IanB
Member
I’m now picturing a gang of rats ‘come on boys, let’s go shower and then rave!!!’ ‘Get some of those tasty wires too, he has just had new ones fitted’
I like the look of the walk the plank trap, worth trying?
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Rodent damage
- Thread starter pgkevet
- Start date
I like the look of the walk the plank trap, worth trying?
I'd not been watching this thread & see you went with RatMat I ref'd Feb 21. Nice! That seems like a great, if expensive, solution. Of course less $$$$ than continually repairing rodent damage. Will be nice to hear your longer term experiences w/RatMat.
Two ICE cars we leave outside haven't been getting much use w/the Covid thing, maybe once every 10 days or so. And its Spring rodent mating season here in NJ. To sorta close the loop on my timer/pulsed LED under-hood thing I posted about, more for ICS cars:
* Good news - The 20 secs on/3 min off LED setup on our Armada (main use: camper towing) has proven to keep rodents/squirrels/etc from building nests. It uses Timers.shop (no affiliation) & other stuff mentioned in my Amazon “Small Miniature timer on off cycling delay relay 0.1 sec to 9999 hours” review:
* Bad news - Like a dummy I'd not been checking our other car which had been getting used every couple/few days prior to Covid/work-from-home. Took a while to clean & inspect including removing/dropping shields, but no real damage - just a little chewed plastic edges & maybe pee corrosion:
So ordered stuff to do the trick to the RX, this time trying more simple Timers.shop "Decoy timer". For now have a 120v LED droplight underhood to keep 'em out.
Two ICE cars we leave outside haven't been getting much use w/the Covid thing, maybe once every 10 days or so. And its Spring rodent mating season here in NJ. To sorta close the loop on my timer/pulsed LED under-hood thing I posted about, more for ICS cars:
* Good news - The 20 secs on/3 min off LED setup on our Armada (main use: camper towing) has proven to keep rodents/squirrels/etc from building nests. It uses Timers.shop (no affiliation) & other stuff mentioned in my Amazon “Small Miniature timer on off cycling delay relay 0.1 sec to 9999 hours” review:
* Bad news - Like a dummy I'd not been checking our other car which had been getting used every couple/few days prior to Covid/work-from-home. Took a while to clean & inspect including removing/dropping shields, but no real damage - just a little chewed plastic edges & maybe pee corrosion:
So ordered stuff to do the trick to the RX, this time trying more simple Timers.shop "Decoy timer". For now have a 120v LED droplight underhood to keep 'em out.
As you say, not cheap but I felt it would be the most reliable option since OH doesn't want me to kill the rats.
Putting it down is a bit of a plod and takes some care where one set of contacts is bent downwards and need to avoid it bending up. Also on the bridged sections it proved necessary to add insulators (free extras not included in the kit). To be fair when i was having those problems the Co selling ratmat sent a rep round with the insulators and he rolled up his sleeves and we put them in together.
I can still get some arcing issues when it rains heavly or wet leaves blow in but reportedly the mat still keeps rodents away.
So far I've managed to forget once and get a jolt and so has the dog. Whilst harmless you don't forget twice!
On the other hand sheep hooves are good insulators and one of our rogue ewes has been in a few times trying to beg treats.
View media item 121276
Putting it down is a bit of a plod and takes some care where one set of contacts is bent downwards and need to avoid it bending up. Also on the bridged sections it proved necessary to add insulators (free extras not included in the kit). To be fair when i was having those problems the Co selling ratmat sent a rep round with the insulators and he rolled up his sleeves and we put them in together.
I can still get some arcing issues when it rains heavly or wet leaves blow in but reportedly the mat still keeps rodents away.
So far I've managed to forget once and get a jolt and so has the dog. Whilst harmless you don't forget twice!
On the other hand sheep hooves are good insulators and one of our rogue ewes has been in a few times trying to beg treats.
View media item 121276
Just an FYI about my efforts... My squirrels are too smart & crafty. 3 mins off was too long apparently. Maybe it went like this:
Rocky: "Hey Skippy how do we stop this annoying light that comes on once in a while?"
Skippy: "Give me a boost & I'll close my eyes while I chew its off its wire..."
Rocky: "Hey Skippy how do we stop this annoying light that comes on once in a while?"
Skippy: "Give me a boost & I'll close my eyes while I chew its off its wire..."
Oopps..
..why I made sure the power line to ratmat is also either protected by the mat or impossible to get access to ..
I know this is an old thread. But how did the RatMat work out for you? My neighbors have a rat infestation and I am concerned about it spreading to my car !
RatMat is doing it’s job. The only problems encountered with it have been related to surface flooding getting into the barn where it’s installed and whilst it is made of stainless steel the grade isn't totally corrosion proof such that the badly affected area had to be taken apart (easy but tedious) and the contact points cleaned - and arrangements made to deal with any further surface floods by improved drainage and a cement lintel/bump/hump whatever you'ld like to call it across the entranceway. Despite the maker's claims that it can be installed outdoor I wouldn't endorse that. However as belt and braces I also have several bait boxes in the barn and have removed all feedstuffs to their own steel shed.
Interesting. I unfortunately have an outdoor parking pad so I was obviously hoping to install outside. It is on a slight incline, so perhaps that would help?
Anyway, I am glad to hear that it is working as expected. Unless me neighbors sort their situation out (unlikely, we have tried everything), I think I might just have to give it a go and put up with regular cleaning.
Alternatives would be under-car sonic repellers and bait boxes. The problem comes in winter when a nice warm car is parked up, plugged in so battery is kept warm and inviting for cold rodents.
The other problem with ratmat outdoors is wet leaves and cr@p shorting it out - doesn't damage the mat - just stops it being effective. It should run at 6-7K volts but a couple of dead worms across it will drop that voltage to less deterrent.
Oh, and you learn quickly that dropping something and bending down to pick it up is painful albeit harmless...
The other problem with ratmat outdoors is wet leaves and cr@p shorting it out - doesn't damage the mat - just stops it being effective. It should run at 6-7K volts but a couple of dead worms across it will drop that voltage to less deterrent.
Oh, and you learn quickly that dropping something and bending down to pick it up is painful albeit harmless...
Rats hate and avoid the smell of predators. We have 2 cats and never see a rat, unless one of them is eating a baby one.
I know people who have access to dried lion poo from Longleat. Sprinkled in the garden it keeps deer and rabbits away, and stops cats digging in your boarders:I suspect it would work with rats.
It is available commercially on Amazon as "Silent Roar". When wet it is a bit smelly.... so not sure I'd want it in my car....
www.coopersofstortford.co.uk
I know people who have access to dried lion poo from Longleat. Sprinkled in the garden it keeps deer and rabbits away, and stops cats digging in your boarders:I suspect it would work with rats.
It is available commercially on Amazon as "Silent Roar". When wet it is a bit smelly.... so not sure I'd want it in my car....
Silent Roar - Buy 2 & Save £3 | Coopers of Stortford
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