GEN 2 Rodentgate part 3

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Louscrew

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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^ 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

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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

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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.
 
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