasn't proactive with trapping, (I've got animals so I can't use poison) They'd be into everything I'm sure.

I just don't want to see you bandaid a larger problem by just keeping them out of the truck. Good luck however you choose to handle it.

Fairly certain it was a mouse. Nest not that big. Never had a mouse build a nest there before. I will just have to be more proactive and go out and disturb them more. I have been a very bad owner. Haven't been out and messing around the truck much over winter. Of course the little F***er decided to use my brand new hood insulation pad for nesting material AND has some shells between the mat and the hood. Removing the liner tomorrow and looking into spraying Boom Mat on underside of hood so nothing to use for bedding.