I park my tractor under a carport, but it is open on the sides. Recently, I had to have the key part replaced because a dirt dobber wasp built a nest in the keyhole. How can I prevent this from happening again? I thought of putting duct tape over the keyhole but that will leave a sticky residue.
Would a small flat magnet like a fridge magnet cover it?
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That’s a good idea! I’ll try it when I get home.
Duct tape ,works great, i use it over electrical outlets in garage/barn and all equipment key holes.
aircraft pitot tubes have to be covered for the same reason
If the magnet doesn’t stick… Glue a large steel washer over the keyhole. Magnet will stick to washer. Don’t get glue in the keyhole 
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Right…some parts might be fiberglass.
I’d use a sponge and just cut away an end a little larger than the hole. Use a sponge that doesn’t get all stiff, but stays squishy - like the big yellow ones they sell at home improvement places. I think they are for tiling/grout.
Leave the key in?
(The only time the key comes out of my tractor is when it goes to the shop, because they don’t want to lose it.)
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Electrical tape won’t leave goo. I hate dirt daubers.
Risky … If one has children or public access to the equipment. Always leave loader and attachments on ground or supported for safety. Controls will drop loader/ attachment without the key.
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Well the smarta$$ answer is to leave the key in the ignition but my tractor is locked in a building and the OPs is not.
I did find though that having done this I took the key out when it was parked outside and then couldn’t get it back in because it had gotten wet and slightly rusty! WD-40 and a rubber mallet and I was back in business but now I don’t dare take it out!
:eek::eek::eek::eek:
This reminds me of the time the ECS system was broken due to a huge birds nest in the ducting. Still have no clue how that happened as the jet was on flight schedule until the nest got big enough to block the bleed air.
Air France 447 went down due to block pitot tubes, ice crystals in that case
Between May 2008 and March 2009, nine incidents involving the temporary loss of airspeed indication appeared in the Air Safety Reports (ASRs) for Air France’s A330/A340 fleet. All occurred in cruise between flight levels FL310 and FL380. Further, after the Flight 447 accident, Air France identified six additional incidents which had not been reported on ASRs. These were intended for maintenance Aircraft Technical Logs (ATLs) drawn up by the pilots to describe these incidents only partially, to indicate the characteristic symptoms of the incidents associated with unreliable airspeed readings. The problems primarily occurred in 2007 on the A320 but, awaiting a recommendation from Airbus, Air France delayed installing new pitot tubes on A330/A340 and increased inspection frequencies in these aircraft
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_447
OP… do you have an old key that would fit the ignition switch but not turn it on? or an extra that you can just file some of the teeth off of so it could not turn the tractor on?
@clanter if only commercial airlines had the over sight of the military. Shocking really. Clearly the heaters were not working.
The magnet is a good idea. I just leave my keys in my tractor as well. Unlikely any of my neighbors will steal it as they all have their own. It would be easy enough to break into my house if someone really wanted to steal my tractor anyway.
Press’N Seal … a patch over the area … easy on and easy off and reusable many times ~
piece of cloth held in place with a rubber band ?
