How to keep mice out of lawn mower?!?!

[brino]

A couple years ago I bought a Cub Cadet LTX-1142KW ("KW" designates the Kawasaki engine).

I really only have two complaints about the machine:
1) the grass height settings only cover the range of short, too short, way to frigging short and scalping.
It might be fine for someone that can cut all their grass every other day in May; but I'm not that guy.
It takes over four hours to cut all the grass, and I can never seem to get it done in one session (run out of gas or daylight, driven in by rain or bugs, etc.)
So by the time I finish cutting the entire yard it's time to start at the other end again.
Then the grass is so long that I'm leaving windrows
I have looked a few times at the linkages wanting to hang the mower deck higher, but that doesn't look easy.
I have started to wonder about just putting bigger tires on to lift the entire machine.
But that problem is for another day.

2) The local mice population love the top of the engine for building nests. I have just removed the second nest of the year. Disgusting!
So far they have not chewed thru any wires, but I want them gone.
Previously I had cleaned it up with peroxide and a brush to get rid of the smell.

I did not get a picture of the top of the engine once I removed the nest, but it is basically the fan on top of the flywheel.
I found a picture of a similar one below.

I will continue the battle to mouse-proof the storage shed, get some different traps in there, etc. but I am also looking for ideas on something I can put on the engine to dissuade them building there in the first place.

I need something that:

• mice find sufficiently nasty
• won't be slung off within the first two minutes of running the engine
• won't start a fire when the engine gets hot
• won't just dry up and disappear when the engine gets hot
• won't damage the engine

Thanks for any ideas.
-brino





(a similar picture from the web)

 

[projectnut]

All I can say is Good Luck finding something that will work. I have a Case 224 that sits in a garage that must double as a mouse sanctuary. I've tried dozens of different ways to keep them out of the engine with limited success. The only way I've found so far that works is waiting for the engine to cool then put duct tape over any opening big enough to stick my finger in. It's a real PITA, but it does work. The downside is that the tape has to be removed every time the tractor is used. Fortunately in my case the tractor only gets used every other week or so.

The local Home Depot loves me because I think their duct tape sales doubled in the last few years.

 

[chips&more]

Brino, a few months back mice eat the wire insulation in the engine compartment on my wife’s car. Down deep where you could only see the damage with a flash light. I had to tear off the top of the engine to get to the wires. Not fun! I bought some kinda peppermint spray to hopefully change their diet. So far so good…Dave


PS: I just looked for you and found the spray bottle of stuff. It's called "Rodent Defense".

 

[Kernbigo]

i have the same tractor and i can cut at4" if i want to normally cut at 3", your deck must not be set up right from the factory. I do small engine repair should not be that hard to set it up right. try you tubing it. Also use moth balls to keep mice out of it.

 

[pdentrem]

Mow faster! Lol
Try Bounce dryer sheets if stored in a building. My buddy has a barn where it stores his extra vehicles and put the sheets inside the cars and a couple on the floor beside. Replace a couple times over the winter. Seems to work.

 

[dlane]

Brino, the mice are building there nest there because it’s safe from cats, if you leave the hood open they will find a diferant home. My truck sets in the garage till needed I leave the hood open enough that rodents don’t feel safe.
The mower deck should lift higher than that , did you buy it new ?. I was tired of living on my lawnmower/ tractor ,and other things in Arkansas on 40ac so I sold it and moved here where most of the yard is paved, but this state is messed up
Wish I never left AR now, o well.

 

[markba633csi]

Put a pair of electrodes on the top of the engine and plug 'er in! Fried mousie LOL

 

[dlane]

Get a couple cats , I don’t have to because the neighbors have plenty, the hood up works if cats are around.

 

[fradish]

Could you also leave the perforated screen off of the top? That is probably only there to keep
people from getting their hands caught in the fins, but maybe with it off and the hood up the mice
might not feel safe.

 

[petcnc]

There is some spray for cable protection from mice!



I had a similar problem where mice loved to make nests and chew cables of my in-law's car that were parked for long time. After spraying it with the spray problem solved.
You can find it in e-bay like here
Alternativelly use the traditional method of putting a bag with moth balls in there! moths and mice hate it!

petros