Any effective method to keep rodents away from vehicle parked in field?

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mudder

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I have it parked on one side and did have rodent issues here until the run of frosts came around and have not noticed them since the thaw.

Have planned to make a new parking space over the other side for better access however I suddenly remembered that there is loads of evidence of rodent activity over there with them having chewed through nearly everything I have left out, over time.

There are a couple of big piles of brash on that side, which have been there circa a year or so, and I do wonder how much of the population are living within them.

I am inclined to live and let live if they don't bother me. They keep to themselves in the daytime but if the van is over there and thus vulnerable to getting the wires eaten then it is a problem.

Is there any effective way, aside from mass extermination, to be reasonably confident they would leave it alone or should I rethink my plans and perhaps consider not keeping it there at all?

I mean can you somehow keep them off it or will they always find a way?

I know they are all over the field to a greater or lesser degree, perhaps different kinds though, with field voles being perhaps the main contingent, but I think they are concentrated over there, given all the destruction I have seen to most plastics I left out.

Based on answers I may have to have a rethink.

The 'handy hints' like leaving peppermint around sound like hogwash from all the mixed reports of it actually doing anything.
 
Peppermint spray has worked really well for us. Just get some peppermint oil and add to water in a spray bottle. You need to keep up with it though.
 
We've put traps everywhere we could see evidence in the horsebox. We found they were coming in through the battery tray and in through the living floor so traps on the battery lid and sealed round any holes that came in.

Keep the weeds and grass cut short under the parked vehicle. Don't leave and food in there (human or horse) and make sure it's well mucked out every time.

If you have an issue with things being damaged in an area already I'd put bait boxes or traps down now to hopefully get a step ahead - it takes a fair bit of dedication to break the breeding cycle if it's already an established family. Clear anything edible or chew-able and block any holes you can see so you can then tell if you have any new friends.
 
Kaylum said:
Peppermint spray has worked really well for us. Just get some peppermint oil and add to water in a spray bottle. You need to keep up with it though.
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Hmm yes even if it does work I can't imagine it being practical as it would just wash off every time it rained, which is constantly.

dorsetladette said:
We've put traps everywhere we could see evidence in the horsebox. We found they were coming in through the battery tray and in through the living floor so traps on the battery lid and sealed round any holes that came in.

Keep the weeds and grass cut short under the parked vehicle. Don't leave and food in there (human or horse) and make sure it's well mucked out every time.

If you have an issue with things being damaged in an area already I'd put bait boxes or traps down now to hopefully get a step ahead - it takes a fair bit of dedication to break the breeding cycle if it's already an established family. Clear anything edible or chew-able and block any holes you can see so you can then tell if you have any new friends.
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Hmm well the stuff is outside so no holes to block. Those were not precious items but I would get a metal box or shed if I want to store stuff again there.

The problem with the van is it is vulnerable to attack as I can't see a way around stopping them getting at wires since the wiring and engine and stuff are not sealed and they are said to favour the engine due to heat.

Is there no way to make a fence to stop them? I know they can climb and also jump but I thought some kind of smooth surface they could not grab onto. I read today rats can jump up to 4 feet so would have to be pretty high!
 
mudder said:
Hmm yes even if it does work I can't imagine it being practical as it would just wash off every time it rained, which is constantly.


Hmm well the stuff is outside so no holes to block. Those were not precious items but I would get a metal box or shed if I want to store stuff again there.

The problem with the van is it is vulnerable to attack as I can't see a way around stopping them getting at wires since the wiring and engine and stuff are not sealed and they are said to favour the engine due to heat.

Is there no way to make a fence to stop them? I know they can climb and also jump but I thought some kind of smooth surface they could not grab onto. I read today rats can jump up to 4 feet so would have to be pretty high!
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I assume you would spray inside bonnet and cab area? Not outside.

I have mice in my lorry, or I did, not seen them recently. I used four baited traps and caught quite a few. But it is grisly!

Why they appeared is a bit of a mystery, I have parked my lorry on yards / driveways / edges of tracks for decades. Why I suddenly got mice last spring I dont know.

And mice that I took on camping holidays in the lorry. Mine didnt destroy too much, but did leave dropppings, and chew stuff, but as you say there is always the fear they might chew wires.
 
I used that Irish Spring soap in my car and horsebox after they nibbled the wires and insulation. I also set bait boxes near the vehicles.

Not had a problem since, but I don't know which thing cured it!
 
mudder said:
Hmm yes even if it does work I can't imagine it being practical as it would just wash off every time it rained, which is constantly.


Hmm well the stuff is outside so no holes to block. Those were not precious items but I would get a metal box or shed if I want to store stuff again there.

The problem with the van is it is vulnerable to attack as I can't see a way around stopping them getting at wires since the wiring and engine and stuff are not sealed and they are said to favour the engine due to heat.

Is there no way to make a fence to stop them? I know they can climb and also jump but I thought some kind of smooth surface they could not grab onto. I read today rats can jump up to 4 feet so would have to be pretty high!
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You could get in touch with your local ferret club. Just the smell tends to keep rats away.

Yes the fuel gauge is tempermental in our horsebox and I think that is due to mice having a nibble.

We cleared the area where we park the lorry. Put hard-core and slabs down which has kept the grass growth down. We strim the rest and have bait boxes all round. We haven't had a rodent problem in the horsebox since. And we park it along a hedge row that has an business park bin store on the otherside.
 
 
Fieldlife said:
I assume you would spray inside bonnet and cab area? Not outside.

I have mice in my lorry, or I did, not seen them recently. I used four baited traps and caught quite a few. But it is grisly!
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Yea I did use traps when I was at uni when we had them in a student house and it wasn't nice. Sometimes you would come down in the morning to their distressed squealing as the trap hadn't finished them off.

After that I made a DIY humane trap with a bucket with like a plank and some bait at the end which did work.


I am thinking more about those big brash piles as they must be living somewhere and it is otherwise a bare field so the most likely place. I do know that field voles live in the grass but wonder if those piles have most of the population.

Am I allowed to burn them? I would like to think that the rodents would have the sense to crawl out of there when the fire started so feels somehow better. Like giving them their marching orders. If they don't then should be a fairly quick end.

I don't have any heavy machinery to move the piles. I tried moving a little bit by hand to test using it for paths and it was cumbersome work just to separate bits from the pile and gave up after a couple of tries due to little progress made.

Fieldlife said:
Why they appeared is a bit of a mystery, I have parked my lorry on yards / driveways / edges of tracks for decades. Why I suddenly got mice last spring I dont know.
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Yes as I heard the ones on where I am parked currently crawling all over my van when I was inside after sunset before the frosts I do wonder how they didn't get to the wires. I only heard them on what sounded like the wheel arches, the back bumper and they would scramble up the back and on to the roof.
 
Errin Paddywack said:
I would be getting a ratting pack in to seriously thin them out.
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As above I am thinking they might have setup their homes in two sizeable rotting brash piles so wondering if getting rid of those might be my first port of call as since the field is otherwise bare there aren't really many other places they could live unless they can burrow into compacted clay soil. I don't doubt that they might be able to live on the ground floor but the several meter squared brash is probably the most likely candidate.
 
rabatsa said:
The brash piles may also have hibernating hedgepigs in them, if the rats have not feasted on them. They would not escape a fire.
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Ah, I do try to be as none destructive as I can. For example I had thought that would be a similar risk if using poison as other creatures may eat it. So what would you suggest? Manual clearance only?

If I resolve to do it I would get through it eventually and can pile it up in the large gaps in the hedging to make dead hedging.
 
I’ve just had my washer pipes munched (been in same yard, parking place, for two years and never had an issue before). Box is used regularly, which I thought would help, but maybe not as warm engines can attract them. Garage recommended rat stop, which is peppermint oil spray. I’ve sprayed all over engine and wires and round the wheel arches. Instructions say to do monthly. It’s not a fun job as catches your throat, but so far, so good. I’m about to move to a different yard, and the parking is away from any undergrowth which will hopefully help
 
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