Barn find with occupant

[Stephenorf]

I just pulled a 1968 Galaxy 500 out of a field where is has been sitting for a long time. The car is complete and all the windows & doors have been closed for years. It has a living occupant, as is evident by the piles of droppings and the various gnawed items. I pulled it onto my propoerty yeaterday, and today confrmed there is some living thing still in the car as I heard some scurrying in the trunk (btw, there are no keys, so I am not able to open the trunk at the moment). What is the best way to kil the rodent? I don't want it to get out and get into my workshop or relocate to another car on my property. I have some mouse traps, but was wondering if anyone has experience "evicting" these types of squatters.

Thanks in advance,
Stephen

[Anteek29]

Cover with a tarp, weight down the perimeter then set off a gas bomb underneath or stick an exhaust hose underneath attached to a running gas engine?

[dmsfrr]

Put a small dab of peanut butter on the trigger of the mouse traps, set them and place them in the car with the doors & windows closed.

[Stephenorf]

Originally Posted by Anteek29

Cover with a tarp, weight down the perimeter then set off a gas bomb underneath or stick an exhaust hose underneath attached to a running gas engine?

Yeah, that's a good idea. I'd have to wait for a non-windy day. ANd I'm not sure what kind of 'gas bomb" to use. I suppose I could idle my pickup truck nearby and run a hose to the car. The main thing I want to accomplish is to kil the varmints where they are, and not let them escape to setup shop somewhere else on my property.

[Stephenorf]

Originally Posted by dmsfrr

Put a small dab of peanut butter on the trigger of the mouse traps, set them and place them in the car with the doors & windows closed.

Right, I baited a mouse trap and left it near the back seat. The bottom cushion is pulled out, so should be easy access for the vermin to get to. I didn't use peanut butter, and I have the doors open to try to air it out a little. I'll set some more traps with PB and then shut the doors. I have no idea if it is just one nasty rodent in there or a whole family. By the size of the turd piles all over the place I wouldn't be surprised if there was more than one!

PS, I'm also a little temtative to root around in the car thinking whatever it is might try to bite me! LOL..

[Stephenorf]

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Update: I loaded up a bunch of traps, put them in the car and closed the doors. How long till I get my first victim?



The car is pretty messy after those mice have been living there for some time. When I parked the car ~ 8 years ago there were no rodents and the car was faily clean on the inside.

[50fordcoupeman]

30 cal machine gun too agressive??

[Stephenorf]

Originally Posted by 50fordcoupeman

30 cal machine gun too agressive??

I'm the meanest, roughest, toughest hombre that's ever crossed the Rio Grande - and I ain't o namby-bamby!

Now what in tarnation is living in that car!

[50fordcoupeman]

Good one. I like your sense of humor!

[miker98038]

Pull the car outside. Put the barn cat in the car. With water. When the cat starts to loose weight, let the cat out and put the car in the shop. One way another, they’ll be gone.

I don’t know about the smell from the cat shxx. Good luck.

[bobss396]

Try a couple of glue traps. They work great with field mice. Bigger glue traps need to be nailed to a piece of 2 x 4 or the rats walk away with the trap.

[Stephenorf]

Critter uodate: 2 confirmed kills (one in a rat trap, one in a mouse trap), 4 suspected as 4 out of 6 traps we gone this morning. I imagine the crutters sprung the traps and got caught, but the trap wasn't lethal, so they dragged the trap off into the trunk area. Evidently theres a whole family of rats living in the trunk area of the car.

I set out 3 more rat traps and reloaded the 1 rat trap and 1 mouse trap. I also put out 2 new "Tomcat" plastic mouse traps...but they seem pretty weak, so we'll see if they actually do anything.

Unfortunately I don't have a key to the car, so I can't open the trunk. I'm going to wait until I think there are no more living rats in the car, then I guess I'll drill out the trunk lock.

[Anteek29]

Bet the critter family is holed up in the trunk! They know you don't have a key.

[CrownVic55]

Just a thought. I bought a 68 Galaxie 500 XL with a 428 new in 68. Paid extra for a "single key locking system". After two or three years, I discovered that the trunk lock had no tumblers in it. Could be opened with a flat blade screwdriver or a dime. Cheap way to make a single key system. Might try to open yours with a screwdriver in case it is a "single key locking system".

[Stephenorf]

Originally Posted by CrownVic55

Just a thought. I bought a 68 Galaxie 500 XL with a 428 new in 68. Paid extra for a "single key locking system". After two or three years, I discovered that the trunk lock had no tumblers in it. Could be opened with a flat blade screwdriver or a dime. Cheap way to make a single key system. Might try to open yours with a screwdriver in case it is a "single key locking system".

Yes, that would be an easy solution. I had an old Mustang one time where the tumblers in the trunk were so worn down that you could use a key from another Mustang to open the trunk (I found that out ard way when I accidently locked my own set of keys in the trunk, and some old timer suggested I try a key from any other Mustang...and he was right!).

I'll give that a try once I think all the critters are dead. I have visions of all these rats moving fast and scurrying around when I open the trunk. I don't want anythigt to do with that nightmare.

Update: I tried a trunk key from a 1968 Mustang and it wouldn't budge.

[Lanny]

Put some peas in there.
When the critter comes out to take a pea...shoot him



.

[JimNNN]

If you don't want a dead animal smell in your car for the next few months, use a live trap...they're cheap.

[Stephenorf]

Got another one. It cleaned off two of the rat traps but was unlucky on the third.

[bobss396]

Victor makes some newer plastic snap traps that work well. I had baby rats in my yard last summer... I bagged 4 of them in 2 days. One within minutes of setting the traps out. In all I got 7 of them.

[rotorwrench]

I'd pull the back seat cushions out of the car and see if there is access to the trunk through there. Picking some of those old Ford locks is possible but a person needs the right picks to do the job. Ford liked the double sided keys starting back in that era but I'm not sure about 1968. I keep a pick set that has double sided rocker type picks for old Fords so I know they are out there.