Install Rat Guards On Mooring Lines
Mooring lines will be the number one route of entry for rats who want to get on your boat. They are like commandos, and thats exactly how they got onto my pontoon.
Rat Guards are relatively cheap and very simple to install , and clip over the mooring line securely creating a barrier that rats cannot breach.
First Things First Purge Your Boat
Remove everything food-oriented, excluding nothingeven old sandwich bags and food containers. Emergency food, like unopened granola and sealed up boxes of crackers must go. Mice will chew through these in no time at all. Dog food and worm bedding, while they wouldnt be considered deluxe to us by any stretch, are delectable to mice.
Next comes the not so obviousfabric. In desperation, mice may eat fabric in order to survive, but more often, they are using it to make a nest. Remove all of the following items which a mouse could easily shred apart to make a bed: life jackets, towels, ropes, blankets, cushions, fabric seat covers, straps, clothing and rain gear.
In addition, be sure to take out tissues, paper towels, toilet paper and your bimini . Fishing rods and edible bait also must go.
Furthermore, if possible, cover up any exposed wires and fibreglassIve personally experienced the frustration of finding a wire that has been chewed through .
How To Keep Mice Out Of Boat: The Quick And Easy Solution
Melissa HawkinsWe may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Mice are one of the curious creations of nature. These pesky little animals use their quickness and biting capabilities for two reasons.
Discomfort and annoyance!
Unfortunately, the problem is more pronounced during the winter season. These rodents get inside your leisure boats. The rest is just too sad to say out loud.
So, how to keep mice out of boat?
One of the first and important parts of boat storage and maintenance is to keep rats out of the boats and other such places. And we are here to help you with that today.
Although we did promise to give you a quick and easy solution, we will be talking about a set of solutions that can save you from harms way. Not only that, but we will also be providing answers to some frequently asked questions as well.
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What Scent Will Deter Mice
Peppermint obviously has a strong scent, one that mice dislike. According to Victor Pest, peppermint contains very potent menthol compounds that irritate their nasal cavities. A whiff of peppermint certainly does keep them away. Now, you can use two ways to incorporate the smell of peppermint into your home.
Preventing And Treating The Issue When Mice Get In Boats
There are ways to mitigate each of the issues above:
Unfortunately, for many people, the problem with asking, How do mice get in boats? is that it has become a rhetorical question. If you think you have an infestation, youll need to try using traps and other means to remove the pests from your boat. After treatment, youll still want to use the preventive measures above to ensure the issue doesnt happen again.
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Will Mice Eat Irish Spring Soap
So a few things you should know: just any bar of soap wont work. The bottom line is the perfumes in this soap tell mice, rats, chipmunks, and other critters to stay clear. Irish Spring comes in different scents and varieties, and I have found that as long as it is Irish Spring in general it will work just fine.
Deep Clean Your Boat:
Much like the advice listed above that involves making sure there are no sugary spills or food lying around on your boat, you will also want to make sure you clean your boat out good before winterizing it.
One of the best ways to make sure there is nothing on the deck of the boat that you missed, it to pressure wash the carpet or vinyl flooring.
Clean out all cubbies and other storage areas, and make sure no food is being stored.
To keep your boat clean, as well as stored properly for winter, you will want to make sure you have a cover for it.
This works for both inside and outside your boat.
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Extra Tips To Keep Mice Out Of A Boat Motor
As well as the 5 key tips explained above, there are also some extra things you can do to give yourself the best possible odds in the battle between mice and men.
Do Moth Balls Keep Mice Away
Mothballs contain a small amount of naphthalene and can be a deterrent in large quantities, however, they arent powerful enough to get rid of mice and rodents. Using mothballs to deter rodents is more likely to make your home smell bad rather than get rid of mice or prevent mice from entering the home.
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The Perfect Winter Home
As the weather gets colder, mice, like other creatures, will begin to look for shelter. For a mouse, a boat is a choice option, offering not only protection from wind, rain, and snow but also a ready supply of food.
With a tarp or canvas cover overhead, a mouse will start to look for foodthe obvious choices will go first, followed by the not so obvious. Lets start with the obvious and go from there
Alternative Pest Control Solutions
I also asked some pontoon boat owners I know if they have any other solutions for stopping mice and pests getting into their boat and nesting during the winter months. Below is a selection of their answers, some a little funny, but mostly very useful!
Weve been using moth balls for 25 years and have never had any problems. We place moth balls on several plates in and around the inside of the boat, with some dryer sheets. It works for us very well.
We bought spearmint packets that are mouse deterrents. We have had very good result, mice seem to hate mint.
I pulled the cover off one season and say some small black and brown droppings which looked like they had been left by rats or squirrels to me. I now set rat traps out. It makes a bit of a mess, but I get them before they can do too much damage.
Why not just keep your boat in the water! Or install a pontoon boat cat, the more feral the better if you ask me!
I think they detect the smell of suntan lotion as some tanning products have the odor of coconut. I think critters think that its a tasty snack. We wipe our seats down with 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water before storage. The only damage we have ever had since doing that was a life jacket that we forgot to remove once which I think adds credibility to my suntan lotion theory.
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Use An Ultrasonic Pest Repellant Plugin Device
A more humane solution that will also mean you dont have to release captured rodents once trapped, or clear up blood and guts depending on your trap type, would be an ultrasonic rodent repellent.
This can be plugged into an electrical socket in your garage or storage area and works due to the ultrasonic waves that it emits. Rats, mice, and other rodents hate this type of sound and wont want to enter near your storage area meaning you prevent them from getting anywhere near your pontoon boat.
I have used the Gizmomate Triple Action rodent repellent plugin device, and its worked a dream. You can check it out on Amazon and read some of the excellent reviews by clicking that link to see for yourself.
Peppermint Oil To Repel Mice
If you dont fancy a home full of peppermint plants, then you might prefer using peppermint oil instead. Spray the essential oil in different areas of your home that mice can access. If youre trying to catch the mice, strategically spray the peppermint oil in places that dont have a mousetrap. In theory, this should lead them to wherever you have placed it.
Once youve used the peppermint to drive the mice away, heres how to keep mice away and have a mouse-free house.
Watch this video to learn more clever ways to get rid of mice in your home:
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When You Need To Hire A Professional
If youve tried baits and cagesbut are having no luckyou may need to seek the help or advice of a professional. And although uncommon, there are dire times when you need to get in touch with Wildlife Rescue Services.
If you come back after winter to find a nestor an entire family of raccoon, for instancethis isnt a do-it-alone chore. Theyre ferocious and have claws and potentially carry rabies. Call a professional wildlife relocation service! Theyll be able to humanely capture and transport the furry family somewhere safer.
Hiring a professional might seem like a costly endeavor. But it sure beats paying for the repairs and damages to your boat.
How To Keep Rats Off Your Boat And Get Rid Of Rodents Forever
Last summer I left my pontoon boat moored up at our local dock for 3 weeks whilst my family and I went away on holiday. The boat was secure, it was tied up and moored correctly, and as far as I was concerned in a safe location.
However, when I came back from holiday, went down to the water and stepped on board our Bennington I knew I had a problem. Seeing foam and vinyl torn up all over the deck, I knew I had a rat invasion.
Rats had got in. But how?
Rodents can do a lot of damage.
They had climbed up the mooring lines, got under the cover, and had a rat party. My vinyl seats were destroyed, there was rat dropping and faeces everywhere, a nest under the console and they had even chewed through wiring.
I did manage to get rid of the rats on my boat, but it wasnt a cheap or easy clean-up operation.
In this guide I am going to tell you how you can keep rats off your boat in the first place or get rid of any rodents that have already made their home.
There are two distinct scenarios on how this can happen.
Lets take a look at both scenarios, with my tips that I now use successfully to keep rats off my boat, and also how I got rid of the initial rat problem after it happened.
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Waging War On The Critters That Take A Shine To Your Boat Can Pose Big Problems
Birds, and other wildlife who focus on making your boat home, can be surprisingly difficult to deter. But don’t despair, we’ve got some solutions for you.
Some years ago, on a fine Saturday morning in May, my husband and I drove down to our boat with the intention of spending the weekend cruising the Chesapeake Bay. It was to be our shakedown cruise of the season you know, that one you look forward to and plan all winter? Our previous summer’s boating season had been cut short by major problems with the port engine, which had taken to billowing black clouds of smoke whenever we turned it on. This season, after large wads of cash had been imparted to diesel mechanics, we were nervous the problem hadn’t quite been resolved. So there was a lot riding on this first weekend.
After spending the previous weeks scraping and bottom painting, commissioning the engine, splashing the boat, filling the tanks, and settling her into her summer slip, finally it was time for the first foray of the season, and Ed and I planned to anchor out that Saturday night and cook under the stars in gorgeous spring temperatures.
Secure Your Boat Cover Tightly
Finally, make sure that your pontoon boat has a really good cover on it. I have reviewed 5 of the best covers here. When you pull your cover on, make it as taut and tight as possible, looking to eliminate as many gaps and cracks as you possibly can.
You will never get your pontoon boat secured completely from critters and pests like Fort Knox would be, but the steps above should prevent pests, rats, and mice from getting into the boat and chewing the seats, carpet, and electrical fittings including wires and cabling.
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How To Keep Mice From Entering Your Stored Boat Or Camper This Winter
Many of us are all too familiar with storing boats or campers for the winter months when we are not able to use them. The age old question is how do we keep mice from entering your stored boat or camper? There are many ideas and suggestions including mothballs, Irish spring bars, or dryer sheets. However, we have an additional suggestion that will keep the mice from entering your stored boat or camper not just for winter but all year long.
Exterior Baiting Programs from Erdyes Pest Control keeps the mice from entering your stored boat or camper. Whether your boat or camper is in a storage facility or stored outside, our exterior baiting program will keep the mice away.
Our exterior baiting system allows rodents to enter the baiting system. The mice or other rodents will eat the bait which makes them very thirsty. As the rodents thirst for water, they will typically leave to find water directly after eating the bait. When this occurs, the rodents do not come back. With the baiting system, there is very little chance of any second-hand poisoning because the rodents only eat enough bait specific to their size. View the video below for a deeper look into Erdyes Baiting System.
Use Moth Balls Or Rodent Repellent
For some reason moth balls are like kryptonite to rats and mice. They hate the stuff.
Sprinkle the moth balls in around the deck floor on the boat, and it should, in theory, keep rats off or even get rid of them completely.
You might also want to look at using specialist rodent repellent spray. It smells much nicer than moth balls and wont harm them either.
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Set Up Snap Traps Under The Trailer
You might want a more humane approach, and there are ethical traps available. For me, I dont want rats coming back or nesting anywhere near my house snap traps that kill are the best solution.
These are the . Place them strategically at the base and top of your trailer tires and you will prevent rats from getting on your boat.
Sea Lions: Hear Them Roar
This tends to be a West Coast problem, but if you’ve ever tried persuading an unwanted 300-pound-plus guest to leave your party, you’ll know it’s no easy task. There’s not much to recommend sea lions as visitors. Apart from the mess they leave behind and the noise they make, if your boat becomes party central for a bunch of sea lions, they can sink it. “These guys, if they’re on your boat, you’ve got a lot of scrubbing to do,” says Chris Miller, Newport Beach harbor manager.
“I’ve seen them push the door from the swim platform into the cockpit where a lot of people have cushions and canvases, so you get drippings and droppings there, and it can start to smell bad. But the biggest complaint is the barking,” says Miller. “At night it’s very disturbing.” Add to that the fact they live with fish, eat fish, and smell like fish. Like everything else, prevention is easier than cure. Those on mooring balls who leave their boats for extended periods are particularly susceptible. Remember, sea lions are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which outlaws hunting, killing, capture, and harassment of these animals. Here are other do-it-yourself ideas to deter them:
- Sea lions typically like anything to which they can gain easy access. Catamarans and boats with lower gunnels, and boats used less frequently become hot spots. Plastic chairs, barrels, and crates on swim platforms or steps seem to work as a deterrent.
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How To Protect Your Boat Trailer From Mice
Boat trailers do not often get damage from mice or other rodents because they are generally just made of metal.
This does not mean that you want to completely ignore them though.
If you can deter mice from bothering your boats trailer, you might be able to stop them from attempting to climb up on the boat entirely.
Pellet Repellents set near the trailer can deter mice from getting near it.
If you are storing your boat and trailer in a garage or other building, you could look into getting an ultrasonic device.
If you notice mice droppings or any other indications that you are getting mice in the building you can also set traps on the ground near the trailer.
Deterring mice from getting up on the trailer can prevent them from reaching your boat.
