Maybe this has been discussed before but here it goes.....we have a kubota m6800 that we can not keep the rats out of the wiring. Every year we have to dedicate a weekend to get the tractor going again to get our plots ready. We have tried the chewable rat poison bars with no luck. Besides hauling the tractor back and forth (Alabaster to Marion) does anyone have any other recommendations?

Might try flexible conduit.

Unhook the battery when it’s going to sit for a while.

A pile of cats just drop them off and leave they will have to catch rats to eat and live

Cat

What attracts the rats to the wiring? If there something in the wire skin they like or is there a small amount of current flowing that makes them want to chew it up?

Barn cats.

Once upon a time I thought up an invention. It was an insulation for wiring that deterred rodents. Could be used on farms or in houses with problems like this. I've never researched it and don't know that something like that doesn't already exist.

Funny story, since it didn't happen to me...

I had an extremely wealthy customer in Huntsville. Right before winter he had bought a brand new Bass boat and a brand new high end sports car. He parked them both in one of his Garages during winter because he didn't plan to use them until the spring/ warm weather. Once spring rolled around he started getting the itch to get them out. He found that damn near every wire in the boat and car had been chewed by chipmunks. It was funny because I was there shortly after and working on his AC unit....Wanna know the problem? A chipmunk had chewed into wiring of the condensing unit. That feller told me that he was having a full on war with Chipmunks and that they were getting the better of him so far.

Also try moth balls. That seems to be a good squirrel deterent. Should work on rats too.

Old fire hose with zip ties at the bottom and top or with a slit down the side that you can put the wires through (like a loom) with zip ties spaced apart to close it up.

Jeremy

rat snake

X2 moth balls

Keep the hood open and if the sides come off take them off also. Mice like dark places let the light in they don’t spend much time there. I have found this helps more than anything I have tried. I am sure a couple cats wouldn’t hurt.

I feel yer pain. I've had them eat wires and vacuum lines off my old Toyota trucks, wires in the dash of my tractor and most recently wires off my 12 volt spray rig. I've tried bout every trick. First unhook the battery, it emits small currents of electricity and it draws them to the wires. I've had luck with sprinkling everything with hot , red pepper powder. Also Rodent Defense spray works good also, link below. Best thing was when the biggest rat snake I ever saw took up residence in the shed. Cats won't work in a shed way out in the woods. When they run out of food they'll go to rambling and Coyotes will get them. And as far as Tom Cat and other poisons the Co-op sells , it won't phase those big woods rats, just makes them fat. Good luck.

https://exterminatorschoice.com/product/rodent-defense-small-animal-repellent-32-oz-3-pack/

They've gotten in mine 3 times. They even chewed up the fuel line. Make sure there is no corn, seed, or any other rat food under the shed or near the tractor.I got rid of all that and haven't had anymore issues.

Thanks for the replies. I believe we are going to go with a master shut off switch followed by suggestions posted so hopefully we won’t have this problem again next year.

I haven’t had any trouble with mice since I started doing this. I think they are attracted to the low voltage current.

Dr. B

JBatey, 20 some years ago, I believe it was Alcatel or some other major telephone cable manufacturer that marketed an aerial-use “Squirrel Cable” as it was called in the field. As I recall, the cable had an additional outer metal sheath was a corrugated heavy gauge steel about as thick as a Spam can if not thicker. You didn’t have to be told but once to use cut-resistant gloves when making a sheath opening on that stuff. Wiley will remember all about that crap. It was mean to work with, and he and I both have down to the bone scars to prove it.

My point is, is that it was very stiff, and once kinked, it was ruined. The kinks would cause conductor AND sheath faults like shorts, grounds, crosses, opens, h.r. opens, moisture, condensation, stacked circuits, etc., and might not manifest until you closed it up. If it was moisture related, all that was needed was oxygen and moisture for the rust to begin and electrolysis to set in. Then it might wait a while to go into trouble after the customer’s warranty ran out. At that point, you became a bastard and a sorry repairman.

Rodents are de debbil.

Fresh Cab, rodent repellent, or dryer sheets

There’s an ongoing lawsuit with Kubota for using a soy product in its wiring. The soy is edible and minimally nutritious to rats...but i heard it is an ongoing lawsuit. FYI-It’s not just in Kubotas...many “new” equipment types have wiring that’s getting eaten by rats way more than the old wiring.