Rodent protection?

So I undercoated my boy today. Rust problem solved. Now lets focus on these pesky rodents and protect my investment. This truck has an amazing build quality that I have never experienced in my life. A thermonuclear bomb proof truck like this must not succumb to rodent teeth. Any ideas? Garlic in the engine bay? Naphtalene balls? lol

 

Cats and mouse bait

 

I removed the engine cover and I use Grandpa Gus’s peppermint spray.

 

Spray the whole engine bay? How often? Doesn't the smell spread inside the truck?

 

I spray the wiring only because that’s what they chewed before and I use the sacks in there when it’s parked. It’s peppermint so it smells good but it isn’t super strong unless you drown the engine.

i spray every couple of months but probably should monthly. Idk if it works but I haven’t had issues again.

 

Great. Will order a gallon right away lol. Do you recommend spraying the wheel wells?

 

I haven’t gone that far. I live in the city so it’s not a common issue but they sure caused almost $9K in damage when they did. I’d try it out first before you purchase bulk.

 

$9k in damage. I don't want to learn that the hard way. What attracts these critters? Warmth of the engine bay?

 

Warmth on cold nights and they just wander looking for food, shelter or material to build their den. People blame soy based wiring insulation but it’s been soy based for years now. Plus they chew through filters and any plastic.

 

Not expert advice but this is what I do -
https://youtu.be/qb44R7rJapQ?feature=shared

 

Hey @Fateh - regarding all your questions & new threads, i.e.
I got a shiny 2023 TRD Offroad Premium with KDSS First 4Runner. I got some questions. Take your time to address them. Thanks

1. Should I be worried about rust in the West coast? It is parked a few miles from the beach and rains a lot in winter
2. 0W-20, really? On an old powertrain?
3. What undercarriage protection do I get in stock
4. Should I be worried about rodents? We got a huge squirrel population.
5. Why is the oil filter not in the engine bay? It sucks!
6. What are my lift options? I have a lift in mind. How high can I go without voiding warranties and messing up the truck?
7. Do you guys pull small campers?
8. What equivalent to Jeep Wave we have in 4Runner world? Or people don't care, it is just a truck.
9. I have KO2s in mind. What do you think? And how big can I go?
10. I did not buy the extended warranty. Do people buy them?

you might try searching. Every question you bring up has been covered in dozens of threads. Try this on for size - your question, followed by site:4runners.com/ in a Google search will return more threads, in this forum, than you would think that discuss the very subject you want to know about.

 

Wait. You mean it’s not mice and cat bait?

Oh, this is bad.

 

Meant he/she might get either a cat or get Mice Bait.
I have the baits underneath trash cans and the garage.

 

Honda makes rodent tape for this reason alone. You can google it and it's sold online.

 

I think it’s great to teach someone to fish, but sometimes wouldn’t it be easier and kinder to just give them a fish versus typing all that out?

 

I’ve been fighting tooth and nail with Rats for several years. Bait stations, sticky traps, electrocution traps, etc. But by far the most effective traps have been the Victor snap traps from Walmart for a $1.99. Tried all the different baits on the pressure foot, beef jerky, almonds, etc. But by far a tiny spot of fresh peanut butter applied with a chop stick works the best. I’ve gotten a Rat per night for the last 3 nights. I just throw away the Rat in the trap in a trash bag and be done with it. After all it’s a $1.99. FYI, they live in palm trees. Queen, King, date palms. We had 5 palms trees cut down in our yard which drastically reduced the number of Rats coming from those condos. Although on both sides of us the neighbors have palm trees, so I’m thinning the herds from their properties.

 

I was going this route but read it didn't work.

 

Hope it helps

 

Can you post a picture when it is dry. It looks pretty bad there.

 

It doesn't get dry. It is oil.

 

So I think you missed the joke…

 

Ive been battling this in my area on my vehicles too and have tried many different things. Ive found what works for me is I zip tie a cube of Decon on each side of the fire wall under the hood. I have tiny little field mice in my area and they seem to eat that stuff fist before my wires.

 

Most certainly missed it
Please enlighten

 

Isn't that toxic to humans? I don't want to breath thing thing lol

 

It definitely toxic to human I sure wouldn't eat it and touch it use rubber gloves when handling it. I put it in place where the bulk of wires run through the fire wall to the cab so there isn't anything toxic actually enter the cabs space. I tried the non poisonous stuff like the mint things and the sound things my mice used it as an air freshener with dance music and chewed them both up. I went the poison route and haven't seem them since.

 

Haha

 

Glue traps or these things, the one on the left is a killing machine.

 

12,000 year old proven technology lol

 

Wait a minute, this thing dried up entirely.

 

I agree with this most of the time (see my thoughts on the matter HERE) but I’m with @glwood54 on this one. OP is the poster child for consistently posting the most-often-asked questions.

Nothing beats a real mouse trap! I like to wrap the pressure foot in twine before I smear on the peanut butter. It makes the rat want to tug on it and increases the chances that the trap will be set off. Also, and I learned this the hard way, it’s a good idea to tie the trap to something with a length of string, so that a rat that is injured but not killed can’t drag the trap and himself off to a dark corner to die and rot!

Pressure foot? Isn’t that part of a sewing machine?