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Topic: Got rats... (Read 2367 times) previous topic - next topic

Got rats...

So last night I'm driving my car and I hear what sounds like plastic being cut with a hand saw. I was driving by active construction zone with the window down so I kinda just ignored it.

Couple hours later, I go out to my car to smoke (im the only one in my family that smokes so I keep it outside) and I keep hearing something in the car. I figure its a moth or bug, so I roll the Windows down and turn on one map light hoping it will fly out. Out of the corner of my eye I see a rodent drop down from under the glove box and fall in the middle of the foot well then scurry off.

What's the best way to get rid of this thing? My first thought was to poison it, but obviously that's gonna kill it somewhere in the car.

My next thought is to put a mouse trap on the floor.

In hoping that this came from the tow yard my car that was recently wrecked at. Its just starting to get cold and I took a bunch of stuff out of my car that my buddy had in there after it sat outside with the one door open in a field. I actually keep my car pretty clean for a smoker, I vacuum it out several times a week and I try to wipe everything down at least once a week. I'm just hoping I don't have any holes somewhere they are getting inside the car at.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Got rats...

Reply #1 –
Yuck... Get it before it chews up your wiring and hoops you..

I would put a trap on the floor of the car and bait it with food so you don't end up with a dead rodent where you can't access it
302 H.O Swapped.. Bolt ons.. Tremec 3550.. 4.10's.. 18's..

Got rats...

Reply #2 –
In wondering if that's why I can't get my ignition switch to work right. I just replaced the switch and re pinned a new connector and replaced a few connectors. It seems to like underneath the dash.

I can hear it running around in there now that I know its there.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Got rats...

Reply #3 –
Quote from: Haystack;463501
In wondering if that's why I can't get my ignition switch to work right. I just replaced the switch and re pinned a new connector and replaced a few connectors. It seems to like underneath the dash.

I can hear it running around in there now that I know its there.

the glue board traps are really good
88 Cougar
88 T-Bird
other cars that don't apply to this forum

Got rats...

Reply #4 –
I had a mouse in my XR-7 last fall and another last spring.  I placed two traps in the car - one in the front passenger floor board and one in the trunk.  Baited them both with peanut butter and, voila', caught the little so-and-so two days later!  Still haven't figured out how the darned things are getting in :(
1986 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Turbo-charged 5-speed.
Owned 22 years.

Got rats...

Reply #5 –
I set between two and four spring traps baited with pb every night and I've had as many as eight glue traps. So far I haven't caught anything. Keeping all food out of the car and vacuuming it out religiously. Pulled all my tools and a bunch of stuff out of the trunk.


I'm pretty sure it can come and go, I wont see or hear it for a while. After reading up on mice, they can squeeze through holes the size of a dime.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Got rats...

Reply #6 –
I had one sneaking through the fuel pump cover in the rear trunk area. A rubber grommet had dry rotted away.

I also had some living in my drain tray, killed 6 in two nights, one died in there which I found later...yuck.

They will literally live anywhere, and it’s never one, you need to kill at a minimum two as they work in pairs.

Got rats...

Reply #7 –
Stuff as many perfumed dryer sheets in every nook and cranny of the car, under the hood & around the trunk, especially in the heater vents. Dryer sheets won't kill them, but usually it does run them out of their nests which may very well be behind your dash or inside your seats. Then set a couple of glue boxes on the rear package shelf and some on the dash around the floors and in the trunk.
Hopefully they haven't gotten into the headliner yet.
Don't drive it for a couple of days and I wil bet you catch a few when you check it afterwards.
Ron
Speed is just a question of MONEY How fast can you go?    (M. M.)

Got rats...

Reply #8 –
Just an update, I'm not calling it 100% rat free, but I haven't caught anything. Been spending a ton of time in the car, haven't seen or heard anything.

Before I was hearing stuff, figured it was a moth or something got trapped in the car. I live out in the boonies now, fields nearly everywhere.

I've had gigantic grasshoppers and similar in the car. In summer time I leave my windows down unless its raining pretty much all summer and most of the spring/fall. I've had big bugs with broken wings and moths get trapped in the car and just thought those were the noises id been hearing. I once had a praymantis fly in my window at a stop light and heard it running around in the dash till it flew out the window almost a week later.

So here's what I did. I pretty much live in my car. I get my kids 2-4 days a week. Its a 95 mile drive round trip each time I pick them up, or drop them off. Normally we get food or hit a gas station along the way and I get them candy and snacks and stuff, keeps em busy and content while driving. However, leaves a ton of garbage and like fries stuffed in the seat cracks and stuff.

I've banned all food from the car (me included, I will however keep a drink in the car when my kids aren't around).

I have extreme cleaned and detailed the car. I spent six hours at a car wash with a vacuum. I un bolted and removed all the seats, pressure washed the carpet and trunk and then reassembled the whole car. I also pulled all the plastics out around the steering column. I found a nest right up above the pedals near the fuse box area. It was all leaves and grass, surprisingly no interior or foam seemed to be used. I vacuumed everywhere I could stick the hose plus a few custom extensions made with a cut up 2liter bottle and electrical tape. I am 100% certain there was not a place big enough for another nest anywhere short of the heater box.

After that, I took the car home, unbolted every plastic panel that was detachable short of the dash, and spent an entire afternoon with every kind of cleaner I could get at my local dollar store and Clorox "heavy duty" wipes. Spent about 10 hours in 30 degree weather non stopped on my day off.

Since then, I have also completely emptied my trunk except for spare tire, jack and lug wrench,  and also gave the trunk and trunk panels the same treatment as the interior.

I have about 10 glue traps in the trunk and 3-4 under the seats(the only place I found any chew marks and a small pile or droppings was under the passenger from seat).

Car smells much better. I check the traps every day before work. Its been about a week, and nothing yet. Ive given up on the spring traps, they never did seem to catch anything and I'd hate to forget one was there, or even the mess it might make after I spent so much time cleaning it.

If it doesn't snow in the next week, I may also unbolt the doors and remove the door panels and clean everything up inside of the door.

Like I said, not convinced I've gotten rid of it forever, but I've taken almost every step that I know of the get rid of it. Short term its working, but if I hear or see anything else ill come back and let you guys know, just in case the same happens to someone else later.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Got rats...

Reply #9 –
Maybe the critter is coming and going? It could have gotten stuck when you left for a trip before it could get back out.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

Got rats...

Reply #10 –
It would make my day if I could verify that.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com