Rodents

Knute · January 16, 2019, 09:12:00 PM

Rodents ate a hole in my gas tank. Sure wish it was metal. Will try a picture.

Old Greenhorn · January 16, 2019, 09:24:39 PM

Well duct tape will cover it until you get a replacement, but *DanG! Those little stinkers!

charles mann · January 16, 2019, 09:50:43 PM

PRO-SEAL FUEL TANK SEALANT P/S 890 B2 from Aircraft Spruce

PR-1422 CLASS B FUEL TANK SEALANT SEMKIT - B1/2 from Aircraft Spruce

these work well for sealing fuel cells, along with oil pans, valve covers and as an anti-vibration material, or really anything you want to seal up or together.
its expensive, so buying the 1 pint can is better than the sim-kit, since the kit is a 1 time use, as with the can, mix as much or as little as you need and store for later. there is a shelf life on it, which i think is 6 months from the manufacturer, but i have some that is 2 yrs old and its still good, still holds strong, just have to stir the catalyst ever so often to keep it from chunking up. i patched my son's oil pan in 2 places after he wrecked his tck. i just slopped it on, building it up to about 1/8" thick and its holding strong.
the hotter the mix, the faster the cure time, but the colder the mix, it won't cure at all.

for a hole like your tank has, a small section, about 2x the size of the hole, or something similar to window screen, plastic, stainless or aluminum, with about a 1/16" thick coating around the outside of the hole, and press the screen into the sealant, and then spackle over the rest of the screen, smoothing it out, or leaving it lumpy, and let dry. user ready in 12-24 hrs, depending how hot the mix was.

WV Sawmiller · January 16, 2019, 10:00:09 PM

Haven't had them cut into a gas tank yet but lost 2 50 gallon plastic barrels on my deer feeders this year. I think squirrels cut in then coons enlarged it. I bought some metal flashing and am going to try and make a cap to put over them before next season. I tried duct tape and such but that did not help. I did that several years ago and WD40'd the top good. Went there the next morning and watched a big fox squirrel jump on it, scramble a bit then fall about 20'. I like to fell off my ladder stand laughing at him. The WD40 did not stay on long and they cut in again in a couple weeks.

Mad Professor · January 16, 2019, 10:13:20 PM

Culprits in my shed/barns were red squirrels.

Why they like gas cans/tanks? Who knows.

They ate a whole in the tank on my Husky string trimmer. I started trimming and gas all over my leg........
Hole was not too big, JB weld has held for 2 years now.

The pellet rifle, rat traps, and Dcon has them knocked back to the treeline where they belong.

Knute · January 16, 2019, 10:54:26 PM

I did use duct tape as a temporary fix. Will try the sealant. Thanks for the information.

bags · January 17, 2019, 08:35:40 AM

Figured I had a squirrel knock'in "everything" off the shelfs in my wood shop--- set a cage to nab the little bugger. Gotta admit I was a bit surprised next morn'in.

Magicman · January 17, 2019, 08:40:26 AM

I would be surprised too!!

WV Sawmiller · January 17, 2019, 08:42:31 AM

I knew they were common in Mexico but did not know they were north of the border.

Ljohnsaw · January 17, 2019, 10:08:07 AM

I that a lemur?

I had a bear bite my 5 gallon gas can (full!) on the corner. Of course it dropped it, hole side down so I lost $20 worth of gas. I suppose he/she got a nasty taste from that "cooler" :D

WV Sawmiller · January 17, 2019, 10:21:53 AM

I'm think it is a Coatimundi - a first cousin to a raccoon as I understand. We saw lots of them at a resort in Cancun a couple summers ago but I did not know they ranged as far as Colorado.

RichTired · January 17, 2019, 10:47:52 AM

How did it taste? Like chicken? :D

WV Sawmiller · January 17, 2019, 02:45:55 PM

I will have to defer the taste test to someone else as I have not tried one yet. I'd bet it would be tougher than coon or groundhog and probably pretty dark meat. :-\

Magicman · January 17, 2019, 03:35:25 PM

bags is the only person that I know that has one. Guess that he will have to do the taste test. digin_2

boonesyard · January 17, 2019, 03:42:30 PM

I don't know that that's a Coatimundi. I've been looking at a lot of different "like" animals, and not really coming up with a fit. Did you let it go, or is it in weird animal heaven now??

I'm really curious as to what that thing is.

JJ · January 17, 2019, 04:04:06 PM

look up Cacomistle, or ring-tail.

I bet it was somebody's ~~pet~~. I look it up, and it's range includes Co.

JJ

boonesyard · January 17, 2019, 04:14:44 PM

AHA, there it is

WV Sawmiller · January 17, 2019, 04:47:18 PM

I had heard of them being called Ring Tailed cats, even though they are not a cat, but I had never heard of them being called a Cacomistle. Then again I have never lived where they did. All I ever read or heard them called was a Coatimundi or Ring Tail. I assume this is the same animal I saw in Mexico just with a different local name. Man, what a great source of information this site is! Now all we need to know is how it tastes and maybe what a prime fur sells for. I bet somebody out there knows. :D

DelawhereJoe · January 17, 2019, 05:34:06 PM

Looks like a fox and raccoon got frisky one night after drinking too much

charles mann · January 17, 2019, 06:55:38 PM

if ya wanna get rid of it and its still alive, ill drive up there to get it.

terrifictimbersllc · January 17, 2019, 07:04:27 PM

If it was someone's pet it might have been vaccinated for rabies and have an id chip, a vet could tell you

bandmiller2 · January 17, 2019, 08:31:25 PM

I control small rodents with the tried and true mouse trap. The best bait I've tried is tootsy roll candy, chew a piece until it gets soft then squeeze it on the trap trigger. It will get hard and stick like glue. You can catch many rodents before it needs replacement. Frank C.

bags · January 17, 2019, 08:36:25 PM

They are Ringtail Cats. We have a wild population down at about 7000 feet in the Hardscrabble Canyon--- didn't think they came up this high. It may look pretty cute and friendly, but it was a mean little sucker.lol. I've chowed down on lots of different critters, but never had a hanker'in to try one of these boulder rats.

I hauled it back down the canyon and cut it loose--- hides are only worth about $12.00 and I figured it would be a pain in the butt to pull its tail and come out in one piece. The little guy (pic) circled around and growled at me after "I set it free" (old tree hugger say'in)

P.S.--- WV--- whistle pigs are fairly fine outta a slow cooker---(we call'em rock marmonts up here)

WV Sawmiller · January 17, 2019, 08:58:22 PM

Yeah, slow cookers do pretty good. I usually prefer slow oven cooked in a big oval cast iron roaster my dad sent us when we first got married. Cream of Mushroom soup is a staple diet item to cook the meat in too.

I would think $12 per hide would not be too bad. Around here the buyers aren't even buying raccoon hides any more. Doesn't look like it would be a huge job to case out one of those hides. Yeah, not sure about stripping the tail intact if that would be a requirement.