Sonic Rodent Repellent While Storing Boat

four winns 214

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 25, 2008
Messages
757
For winter storage, I keep my deckboat in a metal storage building with a gravel floor at our small farm property 250 miles from our primary residence. I've never had a problem with mice getting into the boat until last year. They got in with a vengeance. Fortunately, the only real damage was to the bimini rolled up in the stored position. A mouse got in between the folds and chewed away and created a small hole. When I look at all the cables and wires on the EFI engine, I thank my lucky stars they didn't get in there!

To combat the little suckers this year, in addition to the Tomcat mice poison bait stations I've always used, I'm considering using the Victor sonic rodent repellents:

http://www.victorpest.com/victor-pestchaser-pro-bm792promo

Am I wasting money trying to use these in a boat?
 

Chryslerman123

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Nov 18, 2016
Messages
87
Anything is worth a try in my opinion. I've never had much luck with sonic pest repellers although they seem to have worked on several occasions for me. I would still use the poison but they could just eat the poison and then get into the boat and die or still cause damage. I think it might be worth a shot, after all, you don't know if you don't try.
 

Dixiedawg

Cadet
Joined
Jul 27, 2015
Messages
12
I have worked in the pest control industry for about seven years for a very reputable company, and I can tell you for sure that the sonic repellent devices are nothing more than a gimmick and do not work! If your boat is stored in a place where you cannot realistically seal the mice out, which means no gaps 1/4" or greater, and no holes the size of a dime or larger, then your best alternative would be either several tin cat repeater traps, or rodenticide. Just make sure that if you use rodenticide that you put it in rodent bait stations so that it can't be accessed by other critters or kids! Hope this helps!
 

dozerII

Admiral
Joined
Oct 25, 2009
Messages
6,527
For winter storage, I keep my deckboat in a metal storage building with a gravel floor at our small farm property 250 miles from our primary residence. I've never had a problem with mice getting into the boat until last year. They got in with a vengeance. Fortunately, the only real damage was to the bimini rolled up in the stored position. A mouse got in between the folds and chewed away and created a small hole. When I look at all the cables and wires on the EFI engine, I thank my lucky stars they didn't get in there!

To combat the little suckers this year, in addition to the Tomcat mice poison bait stations I've always used, I'm considering using the Victor sonic rodent repellents:

http://www.victorpest.com/victor-pestchaser-pro-bm792promo

Am I wasting money trying to use these in a boat?



I have an old 2 bay garage that is infested with mice. Two winters ago I stored a boat in there with one of these devices, in the spring we never found a sign of mice anywhere on the boat cover or in the boat.
 

Tnstratofam

Commander
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Aug 18, 2013
Messages
2,679
I got a tip a few years ago from a customer who said to buy a bar or two of Irish Spring soap. Shave off some in a paper or plastic cup, and place the cups in a few different locations. Works as a good repellent kind of like mothballs only stronger. I've used it in my old Jeep and in one of our boats stored outside with no rodent or bug activity. I change the cups once around mid winter, but to be honest I don't think it's necessary as they still seem to be working.
 

WIMUSKY

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Cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil. And it smells good too.. I put couple of the sonics in my garage. Still mice sign everywhere.....
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
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Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,590
I can't say because I have never had an issue to need them. But I would certainly have to see verifiable facts that they worked. If they could set up a positive scenario with mice going after food and then turn on the sonic circuits and the mice wouldn't go after the food anymore, then I would be a believer. But other then that, I'm not going to buy $90 plus dollars worth of such things on a hunch. JMHO
 

dlngr

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 15, 2007
Messages
547
I tried the irish spring once,the mice nibbled on it,on my garage floor-they never got into my car,because it had moth balls under the seats and in the trunk..I use mothballs in my old car,and also this year I am using the peppermint oil on cotton balls.[maybe the mint will disguise the moth ball smell in the spring!]
 

82rude

Rear Admiral
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May 8, 2012
Messages
4,082
Build a couple of canadian camp mouse traps.One or 2 5 gallon pails ,top off ramp leading to top with a wire strung across the top going through a pop or beer can in the middle.Put peanut butter on can and put water and bleach or the likes in the pail.Mouse runs up ramp ,across wire to peanutbutter ,can spins and deposits rodent in water where it drowns.Have caught hundreds if not much more that way up at camp.
 

WIMUSKY

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Nothing like a bucket full of wet dead mice........ :) I check on some cabins, find a few in toilets after eating poison... Flush away.....
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
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Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,590
I guess the only thing you have to watch out about poisoning them, is if they eat the poison and then get back outside before dying. Then something else eats the mice. That could kill other animals that are really beneficial to the wildlife. JMHO
 

82rude

Rear Admiral
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May 8, 2012
Messages
4,082
Problem with poison is they can crawl off and die where ever.The bucket trick theres no smell and their all in one place.The camp further down used poison and the dead buggers were everywhere and stunk.
 

WIMUSKY

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Sep 26, 2009
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19,798
They store DECON everywhere too. Smells great if one dies in the wall.... Haven't used DECON in a long while..
 

CraigBarnard

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 7, 2010
Messages
269
I tried the irish spring once,the mice nibbled on it,on my garage floor-they never got into my car,because it had moth balls under the seats and in the trunk..I use mothballs in my old car,and also this year I am using the peppermint oil on cotton balls.[maybe the mint will disguise the moth ball smell in the spring!]

Can you still get moth balls?
Cant get them in Canada anymore.
 

Blind Date

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Messages
462
I put Bounce dryer sheets all over in my SeaRay. You can also spread moth balls around the perimeter of the boat on the ground.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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Jul 23, 2011
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47,486
I got a tip a few years ago from a customer who said to buy a bar or two of Irish Spring soap. Shave off some in a paper or plastic cup, and place the cups in a few different locations. Works as a good repellent kind of like mothballs only stronger. I've used it in my old Jeep and in one of our boats stored outside with no rodent or bug activity. I change the cups once around mid winter, but to be honest I don't think it's necessary as they still seem to be working.

What he said.... Also keeps spiders away and keeps the boat smelling spring time fresh. Works for keeping mice out of storage units as well
 

Old Ironmaker

Captain
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
3,050
I store shrinkwarapped outdoors. They can get in at the transom. Bounce sheets and Irish Spring. No mice after 8 years of doing this. They just get into the cottage.
 
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