GEN 2 Rodentgate part 3

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Louscrew

Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2018
Posts
25
Reaction score
29
Location
Branson, MO
That is crazy! That squirrel is coyote food now.
I only have to deal with cats climbing my truck for a warm spot on the hood.
 

Blockaderunner

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2018
Posts
252
Reaction score
103
Location
Orlando
Yea damn tree rats are destructive and persistent. I saw a video on u-Tube that advised to soak (and ring out) a rag soaked in vinegar placed around the yard (but worth a try in the truck especially under the hood) will keep them away. Its a cheap fix if it works.
But I could see in the video he definitely gnawed your aux wiring.
Hopefully you did the work yourself and can repair it but its an easy fix.
I installed my fog lights and can refer you to a video that'll help you DYI the repair. Ford mislabeled the wiring colors in the 2018 owners manual and the video covers that also.
 

Johnkn

FRF Addict
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Posts
1,259
Reaction score
894
Location
LaPlata, MD
I posted here 2 weeks ago about the damage squirrels caused to my truck, first chewed through a rear shock wiring harness then part of the wiring harness under the hood, a wheel speed sensor effecting the ABS and a hose going to th front hubs. They built 1 nest overnight against the passenger firewall, I cleaned it out, 2 days later, another nest in the same spot. It cost me $1000 in repairs. Here is what has worked for me so far. 1) i sprayed isopropyl alcohol under the hood (cool engine) where the nests were to kill their scent. 2) I tied a bundle of 12 drier sheets in the same area that I'll replace every 2 weeks. 3) I installed 2 ultrasonic pest devices that also have a series of flashing LEDs under the hood. 4) I have 2 empty cool whip containers, one under the oil pan and one under the rear end half full of Pinesol and alcohol in the center line of the truck that I park over.. Alcohol keeps it from freezing and the stuff is very pungent. 5) I have 4 live traps around my truck that I'll keep there over the winter. So far I've caught 10 squirrels. I also keep the spray bottle of diluted Pinesol in the garage and give the area under the tires a quick spray every 2 days. Good luck
 

bigskyRaptor

Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2019
Posts
49
Reaction score
30
Location
MT
I've tried all the gentle options, dryer sheets etc., without much success.

The thing that worked best for me... Barn cats.

I'm not sure how they'd do against a squirrel, but it would be fun to watch.

Barn cat = Hunter/Killer

KJvcAc41F8EGMf5prEwPFtDA1D2nxZbBv74ngPyWaA1j3H4XsomC7ktUJJaif0N-uCiNCitnWosCklmsQCm_cD2IcuWmkcwmtKren51V9dN6HGz-O8_NOQ-Z_BEB4i7bMuxwTEKBWq5zfNzl39CbhURFIEfWRKG23jk_p9miBsTQ-rpk2o6n1zxFgydoMltxN5Ctjf_lOIRIoFyhGTrRSdxNYFcmgu2nSJOpcNRI5OCOJWf-Qi3ytZKlb0mdROeXIhjVIIcsbZTaMax53nNaZ2PmamhpXVNjZwtj_wUku5v01iRiuWwrLuyN0nAatr9804slJwUJx9swzOY2BS8BQXs0W7EIJ4WY9vZDY9SjT1qhKS3rPmjvQRHzJFLPyvxERzz3ElZUEPzkMW9MGRV7W0YF0sqjKW-Z4gCQWWFUMX4zywlwUmbij0aPoSJSTp3V60kHjAFfxecKEC4tE3FVouslZjIuspNbZ1QafYPeYgI8OWnC0EPMaf1qbgSkRGwsaLQZvMivg7L118wUBAJgg2ewHr9_l6TwJT7uRtcF3RbzARXBBCUL0MimoLMIPmS0aueI-z98JZ8igULEpE-j5lBWlPecQsHPowLpP1dkSg5AUulLxGmfAmeKW647xh_jFF5Z0kwbbd_xfm8fDTE7OGFH6G27BfnCRBTDnqmwlvnk0_sQ1wR2L0c=w930-h1240-no
 

JohnyPython

FRF Addict
Joined
Oct 28, 2018
Posts
10,133
Reaction score
44,952
Location
Canada
I've tried all the gentle options, dryer sheets etc., without much success.

The thing that worked best for me... Barn cats.

I'm not sure how they'd do against a squirrel, but it would be fun to watch.

Barn cat = Hunter/Killer

KJvcAc41F8EGMf5prEwPFtDA1D2nxZbBv74ngPyWaA1j3H4XsomC7ktUJJaif0N-uCiNCitnWosCklmsQCm_cD2IcuWmkcwmtKren51V9dN6HGz-O8_NOQ-Z_BEB4i7bMuxwTEKBWq5zfNzl39CbhURFIEfWRKG23jk_p9miBsTQ-rpk2o6n1zxFgydoMltxN5Ctjf_lOIRIoFyhGTrRSdxNYFcmgu2nSJOpcNRI5OCOJWf-Qi3ytZKlb0mdROeXIhjVIIcsbZTaMax53nNaZ2PmamhpXVNjZwtj_wUku5v01iRiuWwrLuyN0nAatr9804slJwUJx9swzOY2BS8BQXs0W7EIJ4WY9vZDY9SjT1qhKS3rPmjvQRHzJFLPyvxERzz3ElZUEPzkMW9MGRV7W0YF0sqjKW-Z4gCQWWFUMX4zywlwUmbij0aPoSJSTp3V60kHjAFfxecKEC4tE3FVouslZjIuspNbZ1QafYPeYgI8OWnC0EPMaf1qbgSkRGwsaLQZvMivg7L118wUBAJgg2ewHr9_l6TwJT7uRtcF3RbzARXBBCUL0MimoLMIPmS0aueI-z98JZ8igULEpE-j5lBWlPecQsHPowLpP1dkSg5AUulLxGmfAmeKW647xh_jFF5Z0kwbbd_xfm8fDTE7OGFH6G27BfnCRBTDnqmwlvnk0_sQ1wR2L0c=w930-h1240-no

Nice. Look at the wire cutters on that thing.
 

bigskyRaptor

Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2019
Posts
49
Reaction score
30
Location
MT
Yeah, once they start eating wiring harnesses, I loose interest in gentle options ;-)

Bonus feature- they tend to leave half eaten carcasses scattered around to remind friends and family of the deceased to behave.
 

Johnkn

FRF Addict
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Posts
1,259
Reaction score
894
Location
LaPlata, MD
^ agreed, when at first my truck wouldn't start and then I saw ABS and accident avoidance failure warnings on the dash the gloves came off. Though cats aren't a good option for me, a 'moderated' Maccari .22 R9 Tarantula with a 20x scope seems to have helped.
 

goblues38

FRF Addict
Joined
Oct 27, 2018
Posts
2,697
Reaction score
3,983
Location
STL
Happy New Year everyone!

Some of you might remember me as the guy with issues regarding rodents chewing through my wiring harness. It's happened twice in the past year. Well I wanted to give you a new update.

I was driving this evening and noticed my fog lights were not working. None of the upfitter switches were working. So I pulled over and opened my hood to check my fuses and found this fun surprise.

Enjoy!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/G6CRCvMcZWuzVZE39


Dude...nice checkerboard vans!!!!
 
OP
OP
USCxGAMECOCK

USCxGAMECOCK

Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Posts
34
Reaction score
8
Location
Greenville, SC
I've tried all the gentle options, dryer sheets etc., without much success.

The thing that worked best for me... Barn cats.

I'm not sure how they'd do against a squirrel, but it would be fun to watch.

Barn cat = Hunter/Killer

KJvcAc41F8EGMf5prEwPFtDA1D2nxZbBv74ngPyWaA1j3H4XsomC7ktUJJaif0N-uCiNCitnWosCklmsQCm_cD2IcuWmkcwmtKren51V9dN6HGz-O8_NOQ-Z_BEB4i7bMuxwTEKBWq5zfNzl39CbhURFIEfWRKG23jk_p9miBsTQ-rpk2o6n1zxFgydoMltxN5Ctjf_lOIRIoFyhGTrRSdxNYFcmgu2nSJOpcNRI5OCOJWf-Qi3ytZKlb0mdROeXIhjVIIcsbZTaMax53nNaZ2PmamhpXVNjZwtj_wUku5v01iRiuWwrLuyN0nAatr9804slJwUJx9swzOY2BS8BQXs0W7EIJ4WY9vZDY9SjT1qhKS3rPmjvQRHzJFLPyvxERzz3ElZUEPzkMW9MGRV7W0YF0sqjKW-Z4gCQWWFUMX4zywlwUmbij0aPoSJSTp3V60kHjAFfxecKEC4tE3FVouslZjIuspNbZ1QafYPeYgI8OWnC0EPMaf1qbgSkRGwsaLQZvMivg7L118wUBAJgg2ewHr9_l6TwJT7uRtcF3RbzARXBBCUL0MimoLMIPmS0aueI-z98JZ8igULEpE-j5lBWlPecQsHPowLpP1dkSg5AUulLxGmfAmeKW647xh_jFF5Z0kwbbd_xfm8fDTE7OGFH6G27BfnCRBTDnqmwlvnk0_sQ1wR2L0c=w930-h1240-no
I remember you posting this is my other thread about this. It's definitely disheartening to see this happening to so many other people, yet semi-comforting knowing i'm not alone. This has caused me to seriously consider selling the truck. The only problem I have is I have no proof it's not going to happen again to any other vehicle. I know it's a first world problem, but the fact that rodents cause me any sort of stress or anxiety is mind boggling to me. How someone hasn't invented a tried and true method to prevent this is also astounding. At this point it's a goldmine waiting to happen if someone can come up with something.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
95,468
Posts
2,009,264
Members
59,076
Latest member
ja5657
Top