# Unwelcome Guests



## ETW (May 18, 2020)

I was tracking down a wiring problem on the boat the other day and as I opened the starboard rod locker where the main wiring trunk goes to the stern I discovered an enormous nest of chipmunks. Actually, the chipmunks were gone but the bedding material and about 80 walnut husks were still there. So, I vacuumed all that crap out and resumed looking for the bad wire. Never found the chew marks so I had to run a new one. NBD

Yesterday, finally got around to checking the port side rod locker and found an even bigger nest. This one extended from the transom all the way to the bow and completely took up every bit of space from floor to gunwale. Densely packed bedding and probably 100 walnuts. Not good.

My boat resides in my pole barn when its not being trailered to the next port and since I didn't have any food in it I just left it parked, uncovered in the barn. I normally keep a couple rolls of paper towel aboard for various uses and also a couple on my work benches. I remember last winter wondering where the heck I put that paper towel. Well I found it. Each sheet was shredded into the bedding for those massive chipmunk nests. They also had their way with 2 large chunks of flotation styrofoam in the rod lockers.

Obviously my mind turns to this next winter and what I'm going to do to prevent this from happening again. I've read that mothballs and peppermint oil work pretty well to deter rodents but I don't want my boat to smell like that. We recently purchased a good cover so I'm thinking that covering the boat tightly may help. I can't really think of anything else. Shrink wrapping in the winter is not an option as I sometimes work on the boat during the winter months. 

Anyone else have similar problems? How did you solve them?

Thanks


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

I think they would eat right through a cloth covering. Would probably like it even more. I would focus on keeping them out of the barn.


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

Sounds more like red squirrels than chipmunks .


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

I thought this was snake oil, but it works....


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

Start now with the below. Use bird feed.









JAWZ™ Plastic Rat and Chipmunk Traps - J.T. Eaton


The JAWZ™ trap is a great alternative for individuals who are weary of traditional snap traps, but want the same reliable results.




www.jteaton.com





33 chipmunks later, I have no problem anymore. You won't believe how many you'll get.


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## Bucman (Jun 29, 2016)

.







best I've found for mice and chippies. Thanks for the tip WT


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

DEDGOOSE said:


> I thought this was snake oil, but it works....
> 
> View attachment 830426


Is that for an application like rv/boat or larger solution like the entire barn?

Sent from my SM-S901U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

To help keep things from climbing in the boat, unhook the tie down straps from the back, and the winch strap from the front. But that only helps so much. You can also prop all the hatches open to help cold air circulate better. They are building a nest in a confined space to stay warm. The colder you make it, the less likely they are to move in. I had a prior boat that once mice got in one winter and built a nest like that, it took a while to find something to keep them away. They pee in there, and that smell is like a magnet to other mice to come join them. I don't know if chipmunks are the same way, but as just slightly bigger rodents I'd think it's the same. You have to override that smell to stop attracting them. Mothballs didn't do anything but make the boat smell. What did work was a rag with gasoline on it. Stay away from poisons unless you like the idea of having dead chipmunks rotting in places you can't reach.


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

DirtySteve said:


> Is that for an application like rv/boat or larger solution like the entire barn?
> 
> Sent from my SM-S901U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


Entire barn.... Had a family friend die of bat bite rabies,bought one for attic...

Then got red squirrels in pole barn, moved it, drove um out...

This fallhad a shed I was catching two mice a day for a period.. Put in there instantly traps went cold


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

DEDGOOSE said:


> I thought this was snake oil, but it works....
> 
> View attachment 830426


I tried some of the smaller ones only an inch or two in size. Put 3 or 4 of them around the barn, but they did absolutely nothing to keep mice out of a barn. But that thing likes like it should have a little more power.


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## textox (Jan 30, 2020)

ETW said:


> I was tracking down a wiring problem on the boat the other day and as I opened the starboard rod locker where the main wiring trunk goes to the stern I discovered an enormous nest of chipmunks. Actually, the chipmunks were gone but the bedding material and about 80 walnut husks were still there. So, I vacuumed all that crap out and resumed looking for the bad wire. Never found the chew marks so I had to run a new one. NBD
> 
> Yesterday, finally got around to checking the port side rod locker and found an even bigger nest. This one extended from the transom all the way to the bow and completely took up every bit of space from floor to gunwale. Densely packed bedding and probably 100 walnuts. Not good.
> 
> ...


(Red Squirrels),your problem is why there is no closed season on the little Frockers


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## textox (Jan 30, 2020)

Thirty pointer said:


> Sounds more like red squirrels than chipmunks .


Chipmunks don't eat walnuts.


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## ETW (May 18, 2020)

piketroller said:


> To help keep things from climbing in the boat, unhook the tie down straps from the back, and the winch strap from the front. But that only helps so much. You can also prop all the hatches open to help cold air circulate better. They are building a nest in a confined space to stay warm. The colder you make it, the less likely they are to move in. I had a prior boat that once mice got in one winter and built a nest like that, it took a while to find something to keep them away. They pee in there, and that smell is like a magnet to other mice to come join them. I don't know if chipmunks are the same way, but as just slightly bigger rodents I'd think it's the same. You have to override that smell to stop attracting them. Mothballs didn't do anything but make the boat smell. What did work was a rag with gasoline on it. Stay away from poisons unless you like the idea of having dead chipmunks rotting in places you can't reach.


Yeah, I was thinking about just opening everything up. All the lockers, hatches etc. Everything. 

Man, I have so many traps that I bought over the years for this barn that just do nothing but catch my wallet. Poison is a no go. I have a dog and the wife has a couple cats. Even if they stay out of the poison bait then they could eat a dead varmint that has the poison in it. The dried gasoline rag has potential too. I just don't need to burn the damn barn down.

But that makes sense. No confined spaces. I've only ever seen them nest like that in the winter but this is a first for them invading my boat.


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## ETW (May 18, 2020)

textox said:


> Chipmunks don't eat walnuts.


OK, they look like chipmunks I guess. Whatever they are, it doesn't really matter.

This last fall we had about the biggest black walnut drop I've ever seen in 20 years. I think that this fall I'm going to rake them all up and drop them down the road a mile or two. I think the bumper crop is attracting these vermin.


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## On Target (Jun 10, 2007)

Following. 

I have the same problems, with chipmunks and mice. I've had a bimini and travel cover get holes eaten in them. So now I have to keep them in the basement. I've been trapping, using poison, and have the tiny ultrasonic units in each outlet. That program isn't working. Thought about getting an outside cat, but that would bring another set of problems.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

I use scented dryer sheets as a rodent deterrent.


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## textox (Jan 30, 2020)

Number 1 victor staked down ,cover pan with sunflower seeds.Set several..


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

I had this exact same problem with a Range Rover that was always parked outside in the driveway and wasn't driven for a couple of years. Once the chipmunks got going (unbeknownst to us) they destroyed the wiring and even after having the seats removed, the floorpans chemically cleaned, and the carpet replaced it still smells strongly like chipmunk piss (or so I'm told - I have no sense of smell). It's cost many thousands of dollars and still isn't nearly right. I hate those things. 

Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## ETW (May 18, 2020)

I looked at the cat when I came back in the house after the 1st discovery and told it "you are so effing fired!"

Maybe I will shrink wrap the damn boat this year.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Not to down-play your situation, but I had a family of bandits invade my 26' Formula one winter. Those rat bastards completely destroyed the cabin. Like chewing on all the berth cushions wasn't enough, they also shredded the entire headliner and schitt all over. Thousands of dollars worth of damage. FTC!


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## textox (Jan 30, 2020)

ETW said:


> Yeah, I was thinking about just opening everything up. All the lockers, hatches etc. Everything.
> 
> Man, I have so many traps that I bought over the years for this barn that just do nothing but catch my wallet. Poison is a no go. I have a dog and the wife has a couple cats. Even if they stay out of the poison bait then they could eat a dead varmint that has the poison in it. The dried gasoline rag has potential too. I just don't need to burn the damn barn down.
> 
> But that makes sense. No confined spaces. I've only ever seen them nest like that in the winter but this is a first for them invading my boat.


Red squirrels will chew through the soffit to get in your attic.Had it happen and so did my Daughter.Big cleanup bill for her as they packed all kinds oh debris in hers,Walnuts ,pine cones and a huge pile of shredded paper and cushion stuffing and pine needles that would fill 2 wheelbarrows.


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## ETW (May 18, 2020)

Thankfully this is not a raccoon problem. Yet. I keep hearing about dryer sheets for this, and dryer sheets for that but I've never had any luck with that and I've tried the major brands. 

It really, really sucks to find something like this. I guess I'll just completely unload everything out of the boat next year and open everything up. 

The worst I ever had was just a few mice nesting in my rolling tool box but is wasn't anything like this.

Grateful for all the replies and suggestions! Keep them coming. Thanks!!!


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## Dirty Sanchez (10 mo ago)

You think moth balls would keep them out of the boat?


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## Old Whaler (Sep 11, 2010)

Around my place chipmunks seem to have up years and down years. A few years ago I caught more than thirty in my Hav-A-Hart live trap in a month. Last year, I only saw a few. Perhaps if you can dent the population enough it will take them a while to recover, whatever they are.
The varmints will also get caught in a "wheel of death" trap: the old 5 gallon bucket with 4" of water and a tin can spread with peanut butter on a spindle. If you add enough salt to the water, it won't freeze and it pickles the little carcasses so they don't stink.
I also keep an ultrasonic inside my aluminum boat. It really reverberates against the hull and I swear it even repels bees and spiders besides rodents.


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## Dirty Sanchez (10 mo ago)

Deleted due to....


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## textox (Jan 30, 2020)

Dirty Sanchez said:


> Bats....
> Watch one evening and record the holes they fly out of. MArk with paint or paintball gun if you can.
> Grind rat Decon to a powder
> Mix with Vaseline
> ...


 Bats are a protected species in Michigan like it or not.They do eat a tremendous amount of winged insects.There are other ways to rid them from your property that aren't lethal...


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## ETW (May 18, 2020)

Dirty Sanchez said:


> You think moth balls would keep them out of the boat?


I've heard it mentioned a few times but I also can't stand the smell. Peppermint oil works for mice but doesn't last long. I may get one of those ultrasonic blasters but I'm pretty skeptical about that too.


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## ETW (May 18, 2020)

We had a bat problem a few years back with them roosting in the 2nd story soffit. I bought one of those bat exclusion devices and put it over the hole. It allows any bats still inside to get out but does not allow any to return. Its basically just a clear plastic tube. Worked like a charm.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

ETW said:


> I've heard it mentioned a few times but I also can't stand the smell. Peppermint oil works for mice but doesn't last long. I may get one of those ultrasonic blasters but I'm pretty skeptical about that too.


We did the mothball thing in our 5'er one winter. Took 3 months for the smell to subside. It sure did a number on my wife's asthma


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## Old Whaler (Sep 11, 2010)

My neighbor keeps mice out of their house trailer with cloves sprinkled all over. Pretty smelly but not as offensive as mothballs.


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## jrose (Aug 17, 2011)

Old Whaler said:


> Around my place chipmunks seem to have up years and down years. A few years ago I caught more than thirty in my Hav-A-Hart live trap in a month. Last year, I only saw a few. Perhaps if you can dent the population enough it will take them a while to recover, whatever they are.
> The varmints will also get caught in a "wheel of death" trap: the old 5 gallon bucket with 4" of water and a tin can spread with peanut butter on a spindle. If you add enough salt to the water, it won't freeze and it pickles the little carcasses so they don't stink.
> I also keep an ultrasonic inside my aluminum boat. It really reverberates against the hull and I swear it even repels bees and spiders besides rodents.


Great idea with salt in the water! I use this type of trap all fall until the first freeze. Will upgrade. Thanks


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## ETW (May 18, 2020)

Cloves smell good, to me at least. I could deal with that. When I was a kid we used to jam them into an orange. Like completely cover the orange with cloves and let is sit on the counter for a week or two until mom made us pitch it. The smell was fantastic.


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## Lumberman (Sep 27, 2010)

Couple 5 gallon bucks half full of water. Then float black sunflower seeds on the water. Problem solved in a couple of days.


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## Fiskr Hundr (Apr 7, 2008)

Or you could consider taking up Falconry. Just let those birdies fly loose in the barn and they'll fatten up quick.


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## FishTales (Feb 13, 2002)

I had a raccoon get in my boat one year. Boat was covered good but it didn't matter. Got inside the cabin through one small opening about the size of a deck of cards. Tore up life jackets and all the cushions to make bedding and had a litter of little ones. Then she couldn't find her way out and tore up all the carpeting around the cabin. The thing smelled like a porta john. Took almost two weeks to get the smell out. Re-carpet the cabin walls , new cushions, new life jackets, etc / a couple grand to fix it all.


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## sparky18181 (Apr 17, 2012)

Ranger Ray said:


> Start now with the below. Use bird feed.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Those get a workout at the cottage during the summer.


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

piketroller said:


> I tried some of the smaller ones only an inch or two in size. Put 3 or 4 of them around the barn, but they did absolutely nothing to keep mice out of a barn. But that thing likes like it should have a little more power.


Yeah those are worthless watch spiders sit right next to them...


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## BucksandDucks (May 25, 2010)

constant battle with chipmunks at my house. Used to use the bucket with water trick but the wife threw a fit so I got a Chimpunkinator live trap. Works great, catch 4 at a time. Wife was happy, told her I release them out in the field. Never said what state they are in.


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

Dirty Sanchez said:


> Bats....
> Watch one evening and record the holes they fly out of. MArk with paint or paintball gun if you can.
> Grind rat Decon to a powder
> Mix with Vaseline
> ...


Who the hell would kill off bats? Yikes. 

Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

FishTales said:


> I had a raccoon get in my boat one year. Boat was covered good but it didn't matter. Got inside the cabin through one small opening about the size of a deck of cards. Tore up life jackets and all the cushions to make bedding and had a litter of little ones. Then she couldn't find her way out and tore up all the carpeting around the cabin. The thing smelled like a porta john. Took almost two weeks to get the smell out. Re-carpet the cabin walls , new cushions, new life jackets, etc / a couple grand to fix it all.


I had a raccoon get under the cover of my in-ground pool a few years back. It shredded the pool liner trying to escape. Not to mention the state of the nearly liquefied carcass.  Good times. 

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## d7645 (May 24, 2014)

The tomcat stuff worked for me…remember to take any cloth items out as well or else they will find it and use it. I left 4 fishing towels in my Crestliner a couple years ago and they had a glorious time tearing it up to make nests…my problem was mice….I’ve found scented dryer sheets in every compartment helps too.


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## Dirty Sanchez (10 mo ago)

Macs13 said:


> Who the hell would kill off bats? Yikes.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


Thanks for quoting...so I can't erase it..so I guess I'll own it.

To answer the question...
1. Some one who had no idea that you're not allowed to kill bats and only witnessed it being done in the 80's
2. Any alpha male who wants to protect his families health and his home investment.

So there's that.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

textox said:


> Red squirrels will chew through the soffit to get in your attic.Had it happen and so did my Daughter.Big cleanup bill for her as they packed all kinds oh debris in hers,Walnuts ,pine cones and a huge pile of shredded paper and cushion stuffing and pine needles that would fill 2 wheelbarrows.


Yup them bastards can chew through 3/4 pine without a problem. Ive waged war with them bastards up here for 30 years. I shoot them whenever i see them in the yard.


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## Alaby (Aug 22, 2013)

We've had red squirrels get in our car through the cabin air filter, had one jump on the dash while the wife was driving. Luckily we were still in our driveway,she opened door and it got out.


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## perchjerker (Feb 8, 2002)

I have used Fresh Cab with good success. I understand peppermint oil works too.


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

Dirty Sanchez said:


> Thanks for quoting...so I can't erase it..so I guess I'll own it.
> 
> To answer the question...
> 1. Some one who had no idea that you're not allowed to kill bats and only witnessed it being done in the 80's
> ...


I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stir you up. I've just never heard of bats as a problem so I was wondering what problems they were causing. I was literally just discussing putting up bat houses at home. They sell them everywhere. They're good pollinators and they eat a buttload of mosquitos. 

As an aside, any guy that needs to lead with "I'm an alpha" has got some things going on in the belfry.    

Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## Deer Slayer (Dec 9, 2004)

ETW said:


> I was tracking down a wiring problem on the boat the other day and as I opened the starboard rod locker where the main wiring trunk goes to the stern I discovered an enormous nest of chipmunks. Actually, the chipmunks were gone but the bedding material and about 80 walnut husks were still there. So, I vacuumed all that crap out and resumed looking for the bad wire. Never found the chew marks so I had to run a new one. NBD
> 
> Yesterday, finally got around to checking the port side rod locker and found an even bigger nest. This one extended from the transom all the way to the bow and completely took up every bit of space from floor to gunwale. Densely packed bedding and probably 100 walnuts. Not good.
> 
> ...


About 5 years ago I tried to turn on my navigation lights and they were not working. I took it to a boat repair shop in Ithaca and he checked and could not find what was causing the problem. I left the boat with him and two days later he said it was ready. Went to pick it up and he gave me about half a bushel of walnuts that he found in the front cove by the "v". He was tracking the wiring and found that where they made their nest they chewed through the wiring so he rewired it as well as taking out their nest and food supply.

I moved the boat to my garage attached to the house and started picking off chipmunks and red squirrels as my mother in law also did not like them. Have never stored that boat in the barn since. Did park my 21 foot in there with cover and walked in one day to find that it really stunk. I had tacked a plastic tarp to the ceiling to keep hay and straw from falling on the boat. Unfortunately a raccoon decided that it was a good bed and apparently he had no problem taking a leak while he was sleeping. Moved the boat out of there and disposed of the ****.

I do not use that barn for anything any more. The lead probably takes care of the immediate problem but I am sure that they have other relatives around out here.


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## kappa8 (Aug 8, 2013)

No barn is complete without a couple cats.


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## bigOgills (Oct 15, 2013)

use dryer sheet when I store classic cars never a problem with mice,don't know about chippies


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## wannabeup (Aug 16, 2006)

I'm a city guy so I have no experience with barns. I like Kappa8 idea of barn cats. Also, a well-stocked barn fridge, an old lawn chair, and a Daisy Red Ryder might work.


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## steelhead281 (Feb 1, 2007)

ETW said:


> I was tracking down a wiring problem on the boat the other day and as I opened the starboard rod locker where the main wiring trunk goes to the stern I discovered an enormous nest of chipmunks. Actually, the chipmunks were gone but the bedding material and about 80 walnut husks were still there. So, I vacuumed all that crap out and resumed looking for the bad wire. Never found the chew marks so I had to run a new one. NBD
> 
> Yesterday, finally got around to checking the port side rod locker and found an even bigger nest. This one extended from the transom all the way to the bow and completely took up every bit of space from floor to gunwale. Densely packed bedding and probably 100 walnuts. Not good.
> 
> ...



Try googling 5 gallon bucket mouse trap or cabin mouse trap. It is a 5 gallon bucket with a can mounted on a stiff wire at the top of the bucket, smear with peanut butter. Add a gallon of antifreeze to the bucket and a 1x2 plank for them to get to the top. Rodents will jump to the peanut butter, spin and fall into the bucket. They drowned and then ordor is eliminated because of the antifreeze. Yes it works for red squirrels. A couple on the ground outside the boat should do the trick.


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## perchjerker (Feb 8, 2002)

wannabeup said:


> I'm a city guy so I have no experience with barns. I like Kappa8 idea of barn cats. Also, a well-stocked barn fridge, an old lawn chair, and a Daisy Red Ryder might work.


barn cats are fine until they use your boat as a litter box


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## Smalls (Mar 5, 2007)

I’ve found using RV antifreeze in the 5 gallon bucket works well in freezing months.
Also, saturate cotton balls with peppermint oil (several in compartments and around wiring) works well. Might cost you $15-20 but worth it. Last but not least, shred up a couple bars of original Irish spring soap like shredding cheese, in about 3 small dishes (one in the front, middle and rear of your boat) keeps mice out of boat all winter for me.


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## Chessieman (Dec 8, 2009)

Shoeman said:


> We did the mothball thing in our 5'er one winter. Took 3 months for the smell to subside. It sure did a number on my wife's asthma


I use them to direct the Deer off their natural path, works great for manipulating Deer.


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## luthergoomer (Jul 5, 2008)

I've been using these for years and work great for any little critter when using sunflower seeds









Sent from my SM-G930V using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## edward.reed23 (11 mo ago)

I had a similar problem with squirrels and cats that killed the squirrel. An old timer told me to drop peppermint oil in the boat. It worked, no more critters!


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

Macs13 said:


> I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stir you up. I've just never heard of bats as a problem so I was wondering what problems they were causing. I was literally just discussing putting up bat houses at home. They sell them everywhere. They're good pollinators and they eat a buttload of mosquitos.
> 
> As an aside, any guy that needs to lead with "I'm an alpha" has got some things going on in the belfry.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


You dont want them in your house or attic. Bat guano has a spore that can cause histoplasmosis if you breathe it. They also carry rabies. 8-10 bats can turn into a 100 fairly easy. They are an issue. 

Also the whole eating pesky insects has been proven way overhyped. They eat alot of larger insects like moths and junebugs etc. They eat very few mosquitos. They use a few senses to hone in on their prey. Mosquitos are so small they are harder to detect and eat very few. Also bats spend 90% of their time above 9' mosquitoes spend the majority of their time below 9'. Mosquitos are in grasses and on the ground alot. Bats eat loads of bugs but less than 2% of their diet is actually Mosquitos....according to a world renowned expert at UM. 

Sent from my SM-S901U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

luthergoomer said:


> I've been using these for years and work great for any little critter when using sunflower seeds
> View attachment 830666
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


That would work great for drowning the little bastards


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## John Hine (Mar 31, 2019)

I’ve tried using moth balls, extremely hard to harvest!! Not worth the trouble!😊


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## wpmisport (Feb 9, 2010)

Just keep the critters in check with whatever method works before the population explodes. People like to wait until there is a major problem before taking action.


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## Copenhagen (Nov 11, 2019)

Macs13 said:


> Who the hell would kill off bats? Yikes.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


Tens of thousands of dads in underwear with tennis racquets, that’s who. Bats beware! 🦇


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## Chessieman (Dec 8, 2009)

DirtySteve said:


> You dont want them in your house or attic. Bat guano has a spore that can cause histoplasmosis if you breathe it. They also carry rabies. 8-10 bats can turn into a 100 fairly easy. They are an issue.
> 
> Also the whole eating pesky insects has been proven way overhyped. They eat alot of larger insects like moths and junebugs etc. They eat very few mosquitos. They use a few senses to hone in on their prey. Mosquitos are so small they are harder to detect and eat very few. Also bats spend 90% of their time above 9' mosquitoes spend the majority of their time below 9'. Mosquitos are in grasses and on the ground alot. Bats eat loads of bugs but less than 2% of their diet is actually Mosquitos....according to a world renowned expert at UM.
> 
> Sent from my SM-S901U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


That's good facts Dirty, I was going to mention that. Just people pushing false narratives, like the Possums and Ticks.


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## Hausser (Dec 20, 2019)

ETW said:


> I was tracking down a wiring problem on the boat the other day and as I opened the starboard rod locker where the main wiring trunk goes to the stern I discovered an enormous nest of chipmunks. Actually, the chipmunks were gone but the bedding material and about 80 walnut husks were still there. So, I vacuumed all that crap out and resumed looking for the bad wire. Never found the chew marks so I had to run a new one. NBD
> 
> Yesterday, finally got around to checking the port side rod locker and found an even bigger nest. This one extended from the transom all the way to the bow and completely took up every bit of space from floor to gunwale. Densely packed bedding and probably 100 walnuts. Not good.
> 
> ...


I had a neighbor who had chipmunks all over the place around his house.
He 3/4 filled a 5 gallon bucket with water and put floating foods in.
When the chipmunks went for the food, they'd fall in drown. Worked great for him..


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## Markosmania (Mar 13, 2015)

ETW said:


> We had a bat problem a few years back with them roosting in the 2nd story soffit. I bought one of those bat exclusion devices and put it over the hole. It allows any bats still inside to get out but does not allow any to return. Its basically just a clear plastic tube. Worked like a charm.


My daughter had a bat problem and that device was used by the exterminator and it worked.


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## GrizzlyHunter (Jun 17, 2005)

BucksandDucks said:


> constant battle with chipmunks at my house. Used to use the bucket with water trick but the wife threw a fit so I got a Chimpunkinator live trap. Works great, catch 4 at a time. Wife was happy, told her I release them out in the field. Never said what state they are in.


Please elaborate on the ”bucket with water trick.” My wife has no problem with my methods to get rid of them. LOL.


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## pointers01 (Oct 15, 2008)

ETW said:


> I was tracking down a wiring problem on the boat the other day and as I opened the starboard rod locker where the main wiring trunk goes to the stern I discovered an enormous nest of chipmunks. Actually, the chipmunks were gone but the bedding material and about 80 walnut husks were still there. So, I vacuumed all that crap out and resumed looking for the bad wire. Never found the chew marks so I had to run a new one. NBD
> 
> Yesterday, finally got around to checking the port side rod locker and found an even bigger nest. This one extended from the transom all the way to the bow and completely took up every bit of space from floor to gunwale. Densely packed bedding and probably 100 walnuts. Not good.
> 
> ...


I use a 5 gallon bucket with a pop can, coat hanger wire and 2 gallons of used motor oil. You can look it up on YouTube. The only diffrence in my "trap" is I mounted the can vertically. Drill a hole thru the can about 2" from the bottom and run the wire thru it and 1" from the top of the bucket drill the hole thru both sides. Mounting the can upside down give you a nice indentation to smear peanut butter in. Just remember to scoup the drowned critters out now and then. No oder, nothing can swim in oil. Been using it in my barn for 40 years and have no chipmonks, mice or rats.


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## terrylee86 (Sep 23, 2007)

Macs13 said:


> I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stir you up. I've just never heard of bats as a problem so I was wondering what problems they were causing. I was literally just discussing putting up bat houses at home. They sell them everywhere. They're good pollinators and they eat a buttload of mosquitos.
> 
> As an aside, any guy that needs to lead with "I'm an alpha" has got some things going on in the belfry.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


If you have ever lived on a farm you know bats are a pain in the butt. They **** and piss all over your hay and any lumber stored in the barn. I had two large barns on my place and the one colony got so big they moved to the barn I had just restored. Bat houses hang on the outside, bats like living on the inside of your barn. I would sit in my hot tub at dusk and watch the little bastards fly out of my barns like planes coming off of an aircraft carrier. They all flew across the field to the lake across the street to gorge on mosquitoes. So, to answer your statement, bats are a serious pain in the ass if you own a barn.


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## Deer Slayer (Dec 9, 2004)

Chessieman said:


> That's good facts Dirty, I was going to mention that. Just people pushing false narratives, like the Possums and Ticks.


You know, I have mentioned the fact that possums eat lots of ticks and you had me wondering if I had made some imprecise conclusions. I just looked it up and if you check, Rick Ostfield, a senior scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies has written on it. So don't take my word just look up the scientist and you will find that it is not a false narrative. I am not a scientist but he is so I guess I would tend to believe him.


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## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

Dryer sheets work great - for a couple hours until the stink wears off. Then it's just bedding. Worthless.


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## Chessieman (Dec 8, 2009)

Deer Slayer said:


> You know, I have mentioned the fact that possums eat lots of ticks and you had me wondering if I had made some imprecise conclusions. I just looked it up and if you check, Rick Ostfield, a senior scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies has written on it. So don't take my word just look up the scientist and you will find that it is not a false narrative. I am not a scientist but he is so I guess I would tend to believe him.


We already had a thread develop from this and the original "study" that never checked how many of the thousand Ticks were not checked on the test Possum. You may have been out slaying for that one!


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## steelhead281 (Feb 1, 2007)

d7645 said:


> The tomcat stuff worked for me…remember to take any cloth items out as well or else they will find it and use it. I left 4 fishing towels in my Crestliner a couple years ago and they had a glorious time tearing it up to make nests…my problem was mice….I’ve found scented dryer sheets in every compartment helps too.



The best thing about scented dryer sheets is the make the rodents fur so nice and soft....🐭


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## Erik (Jan 17, 2000)

Fingers crossed while saying this, but so far my boat has been okay. I kept it parked in my barn over the winter and the barn is pretty clean with a nice concrete floor. I also have a really nice Camaro parked in there so really dont want to have problems. If anything happens to that Camaro my wife will kill me!

I can't put poison out due to we have animals. My wife is afraid the dog or cat will eat a poisoned mouse and die. 
I've just been trying to keep everything clean. Barn and boat etc.. and keep a presence out there. Dont leave things sit for months at a time. Move stuff around. Keep stuff off the floor if possible. 
Never stack wood beside it, or let leaves pile up around it. A stack of wood with a tarp over it next to your barn is like asking to have problems. 
Absolutely do not store dog food or bird food, or wood chips, yes I know its a barn, but just sayin. It will attract them. Find another place for it away from your nice boat.


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## ETW (May 18, 2020)

Looking back I realized that we had an old apartment/house demolished last fall that connected to the barn in question. I bet that old apartment was a huge haven for wildlife (squirrels included) and when we took it away they just moved into what was left. That's got to be how it started. Now I just have to come up with a plan for next winter. I'm going to try and just pull everything out of the boat. Leave all lockers and hatches open and hope for the best. I don't have any upholstery that I can't remove and put in the basement. We'll see.

Thanks again for all the suggestions. This thread took on a life of its own.


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## BucksandDucks (May 25, 2010)

GrizzlyHunter said:


> Please elaborate on the ”bucket with water trick.” My wife has no problem with my methods to get rid of them. LOL.


Just a 5 gallon bucket filled over halfway with water, sunflower seeds floating on top of the water and a board leading up to the edge of the bucket. They jump in, cant get out.


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

Anyone have recommendations on how to keep yellow jackets out of a gas grill? Last summer I had a couple week fight to kill the yellow jackets building nests in my grill. Over the weekend a few moved back in. Usually after the grill warms up and I'm ready to put the food on, they start coming out of wherever they've crawled when it gets too hot for them. Sniping them with a can of wasp spray, while satisfying, isn't something I'm fond of when I'm messing with my food.


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## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

Leave it on! 😄


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## wallywings123 (Jul 12, 2004)

piketroller said:


> Anyone have recommendations on how to keep yellow jackets out of a gas grill? Last summer I had a couple week fight to kill the yellow jackets building nests in my grill. Over the weekend a few moved back in. Usually after the grill warms up and I'm ready to put the food on, they start coming out of wherever they've crawled when it gets too hot for them. Sniping them with a can of wasp spray, while satisfying, isn't something I'm fond of when I'm messing with my food.


I`ve had good luck with a tennis racket. That is very satisfying. Helps your tennis game too.


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## steelhead281 (Feb 1, 2007)

ETW said:


> Obviously my mind turns to this next winter and what I'm going to do to prevent this from happening again. I've read that mothballs and peppermint oil work pretty well to deter rodents but I don't want my boat to smell like that. We recently purchased a good cover so I'm thinking that covering the boat tightly may help. I can't really think of anything else. Shrink wrapping in the winter is not an option as I sometimes work on the boat during the winter months.
> 
> Anyone else have similar problems? How did you solve them?
> 
> Thanks


The final word on the topic. 

Simply google _DIY mouse trap bucket youtube _you will find dozens of videos on how to made 5 gallon bucket mouse traps. There are "kill" traps and also "humane" traps depending on your desired outcome all made with old buckets.


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## ETW (May 18, 2020)

steelhead281 said:


> The final word on the topic.
> 
> Simply google _DIY mouse trap bucket youtube _you will find dozens of videos on how to made 5 gallon bucket mouse traps. There are "kill" traps and also "humane" traps depending on your desired outcome all made with old buckets.


Final word? I think not.

Been there, done that. Watched them and made traps. Years ago and got a few mice but they just stayed and made more mice. I don't keep food anywhere near the barn and I'm not going to start introducing more food even in the way of "bait".

These red squirrels are quite trap shy and I doubt they'll fall for the bucket trick. They seem to want a place to nest so I'm going to make sure that place is not the boat.

P.S. I Google way before I ask, thank you very much.


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## sweet lou (Jan 14, 2018)

BucksandDucks said:


> Just a 5 gallon bucket filled over halfway with water, sunflower seeds floating on top of the water and a board leading up to the edge of the bucket. They jump in, cant get out.





BucksandDucks said:


> Just a 5 gallon bucket filled over halfway with water, sunflower seeds floating on top of the water and a board leading up to the edge of the bucket. They jump in, cant get out.


Using the bucket cleared out a whole pack of chipmunks. They were everywhere tearing up flower beds, making tunnels all over flower beds, and also in the garage. It might take some time to get rid of them but it works. I put the bucket by a deck about the same height as the bucket and put a 1 x 2 with sunflower seed on the plank and a covering over the water. It took about a week to catch 10 -15 of the little turds.
It will take a while but so far this year I haven't seen one. I also have a rat zapper for the red squirrels, if you buy one get the one that uses 4 d cell batteries I think they work better than the 4 aa batteries.
For the mice, I use the snap traps with a hair-trigger that have to be set on the floor because they are so sensitive.

Good luck


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## 2stix-and-a-string (Feb 11, 2020)

Erik said:


> Fingers crossed while saying this, but so far my boat has been okay. I kept it parked in my barn over the winter and the barn is pretty clean with a nice concrete floor. I also have a really nice Camaro parked in there so really dont want to have problems. If anything happens to that Camaro my wife will kill me!
> 
> I can't put poison out due to we have animals. My wife is afraid the dog or cat will eat a poisoned mouse and die.
> I've just been trying to keep everything clean. Barn and boat etc.. and keep a presence out there. Dont leave things sit for months at a time. Move stuff around. Keep stuff off the floor if possible.
> ...


Peppermint spray


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