Rats or Mice in 280sl- How to keep out

[71280sl]

After 3 years of restoration, I finally finished 90% of the restoration on my 71 280sl. Unfortunately I don't have enough space in the garage for one more car (way too many now), so I purchased a tent with sides, and have it placed next to my garage, and inside it, the 280sl is placed with a car cover as well. After not using the car for 8 months, I opened everything up, to find that some rodent has been nibbling on my new red leather upholstery! Any ideas of fool-proof ways to keep rodents out of the car? Do those electric noise emitters work? Unfortuneately I am not a "cat person", and the dogs are no deterrant.

[hauser]

I heard that mothballs work well.

1969 280sl 5 spd
Gainesville, Fl.

[mrfatboy]

The best thing to do is never let them get in the car in the first place

This works wonders!

http://www.ratmousezapper.com/

1969 280sl
Signal Red
4 Speed

[paulr]

I have used glue paper, which is the most hideous way to go but it does work. You will need someone with feelings of steel to bag them up and beat the bag with a hammer !!

I have found....actually my girlfriend has found that about 15 to 20 thrashes does the trick.!


[:0]

paulr
1970 280 SL

[dtuttle123]

I thought that I was the only one that had mice!!!  This is what my soft top looked like when I bought it from the previous owner - who kept the car outside.  On top of the roof you'll see my 'mice avoidence device' - it seems to work very well.

Doug
1967 MB250SL 4-Speed, Orient Red


Download Attachment: Soft Top With Mouse Holes v2.jpg
71.32 KB

[dseretakis]

From my experience those noise emitters don't work.  I have heard that mothballs work but they leave a lingering smell which may last for years.
Dimitri

[mrfatboy]

That's not a noise emitter.  It's a rodent electrocution chamber.  It's power by 4 AA batteries.  I put a couple of pellets of dog food in the back.  The rat walks in .... ZAP!...  Light flashes... Toss him out.  Repeat.  Works great and clean.

1969 280sl
Signal Red
4 Speed

[Bob G MN]

Placing some used cat litter in open plastic containers outside and under the car will work.  Oviously you don't want to put this inside the car.  Moth balls outside the car will work but not nearly as good.
Bob

[Mike Hughes]

Drive it!  They can't run fast enough to climb aboard!  ;^)

Wash and vacuum it regularly, keeping a close eye out for droppings.  If you do find droppings search everywhere for signs of a nest.  They like dry dark crannies and can squeese through impossible crevices to get there.  Likely places to find them are:  under and even in the seats, in the soft-top compartment, in the cavities behind the seats and under the parcel shelf halves or kinder seat, up over the rear wheel arches and behind the spare tire in the trunk, up behind the various components in the dash (especially in cars with intact under dash panels), underneath and behind the brake booster, air cleaner canister, battery, overflow tank, wiper motor, and even under and behind the relays by the hood catch.  

If they make a nest on the engine istelf they will scurry off when the car is started, but beware that nesting material lodged up under the heatshield by the manifolds or alternator can catch fire when things warm up.  If you find nests anywhere where wiring is present check the nest material very carefully for signs of electrical wire insulation and check wiring for signs of nibbling.

- Mike Hughes  -ô¿ô-
  1966 230SL Auto P/S
  Havanna Brown (408)
  Light Beige (181)
  Cream M-B Tex (121)

[mrfatboy]

The reminds me of one of my rat stories.  I went into my garage one day and saw a rat.  He obiviously had not experienced the Zapper yet  :twisted:   I tried to shoo him out but he got under my 280sl then jumped up into the rear axle area.  I could not find him.

So we went for a ride.  I kept an eye out in my rearview mirror to see if he gave up.  No luck.  I think I got up to 40-50mph.  Still no luck. Then luckily a speed bump was in the road and I didn't slow down  :twisted: .   No more free ride  :twisted:

1969 280sl
Signal Red
4 Speed

[seattle_Jerry]

Did you put plastic down to keep ground moisture to a minimum?

There isn't much to being a "cat person". They really aren't like dogs and don't need your attention if it is an outside cat.

They should make a mouse version of "off" of course who wants everything smelling like cat urine? I had a cat spray my interior once. It really doesn't go all the way away.

1967 230SL Havana Brown Auto with A/C

[al_lieffring]

When I was working at a GM dealership in rural Iowa, rodent removal from cars and trucks was a frequent job. They almost always got into the car through the cowl vent, usually by chewing through the plastic screening. The customers most often brought in the vehicle complaining of a loud vibration coming from the heater fan. Thes was the nest or the creature himself twirling around in the blades of the fan.
Once the critter was removed often within a few days another would move in. My theory was that they left a scent trail that other mice would follow. Many times I had to replace the plastic screens with wire mesh that they couldn't chew through to get in.

Fortunatly 113's have a metal door to close on the cowl vent, so keeping the blue vent lever to the center when the car is in storage will seal shut thier main point of entrance.

I once worked on a car that was brought in with the complaint that the car would idle but stalled when the throttle was opened, I opened up the hood and soon found that the air filter was completly packed full of dog food that a critter had stashed away for his winter rations.

Al Lieffring
66 230SL

[JamesL]

I had one or two in my car/garage

The local rat-man came out, baited the garage and I stole a little of the bait, put it in the trunk and have seen no sign of critters since. Mext winter, however, I think I shall be in the market for something pre-emptive...

[71280sl]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will try the Zapper and see how it goes.
The floor is concrete, so I don't need plastic.
I dont use the hard top, and always have the softop down, so it is easy pickings to enter under the car cover.
If the zapper doesn't work, I'll try the sticky paper.

[TheEngineer]

I have that problem with my bulldozer. Last week I found a very well built nest. I removed it and saw the mouse: It was quite small and moved very fast. I tried to catch it, but it jumped towards me, I got startled and it used this moment to escape. I use rodent poison, but they eat it and when the box is empty, they did build the nest on top of it. I really feel they are smarter than me.

'69 280SL,Signal Red,Automatic,retired engineer, West-Seattle,WA

[Ann]

I live in the suburbs of Los Angeles and my property is bordered by orchards & greenhouses. Fall is the *worst* for infestations of tree rats & mice. Ugh.

I get the "bar bait" from the Feed Store. It is basically rat poison, and chicken food in a wax bar. I break it in half and toss pieces under the cars. It works. The rats will be dead in about 3-4 days- they just go to sleep. The pooper scooper is put to work and the dead ones are placed in the trash.

Mice also like anything electronic (phone lines) because they emit warmth, so the phone guy and I loaded up the area where my phone line connects to the house with the bar bait INTO the wall area. I had 9 years of having my phone line chewed/disconnected by mice EVERY November (per the phone company's records). But no more!
But November still makes me nervous <G>.

Ann

'70 Euro 280 SL- cool Italian side-marker lights.
*new*silver paint, Black leather interior/both tops- trying to balance mechanical with cosmetic restoration. Like plates spinning....

[Mike Hughes]

quote:Originally posted by 71280sl

 
The floor is concrete, so I don't need plastic.
I dont use the hard top, and always have the softop down,

If you have a concrete floor, put down the plastic anyway.  You'll be surprised how much moisture leaches up through several inches of "solid" concrete in any kind of even mildly damp climate, especially in winter.  Put the plastic down and check it periodically - you'll find condensation under the plastic.  That condensation was formerly attacking your undercarriage, engine bay, and exhaust system.  

When you store the car for the winter, put the top up.  It keeps it stretched out and wrinkle free, and helps preserve the shape of the "lip" at the base of the top.  Rodents rarely gnaw on an erected top - they like the ones that are stowed away in dry dark  undisturbed places that they can nest in (see Doug's picture!).

- Mike Hughes  -ô¿ô-
  1966 230SL Auto P/S
  Havanna Brown (408)
  Light Beige (181)
  Cream M-B Tex (121)

[JamesL]

Hurrah

Soft top is up and in one bit! Well, a bit scuffed around the edges but no more than in October!