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Re: Carport installed
Reply #25
If the storage for the LD is visible from your house, the strobe light will be irritating to rats and to YOU at night.

Harold

Never thought of that.
Might be effective at getting rid of rats and annoying neighbors.
Discuss anything with anyone and disagree agreeably. Always be polite and respectful.

 
Re: Carport installed
Reply #26
For what it is worth:

1. Lazy Daze in the boat barn with wood light barriers.
2. Rope lights woven under hood and down into engine compartment and valley between heads.
3. Twilight and LED rope lights turn on.
4. View at night.  Under the closed hood, it is bright as an operating room.  It is also quite bright under the Lazy Daze.

Rope lights have been on every night, other than the nearly 60 days of trips in the Lazy Daze each year with no failures. Minimal current draw.  We have had no rat activity in the barn since we adopted this system.  We had a significant problem and damage to the Lazy daze prior. I still trap up to 5 a week on the surrounding property, so they are here, but elect to not go into the boat barn with the lights.

Harold
2014 27 MB
Towd: Either the Jeep Wrangler or trailer containing the BMW R1200GS and 2 E-bicycles
Happy wife=Happy life

Re: Carport installed
Reply #27
For what it is worth:

1. Lazy Daze in the boat barn with wood light barriers.
2. Rope lights woven under hood and down into engine compartment and valley between heads.
3. Twilight and LED rope lights turn on.

Harold

Wood barrier just in the front? Wouldn't have thought that would make much difference. 
A few weeks ago I watched some youtube vids where they showed the rats running around the lights. Maybe they already new that to be there home. I will post the links. 
After finding the vids again, I reading the comments. Some say the lights needed to be on longer and they are meant for small enclosed areas, not out in the open.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOdt4G2uVAQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVN9JXUJXdY
Steve and Jill, Steve posting
1999 26.5 Mid-Bath

Re: Carport installed
Reply #28
The wood barriers are on three sides.  They aren't visible in the photos since it a frontal perspective.  Otherwise the lights would illuminate the boat and the interior walls of the boat barn.  They hug the LD on three sides, across the front and along the running boards to the main part of the coach.

YMMV

Harold
2014 27 MB
Towd: Either the Jeep Wrangler or trailer containing the BMW R1200GS and 2 E-bicycles
Happy wife=Happy life

Re: Carport installed
Reply #29
To be more clear, the rope lights are about 15-20  feet long each. I have two connected together.  They go across the front under the bumper, around the front tires to illuminate the base of the tires on both sides since I suspect this is how rats enter the engine compartment, behind the tires and under the coach and across to the rear of the generator.  Then the rope goes forward and around the other front tire and up into the engine compartment.
I tried 12v solar lights first, but they are too dim.  The 120v rope lights are quite bright and fully illuminate the underside of the LD and the inside of the engine compartment.
It takes me about 10-15  minutes to arrange everything when I put the LD to bed.  This is insignificant compared to how long it has taken me to repair previous rodent damage.

Harold
2014 27 MB
Towd: Either the Jeep Wrangler or trailer containing the BMW R1200GS and 2 E-bicycles
Happy wife=Happy life

Re: Carport installed
Reply #30
What I don't understand is why the rats will go to the LD but apparently not your boat.    I wonder why that is.

glen
personal fine art photo stuff
TF Mack | Flickr
It's all good .......
2014 Twin King

Re: Carport installed
Reply #31
Glen,
They likely can climb up onto the trailer, but the boat has slippery sides, high freeboard, and negative shear from the chine to the gunnels, so getting up the sides of the boar would be nearly impossible.

Ants have no such problem, which we discover after someone leaves a little fishy tidbit in one of the bait tanks..

Harold
2014 27 MB
Towd: Either the Jeep Wrangler or trailer containing the BMW R1200GS and 2 E-bicycles
Happy wife=Happy life