watch out for mice

Their Cute but...

Hey Gang, I just got my bike back from repair/storage and there was mice poop on my safety manual - how bold!  Further inspection revealed a chewed hole through the plastic where the manual/tools are kept.  There was one small chewed piece of orange/green wire under that with some more mouse poop.  I'm going to take off the floorstep and seat under cover and try and find the broken wires.

The FI and PArking BRake warning lights don't work - but everything else lights, cooling fan, etc.. works great.  I'm disappointed the mechanics did not notice the houseguest and am going to talk further to this in the new year - they were just working on the drive train but wouldn't they notice the warning lights not all lighting up when checking it?

If anyone has ideas for mouse deterrent please let me know and beware all ye who keep their bikes where there may be animal traffic-   I called the shop and left a message right away to let them know they may have more problems!  I have a sticky pad where the manual used to be and blew up and printed the wiring diagram but I don't want to have to solder the wires myself unless I have to.

Blessings and Best Wishes
Kevin

Capsaicin tape made from some nice hot peppers mice don't eat it.  Wire coating it made from Soy mice like that.  

Found this also never tried it but stand clear you don't want it in your eyes.  Spray a little on wires and places to deter mice. I'm sure it will be gone the first time bike is washer though.

Peanut butter on the mouse trap trip, one at each wheel, that and maybe a mouse bait in the under seat storage if you can't check traps.

Thanks for the heads up! Hadn't thought of that. My Forza is in a unheated shed all winter so I will place some bait around. Have to go visit it next week anyhow, my Silver Wing is in Arizona in the garage and is driven frequently so should be no problems there.

Mice Love Peanut Butter. This is the trap I use. I picked up 4 of them at Walmart. They have a little cup to put the Peanut Butter in. The little cup comes out so you can wash it or refill it.
And, DON'T GET YOUR FINGER IN THE WAY OF THE JAWS EITHER!! The springs are strong and it WILL leave a mark.

Irish Spring soap. I take one bar of Irish Spring soap, cut it in half, and put one piece under the windshield garnish and another piece tucked in under the left side panel in the wiring harness/ECM area. Sometimes a third piece up front under the windshield garnish. I also use it in the house. It seems that the critters just don’t appreciate the exhilarating fragrance of an Irish spring.

Get a Cat...that's gross!

Loosemarbles wrote:

Get a Cat...that's gross!

I have 2 cats but they don't go outside due to dogs in the neighborhood. These traps are an instant kill so the mice don't suffer any.

They are probably French mice and can't stand the Irish Tim...

I get your point Dale but cats can also act as a deterrant. Better to keep the mice away in the first place, rather like Tim's solution.

At my previous residence we had an indoor cat (pet) and two feral cats (friendly but not pets). The outside two kept mice, rats, snakes and lizards under control. Never had a problem. That option won't work here in Bullhead City as the coyotes tend to eat the feral cats...

Get a Cougar to eat the coyotes?

A word of caution, IF you use the baits MAKE SURE your pets cannot get to them it will MAKE THEM SICK or possibly KILL them. Use the bait holders or place the bait up high enough they can't get to them.

For me best way to keep bugs/mice away is use scooter every day, sometimes hard in real cold but ride on ice/salt free days seems to do the trick.

Thank you so much for all these suggestions, never in my 10 years as a SW rider have I encountered this problem - but there are always new challenges I suppose. I also heard using peppermint essential oil and screening off the air breather, I told the dealer when ordering a new underseat that I could have put my Grandma's mints in there to keep the rodents away!

Everything is fine with the SW now except the FI and parking brake warning light not working, I suppose I'll check the fuse and if that isn't working I'm going to take it to a Honda PowerHouse and leave the proplem with them. WW