Beware Of PackRats!

[David B.]

We live just 1/2 mile from the Lost Dutchman State Park in AZ, and have pack rats, mice, ground squirrels and use Rid-a-rat magnetic LED strobe light that I got online, but ACE hardware also sells them. It comes with alligator clips on the wires to connect to the battery, and the magnet holds it in place very well. If I remember right, it costs around $40.00, but it sure works for us.
Dave & Paula
P.S. If any of you come out this way, give us a P.M. and we can make new friends and show you around.
Dave & Paula

[Mike Magee]

My supplier just sent me some solar motion-sensor lights. Hmmmm. I wonder if a rodent is large enough to trigger the sensor.

[Gordon in Idaho]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

Solar light strand! I have long coveted one (or more!) but until now, only had the fun factor in favor of it Now I have a good reason! Yaay!

AND I can go to Harbor Freight and turn in my coupon for a free gift (yet another little LED light puck with magnet and hook)!

BEST
Kai

Get the kind that flash (I've been advised). Otherwise, you might be helping the critters find their way. I saw them in use at a campground in Organ Pipe Cactus N M recently. Looked like a silent party going on over there. He said he got them for $4. at a southwestern box store. (He was also using the hood up, mothball methods as well)

Gordon

[Kai in Seattle]

Hey, Gordon--

Harbor Freight has little triangular lights that flash...about the same price. $4.99 or so. Good idea! Thanks.

BEST
Kai

[Paul O.]

We just got back from a spring trip to southern NM and AZ. We stayed three nights at the Gilbert Ray Campground (a very nice one, by the way) west of Tucson and the fist thing I noticed was that everybody seemed to have the hood up. After sunset I saw all those string lights on the ground. Then it dawned on me that I read this thread only a few days earlier! I immediately added some fresh mothballs to the bag in my engine compartment. I prefer those balls to lights - when I must get up in the middle of the night, I always want to look at the stars.

[Byron Kinnaman]

A few years ago I had a packrat get into my Dakota and chewed through a vacuum line. The line apparently was made of nylon 6 which is soy based. Nylon 6 is used a lot for tubing in vehicles. There's another nylon (Nylon 7)which in petroleum based. Nylon 6 is used because it a better bend radius. That is it can maker a tighter bend without collapsing.

Now for my solution that I use when we're at Organ Pipe National Monument. I use "Luci" lights. I have three and rotate them under the hood at night.
Amazon has them LINK
They may appear a bit expensive but compared to inconvenience of chewed wires and tube repair cost they're still pretty cheap. Two would do.


Since I started using the lights there's not been a problem. I was at Organ Pipe for almost 30 days in December and January.

[Rzrbrn]

After I read the first post in this thread I started researching on the web. Although the SW seems to have a very high incidence of rodent chewing auto hoses and wires, it does occur in many other states.

People tried everything identified in this thread, but basically once the rodent find you and urinates, nothing works.

So if you park your vehicle for many months, say over winter months waiting for camping season, eventually the rodents will find you. The only thing is to do to move the vehicle so they loose the scent trail and basically have to find you again.

Since we seldom stay more than 2 weeks in one campsite, I probably will throw out moth balls and maybe few lights now and then but since I have not had any issue at home I am not going to worry while on the road.

[Kai in Seattle]

i AGREE, a bag of moth balls in the engine compartment might be a good solution. And could be used with lights as well. Though I agree about wanting to see the stars. But still...


I wanted to ask: do you think a flashing red light would work? We have those triangular "puck" lights that have steady white, solid red, or flashing red capabilities.

We also got a string light, solar--we're enjoying it on our patio for now. It can be steady or flashing. I wish it twinkled, but that seems to be a thing of the past.


Thanks.

Kai

[Rzrbrn]

The reason some folks have their hood open is because the starlight is enough light to make the rodents wary and stay away. So somewhat better would be a continuous, but only moderately bright, light. Blinking seems to not work as well and I doubt red would work at all, l because I expect the red light would work the same as it does for humans, but not certain. That is, you use a red light at night so it does not destroy your night vision.

The above is what I garnered by research regarding this subject on the internet.

[Steve Outlaw]

Most animals do not "see" the world around them as humans do. Many are essentially red-green color-blind. To the bull in the ring the matador's cape could just as easily be chartreuse.

Likewise, rats perceive light in the spectrum of blues and greens and just a hint of ultraviolet. They can distinguish blues from greens, but reds would appear dark to them. 99% of the rat's retina consists of rods, which sense only light and dark so brightness appears to be far more important to rats than color.

I would think that the color of the light would be irrelevant.

[Roger C H]

There is another thread with a similar topic:

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ose-81887.html

[Rzrbrn]

So if a red light were used a mouse would not be able to see it, that is, the area would appear just as dark as if there were no light at all. So use a white light. But most people think it does not need to be bright.

On the other hand, many people are saying nothing really works once the pack rat finds your vehicle.

However, I prefer to be proactive, even if I really am just tilting at windmills.

[Kai in Seattle]

Well, thanks. We'll use a white light, then, and maybe also hang a mothball bag, and we'll "bag" the red flashing light as it sounds useless for this. I like to be proactive, too, if it's not too much trouble or expense, and this isn't much either way. Then we cross our fingers and tilt at those windmill mice.

BEST
Kai