Lights under vehicles to scare away critters Question!

**J Maguire** · 02-27-2021, 07:48 AM

Out here in AZ (Phoenix area regional parks) we see a lot of lights overnight under vehicles to keep out unwanted pests; rats in the winter and snakes in the summer? Of course, we see it practiced elsewhere as well.

We do not subscribe to this tactic and have never had a problem in a lot of years of camping. We don't stay for more than a few days at a time while camping in this area so maybe an extended stay would warrant a closer look into this practice.

So, would love to hear from others - for and against this strategy. Cheers!

**D2Reid** · 02-27-2021, 09:01 AM

I think it may have some merit, but like you we have never purposefully put lights down to scare away critters. I think it would work for a short term but critters get used to things that stay the same over a period of time and I believe they would eventually cross the line to find the goodies.

Over the years we have seen an increase in lighting while camping, mostly I think it's used to assist with not tripping over sticks and roots at night.

While campground hosting in Deception Pass I had a gentleman knock on my door and asked that I turned the V LED lights off on the front of my Momentum. While hosting we light them up to show people that we are inviting them into our warm and friendly camp. This fellow indicated that the blue lights where shining into his campsite ruining the ambience of his camp fire. We left them off until he departed a few days later.

**kscaddo** · 02-27-2021, 12:23 PM

Why don't you try the old "lay out the site with a rope" trick? LOL couldn't resist.

**Dick Noble** · 02-27-2021, 05:19 PM

We surround our rig with solar powered rope lights. Have not had a critter problem since we started doing this.

**Richter** · 02-27-2021, 06:44 PM

I keep an old “trouble light” hooked up, with an IKEA 100 lumen bulb (smallest and cheapest to operate that I could find) and the cord run under the trailer and up into the basement and plugged in (had it in my garage for years, just hanging on the wall), but I put it out there so that I could ensure that the power was on and that I hadn’t popped a breaker in the garage/shop. Never really gave a thought to whether it might/might not be a deterrent to pests.

**fmartinmn** · 02-27-2021, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by Dick Noble

We surround our rig with solar powered rope lights. Have not had a critter problem since we started doing this.

Ok Dick, un foto por favor. You have us interested.

**Dick Noble** · 02-28-2021, 03:27 PM

Sorry, no pics. 5er is buried in snow and it is 22 out there. Couldn't see the white led rope lights anyway. Got the 20' ones, solar powered, from Harbor Freight. Needed 4 of them. I had to be careful to see that the chargers had lots of sun. I am thinking about 110/120 landscape lights for the north side next winter down south.