Ever Seen This Trick on Trucks in the Montana Outdoors?

Ever Seen This Trick on Trucks in the Montana Outdoors?

As a person who grew up in a pretty rural area, it occurs to me that I shouldn't have made it out alive growing up in small town Montana.

via GIPHY

That isn't to say that I didn't learn a couple of things about hanging out in the great outdoors, but occasionally I see things that make me rethink how I operate in those conditions today.  Such as animals in my engine bay.  And how to deter them.

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Survival of the Fittest Might Need to Include Your Ride Home

Rodents are the bane of everyone, no matter where you live.  But on a ranch, vehicles can be left unattended for lengthy amounts of time.  As such, mice and more will find the engine compartment and set up a cozy little mess in your airbox.

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It can even happen to us recreational type folks during a weekend getaway to the mountains.  Mice, squirrels, even a porcupine may find that the engine bay is much more akin to a home than the dead tree they previously occupied.

And then promptly have a go at the electrical system in your vehicle to make a nest with.  And suddenly you're looking for electrician tape and a wire diagram in your owner's manual to get back on the road again.

Try The Prop the Hood Open Trick to Deter Rodents in Montana

Ever come across a fellow outdoor person's vehicle on a side trail with the hood propped open with a can or block of wood?  Don't worry, it isn't broken down or abandoned.  It's an old trick to deter the rodents from making camp in the vehicle.

The idea for the trick is quite simple.  If you prop open the hood, it will cool the motor bay area more quickly and pests aren't drawn to it as easily.  It also doubles as a loud sound when you close it to chase off something that may have chosen to do so.