How to stop pesky rodents from sabatoging the wheelers

[Yamaha_Rules69]

I was wondering what you guys are doing while your bike(s) are sitting all cozy in the shop, and next thing you know, a mouse makes a nest in the airbox, pipe, or otherwise. I looked at my tri z yesterday, hadnt been started in at least a month, and the airbox was completely full of a big mouse nest. I looked inside the silencer, and it was PACKED full of corn. I think the mouse had it all set to live in over the winter, but his house is gone now, but I didnt find the culprit. i am still wondering why the mouse started eating the air filter, as it was freshly covered in oil.
So what do you guys recommend to keep these pests away? Put some moth balls in the airbox/pipe? Some kind of spray or device to warn them off? Mouse traps? Lets hear the effective ideas!

[jeswinehart]

Arch enemy of rodents is a cat.
Moth balls are poison (in case you have kids or a not so smart dog)
I have heard more and more RV owners using bars of Irish Springs soap. They all swear by it for motor home, pop ups and the like for winter storage (would smell better IMO)

[Rjfabwerx]

I bought a bucket of Tomcat and put little blocks of it around my shops...works great but you need to put it high enough where pets and/or kids can't reach it and make sure they understand that it's poison if they're old enough...I have never had a mouse nesting inside my toys but they do eat that blue stuff...

[Yamaha_Rules69]

Thanks for the tips guys, keep them coming. Irish spring soap - I have never heard of that, and will have to give it a try. I do have a son that may not understand that some things are poisionous (almost 2 years old) and a dog - a puggle - that is "not so smart." lol

[mrmello]

Bounce Sheets work well also.

That and steel wool in the end of the silencer, mice hate steel wool and wont dig into it or try to go by it.

[Thorpe]

We would always have our customers load their street rods up with laundry dryer sheets... Mice dont seem to like the smell of them... Would be alot easier to roll one up and slip in the tip of your pipe, than having mothballs collect at the lowest spot in your exhaust too!

Todays joke: So... You have smelled mothballs before???



Punchline: How'd you get his little legs apart?!?!?!?! :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:(sorry, bad joke)

[zppeacock]

I dont want to curse myself but I keep 3 or my trikes in a barn all year long and never have any rodent problems.

[84atc200]

What i do is i take a roll of wire mesh, cut peices out and put it over any open holes on my airboxes.For my silencers i use the fmf silencer plugs.

[cattle-dog]

use the tomcat blocks in the tomcat baitbox and your pets are safewe use them in our horse barn where our dogs come and go all the rodents are dead and the pets are alive

[Bryan Raffa]

someone say CORN?

[bigbadktm]

yeah i was thinking the silencer plugs as well. not sure what to do about the airbox though as i once had the same problem. really kills performance when you dont notice or think to check for it

[Chazz of Blades]

I've sprayed carb cleaner on the air filter before, rats HATE that stuff, you can spray it liberaly a couple times, or keep it sprayed every now and then.

[atc350xer]

use the tomcat blocks in the tomcat baitbox and your pets are safewe use them in our horse barn where our dogs come and go all the rodents are dead and the pets are alive

Yep... that's the ticket...

[aldochina]

i have this problem alot, mice supposedly hate peppermint oil, put a few drops on a cotton ball and throw it in your air box. I just got some online, im going to try it and see how it works. also might try the irish spring method as i have some in the house already lol.

[200XMichigan]

Somone told me years ago about drier sheets and they seem to work great. I have used them in a truck when I have left and the mice have left it alone. The winter before there was signs of mice in it.

[Mr_RPM]

the only time i have had this problem is when stuff sits for a while. so my remedy is to ride my machines often enough that the mice dont get the time to plan it out. so for no problems with this method for me.

[Tommy2]

Never heard that about dryer sheets. Much better smelling than moth balls!

I try to keep traps set around my garage. Usually end up catching a few this time of year. Poison works, but sometimes they then crawl into a hole in your wall and die. I put a bunch of poison in my shed last Fall. It stank like death all winter. Had it been spring/summer time the smell would have been unbearable.

[motorhead]

I have used dryer sheets, while on Army maneuvers, in the field. They seem to ward off insects, just put 1 or 2 sheets in your Kevlar, above the head band and they seem to chase insects away. So maybe that carries over to rodents also. I'm going to try it.

A machine stored in a shed or barn, is always a prize for a rodent; they can find their way into the airbox or exhaust. It doesn't have to be a very big opening at all.

Moth balls have worked for me in the past; but caution must be used, when finding a place to put them.

I tried D-Con; but it makes more of a mess than what it is worth. And again, the dogs or cats may find that also; so be careful with that. Dogs will eat this also, so this is not a good idea.

[sarasotausmc]

Cat poo in a stocking or sock.

[WIkid500]

Steel wool in the exhaust pipe. Moth balls if you want stinky either smell. Dryer sheets work real well for keeping rodents away and smell nice too!!

[beets442]

Take a small radio and put it on a talk station in your garage and leave it on. If they think someone is in there they won't come in....Beets

[Nightmare]

I myself use silencer plugs. I suppose I have less issues since I have an mean indoor outdoor cat. She kills and mouse, chipmunk, or mole near the house. I also do not let my stuff sit long enough that this could be an issue. I am always enjoying my toys.

[Baba Yaga]

Bounce Sheets work well also.

That and steel wool in the end of the silencer, mice hate steel wool and wont dig into it or try to go by it.

Bounce sheets do not work whatsoever. They use it for nesting material, as I found out one Spring....

[Blmpkn]

More than once I've seen whole nests made from dryer sheets... But I've also had them work. I guess it depends how desperate the mouse is lol.