Let my Ranger sit for a month...

[DeerSlayer]

Drove it this morning and just swapping out the cabin filter seems to have solved the smell issue for now. Now to try to keep the squirrels/chipmunks out of the engine bay... Welcome any suggestions

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[DeerSlayer]

I couple strategically placed snares should take care of the tree rats.

 

[Buckbull]

I had some napkins in the glove box the mice chewed up i found yesterday. I really need to do the hardware cloth fix on the cab vents and air intake.

 

[TechEditor]

I had some napkins in the glove box the mice chewed up i found yesterday. I really need to do the hardware cloth fix on the cab vents and air intake.

This is how to do the hardware cloth:

 

[Buckbull]

This is how to do the hardware cloth:

The generalities which the author speaks in is funny. Take this tool, take that tool, buy you some plastic tools...... The video does however provide a quick tutorial.

I thought there were vents in the rear of the cab though? Maybe just a supercab thing?

 

[TJC]

I think they are in both cab designs. And they are BIG too at ~ 5" x 11" each.

 

[TechEditor]

The generalities which the author speaks in is funny. Take this tool, take that tool, buy you some plastic tools...... The video does however provide a quick tutorial.

I thought there were vents in the rear of the cab though? Maybe just a supercab thing?

A lot of info to be placed in a 60 sec. short!

 

[DsDad]

I discovered this morning a large mouse in my cab. Saw it duck up in the dash. At that time I noticed droppings on seats and floor, USB cable chewed upon. After closer inspection, found plastic bits on the passenger mat. Pulled down glove box, found beginnings of nest on cabin air filter. Critter is now under the hood, where some tasty treats await. It too enjoys battery blanket. I put in wire screen, we'll see.

 

[got3fords]

I discovered this morning a large mouse in my cab. Saw it duck up in the dash. At that time I noticed droppings on seats and floor, USB cable chewed upon. After closer inspection, found plastic bits on the passenger mat. Pulled down glove box, found beginnings of nest on cabin air filter. Critter is now under the hood, where some tasty treats await. It too enjoys battery blanket. I put in wire screen, we'll see.

Those rat bastards!

 

[DsDad]

Update: it was a rat. I saw it in the cab, and three times under the hood.
I pulled up the plastic cowl vent panels and put wire mesh in all the openings I could find and reach. Sadly, I broke the windshield trying to get the drivers side wiper arm off.
I put in all the well known repellants to discourage them: Cayenne pepper, mothballs, Irish Spring in the cab, some OTC repellent. The rat invader was travelling through the cowl area to get from one fender liner to the other; it got trapped under the plastic cowling and I was able to stab it with my key (all I had). I haven't seen any traces for a week.
Going to dealer tomorrow to have some drivetrain issues looked at under 5/50 warranty (22,500 miles). Will get an estimate to have heater box repaired. Haven't had the vent door issue yet, so perhaps this will cover that.

 

[Tom_C]

This looks like mice, not squirrel.

My truck sat in my garage during lock down for weeks/months at a time. I have a detached garage nestled into some brush and trees so mice are more prevalent there. I just recently found some evidence of mice in the cabin, and saw a little bit of chewing on the heat sheild attached under the hood. No damage I can find on any truck wiring, but they did chew through a USB cable I had in the glove box. Still need to check/replace the cabin filter, there will probably be stuff in there.

Even through all of that I never noticed any smell.

I'm dubious on the moth ball trick. I've tried it over the years in the garage and a travel trailer, and I'm not sure it works. Can't hurt though, I guess.

 

[subquark]

This looks like mice, not squirrel.

My truck sat in my garage during lock down for weeks/months at a time. I have a detached garage nestled into some brush and trees so mice are more prevalent there. I just recently found some evidence of mice in the cabin, and saw a little bit of chewing on the heat sheild attached under the hood. No damage I can find on any truck wiring, but they did chew through a USB cable I had in the glove box. Still need to check/replace the cabin filter, there will probably be stuff in there.

Even through all of that I never noticed any smell.

I'm dubious on the moth ball trick. I've tried it over the years in the garage and a travel trailer, and I'm not sure it works. Can't hurt though, I guess.

I'm with you - I doubt any spray/smell stuff works. I douse my engine in spearmint oil and it's like driving in a tube of toothpaste for a few days. I still do it, but I doubt much, if any, desired effect occurs. I also use those balsam bags that are soaked with spearmint and place those under the hood and in the truck too.

I'm adding cayenne extract to my spray. So I'll probably attract spice-loving mice. =p

I will say that it seems to have slowed down. They had chewed through my battery tender wires and munched a bit on the battery blanket but that seemed to have stopped.

I'm going to try the hardware cloth/magnet thing for the cabin air and probably also block those behind the seats cabin vents.

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