How to stop rodents climbing on van?
Discussion
Oh yea and I know the first port of call for suggestions is 'get a cat'. I don't want the responsibility of having an animal, let alone not having anywhere to home it, as below, barely room for myself. I have actually counted 4 or 5 different cats that come on the field anyway, from the local dwellings, and even seen them hunting, but there are so many voles, probably thousands, on the field that is not going to make much different compared to having a resident one.
Also people say attract predators, well I know there are already loads of owls about because I hear them all the time, only a hundred meters or so in the woodland above and might even be some in my larger trees on the perimeter by the sound of it sometimes.
I had this problem about exactly the same time last year. I sleep in my van which I have converted for the purpose, which is parked in the field which I work on, and hear them scrambling about on the outside - usually the wheel arches or back bumper but last year they would even climb on to the roof. Yes I am sure it is rodents of some kind, not squirrels, lol, like someone who probably doesn't know much about wildlife suggested in the past as they come out at night.
I think it is most likely field voles because those are the ones I see about on the field constantly when I am working in the day and read they are active both day and night. I have also noticed a couple of approximately thumb sized holes just behind the van recently just about when I started to notice them again so don't know if they just happen to have settled in closer to me now.
Weird that I didn't notice them all through the rest of the year and they come back in force at the same time as last time. Someone some time ago, when it happened before, suggested this is the time of year they are looking for places to nest, don't know if that is true?
It is annoying when I want to get my head down but hearing constant scratching. They were driving me up the wall last night. I would bang about in the area where it sounded like they were and they would stop for maybe 10 minutes or so then start up again! My van is my sanctuary and feels like an invasion of my space.
What tricks can I do to keep them off? Would field voles, if that is what they are, also dislike things like mint? I had been planning to grow some herbs anyway and as such would be good to plant a load of mint around the van. That will not be an immediate fix though so what other stuff can I do in the meantime?
I guess they don't like open spaces, like other rodents, so thinking today to clear what overgrown grass is back there down to dirt and dig out those holes and put rocks over them if I don't dig them all the way. I presume they would have an exit or could just dig another one somewhere else, hopefully away from the van.
Also people say attract predators, well I know there are already loads of owls about because I hear them all the time, only a hundred meters or so in the woodland above and might even be some in my larger trees on the perimeter by the sound of it sometimes.
I had this problem about exactly the same time last year. I sleep in my van which I have converted for the purpose, which is parked in the field which I work on, and hear them scrambling about on the outside - usually the wheel arches or back bumper but last year they would even climb on to the roof. Yes I am sure it is rodents of some kind, not squirrels, lol, like someone who probably doesn't know much about wildlife suggested in the past as they come out at night.
I think it is most likely field voles because those are the ones I see about on the field constantly when I am working in the day and read they are active both day and night. I have also noticed a couple of approximately thumb sized holes just behind the van recently just about when I started to notice them again so don't know if they just happen to have settled in closer to me now.
Weird that I didn't notice them all through the rest of the year and they come back in force at the same time as last time. Someone some time ago, when it happened before, suggested this is the time of year they are looking for places to nest, don't know if that is true?
It is annoying when I want to get my head down but hearing constant scratching. They were driving me up the wall last night. I would bang about in the area where it sounded like they were and they would stop for maybe 10 minutes or so then start up again! My van is my sanctuary and feels like an invasion of my space.
What tricks can I do to keep them off? Would field voles, if that is what they are, also dislike things like mint? I had been planning to grow some herbs anyway and as such would be good to plant a load of mint around the van. That will not be an immediate fix though so what other stuff can I do in the meantime?
I guess they don't like open spaces, like other rodents, so thinking today to clear what overgrown grass is back there down to dirt and dig out those holes and put rocks over them if I don't dig them all the way. I presume they would have an exit or could just dig another one somewhere else, hopefully away from the van.
You could try fitting smooth metal or plastic collars around the wheels or legs to make climbing harder. Keeping vegetation trimmed around the van also helps reduce access points. Some people have success with ultrasonic repellents or strong scents like peppermint oil. Regular cleaning and removing food sources can also discourage rodents from staying nearby.
Red9zero said:
I assume they are getting up via your tyres, in which case can you put some anti rodent stuff around and on the tyres to put them off ?
Yea, I am thinking along these lines, although I imagine they will be able to jump a good way just like other rodents but if there is stuff on the surface to put them off they wouldn't want to.After doing some more reading is seems the same things, like garlic and mint, that puts off other rodents also puts off voles.
Castor oil seems another regular recommendation.
Good thing is that as the van is parked in the same place and also they come on the underside it should protect whatever I put on from being washed away too quickly by rain.
Notsofastfrank said:
Peppermint oil seems to discourage mice, so may work for voles. I also use wheel covers which make a slippery surface for rodents as they have a smooth silver finish (the covers not the rodents).
Wheel covers not a bad idea but as above I think they could probably jump into the wheel axles or bumper so a repellent seems a better choice so they won't want to in the first place.TIGA84 said:
Dig a moat around the van?
Thought of this too, but as above they would likely jump quite far and also how do you moat off the part where you want to drive? It would all get a bit complicated to have to make a drawbridge for when wanting to drive off.Other thing I have thought of though is plastic or metal sheets with smooth surface to wrap around the van and that would be easily slotted in and out for the face where the van would drive off.
Will try the repellent method first though.
johnyromt said:
You could try fitting smooth metal or plastic collars around the wheels or legs to make climbing harder. Keeping vegetation trimmed around the van also helps reduce access points. Some people have success with ultrasonic repellents or strong scents like peppermint oil. Regular cleaning and removing food sources can also discourage rodents from staying nearby.
Yea I plan to dig down to the soil and also smash the runs they created already. I did look it up and definitely seems like field voles as an article said they leave open holes in the ground which is distinct from other rodents.They might get the message to clear off to another part of the field where they are welcome, just away from my van.
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