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Old 05-26-2017, 09:39 AM   #1
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2012 Interstate Coach
Northern California , California
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Rodent damage

Hi all

New member here again. Do you folks worry about rodent damage to your AI when you have it in storage or parked in one spot for an extended period of time. I live on a one acre lot with lots of trees. I have a Ford truck and a Honda Minivan. Both vehicles suffered rodent damage when I park it in one spot for an extended period of time. They usually like to chew on the plastic hoses. One time I had to spend over $1.3K to fix my AC on my truck because of rodent damage. The same thing happened to my 2012 Mercedes AI. Look at the attachments. These are nests the rodents have built in my Minivan and my truck....Does this happen to any others here?
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Old 05-26-2017, 09:58 AM   #2
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No damage, but my wife and I have both had our air cleaners packed with corn from a broken bag of deer corn. I took most of a quart of corn out of my air cleaner.
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Old 05-26-2017, 10:07 AM   #3
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There is a lot of debate as to weather electronic pest repellers work. I have had one plugged in under my carport for 4 years and no issues. At one time I had issues with a house cat climbing up on my motorcycle seat (under the dust cover) and scratching the seat while climbing up. I put an electronic repeller on the seat and the cat quit sleeping there. Not proof that they work but I'm staying with them.
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Old 05-26-2017, 10:26 AM   #4
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A couple semi-feral barn cats help. I used to have my AS stored on a friend's farm, next to a corn field and barn. He has a very wild cat who adopted him and his barn out of the "wild". This cat looks at humans like they are lunch. I never had a single mouse in the AS over 5 years it was stored there. The cat is pretty maintenance free. He supplements his hunting with a bowl of food and water when he's around. Otherwise the cat is on his own and is well fed.
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Old 05-26-2017, 10:27 AM   #5
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We live in greater Houston, which has a subtropical climate and is legendary for its rodent density - especially Norway rats. Our rodent minimization strategy is to never let the Interstate sit for longer than 2 weeks. Usually we don't allow it to sit for more than 1 week, but right now it's been 2 weeks because LB_3 was on heavy work rotation while I was simultaneously in Canada for a week.

I have no doubt whatsoever that we would have a rodent infestation if we did not practice this frequent driving strategy. We put down glue traps and poison in our storage facility and have caught several mice in the glue. Furthermore when we stored our old Dometic fridge in the same unit, some animal, probably a small raccoon but possibly a rat, scattered its various pieces around the floor. The fridge was clean but probably had enough residual food smell to be attractive. The storage unit is made of corrugated metal and there's just enough gapping here and there where the metal walls come together for a small raccoon to squeeze through and cruise from unit to unit looking for goodies.

We also used copper wool to plug some Interstate chassis gaps from underneath.
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Old 05-26-2017, 11:17 AM   #6
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One of my daughters use to get mice in her Ford Explorer. They were attracted to the dog treats she kept in the SUV. They'd usually get trapped in the squirrel cage blower and starve. I'd get the "smells like something died in my car" call from her on occasion and would have to pull the blower to clean out the dead carcass.

I use to have some minor issues with chewed wires, etc., but that all stopped when the I convinced my neighbors to quit killing the good snakes, and started setting traps as described here:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f458...ml#post1954394

Since then no chipmunks, mice, squirrels, or rats.
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Old 05-26-2017, 01:32 PM   #7
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I put a number of dryer sheets in the engine compartment and put a dish of rat poison pellets one the floor inside and put moth balls in the cabinets. We have never had a problem in our three years of winter storage - two of which were in a farmers barn.
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Old 05-26-2017, 02:30 PM   #8
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Rubber snakes under the rig and under the hood. Cut human hair stuffed in panty hose, and moth balls, all work.
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Old 05-26-2017, 03:22 PM   #9
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This is squirrel damage under the hood of our 2016 AI. All the scrapings were carried away. Possibly for a nest?Click image for larger version

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Old 05-26-2017, 04:04 PM   #10
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Rodent damage

I just posted the following on another thread about pests.....

I had a list of tips for RVers and extracted the following related to pest control:

- Moth balls in pantyhose hanging inside engine compartment to chase off rodents.
- PineSol mixed 50/50 with water to spray and clean all surfaces to chase off flies.

- Dog flea collar cut in pieces to keep in propane compartment to chase of wasps.

- Irish Spring in outside compartments to chase off mice.
- Vensmile 12v under hood ultrasonic animal/rodent deterrent (yes, I know there is redundancy in some of these items.... but no flies/rodents/wasps....)

Never tried them since our AI is garaged at home, but they may be of some help.
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Old 05-26-2017, 04:20 PM   #11
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The ranch I visit in south Texas has a line of ranch trucks parked with their hoods open. Thought this odd, come to find out that this is how they deal with the rodent issue.
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Old 05-26-2017, 05:58 PM   #12
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You folks are a world of help. So grateful that I found this forum. Thank you so much.
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Old 05-26-2017, 06:14 PM   #13
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Best solution I've found for small mammals of all types is an inexpensive 110v strobe light, under $15 from Amazon. They can't stand the flashing. The neighbors think we have a disco in the garage.
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Old 05-26-2017, 06:17 PM   #14
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In the southwest pack rats are an issue. Hoods up on parked vehicles and 2 bright shop lights laid on the ground underneath are good.
Some years ago someone figured out that soy could be used to make insulation for wiring. Turns out it's rodent food. Not sure if it's used any more.
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Old 05-26-2017, 06:19 PM   #15
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So you just place the strobe light under the RV?
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Old 05-26-2017, 06:23 PM   #16
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I have 2 cheap shop lights with 60 watt LED bulbs.they lay on the ground and burn all night. Packrats hate the light and stay away.
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Old 05-26-2017, 06:55 PM   #17
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I'm gonna try leaving the hood open...Just thought that it would make it an easier access for the dang rodents but I guess it also makes it less cozy so they don't want to go in there to nest
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Old 05-27-2017, 05:43 AM   #18
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I heard somewhere that the rodent-food insulation was not used in the US, but is still used in Europe.
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Old 05-27-2017, 10:29 AM   #19
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I set a trap inside and another under the hood and caught an average of 5-6 mice a year, mostly in the winter. And this was w/ the AI sitting in the driveway.
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Old 05-29-2017, 12:14 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jldmd View Post
So you just place the strobe light under the RV?
Yes, aimed at wherever you think nesting and access points might be. They are inexpensive to purchase and operate, so depending upon access to 110v, multiple units can be placed inside and outside the vehicle.

The type that I use: https://www.amazon.com/Roxant-Strobe...dp/B00KUC2INU/

No smells, no poisons, no emptying and re-setting traps.
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