DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀

[Anonymous]

I also have a rat phobia and this chills me to the core. I remember reading an article some time ago about issues with soy based wire insulation which entices rodents to eat the wires. There might have been a class action suit at some point. So sorry this is happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also have a rat phobia and this chills me to the core. I remember reading an article some time ago about issues with soy based wire insulation which entices rodents to eat the wires. There might have been a class action suit at some point. So sorry this is happening.

It seemed settled that it is the soy-based coating. But not clear at all that it's changed or how to counter-act it to make it less enticing to rodents.

[Anonymous]

My DH's prius got field mice in them while packed in the garage. I keep bird food in the garage and that was luring them in. Now I keep the birdfoid in a plastic trash with a secure lid and several ratzappers in the garage.

[Anonymous]

Coyote or fox urine spray (garden centers have it) works. Just spray it under the car.

Also, if you have cat, sprinkle a little cat used litter (absorbed cat urine) under the car where you park it.

Rodents avoid any place with the urine of a predator

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never thought I’d be adding this to my list of reasons why I don’t live in the city. I have no advice, but damn that sucks. Sorry.

eh, squirrels and field mice do the same thing in the burbs and rural areas.

There’s no escaping rodents of some form or other.

PP here.
Can someone, for the love of God, please explain how rodents of some form of other get under the hood of a car?
I come from a huge and 'vibrant' city in Europe and I have never ever heard of rats getting into people's vehicles. And there're plenty of rats there.

When I lived in rural WY a field mouse took up residence through the air intake. I assume they climbed in through the bottom and chewed the air filter which they used to make a nest.

I like the cat urine plan. Also, sticky traps on the underside of the car and try to drive it frequently.

[Anonymous]

For the rats than elude the traps (or those that come along after you've caught a few in traps), do the traps do anything to encourage/discourage other rats to come and enjoy the wiring?

[Anonymous]

I heard they like Toyotas. White ones especially. Prefer the higher ones like Camrys.

[Anonymous]

Not higher, bigger

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard they like Toyotas. White ones especially. Prefer the higher ones like Camrys.

Soy-based wiring.

[Anonymous]

I just came here to comment on the use of the rat emoji. Well done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just came here to comment on the use of the rat emoji. Well done.

Thank you. It's been a goal of mine.

[Anonymous]

I think of this post every time I start my car in the dark. 🐀

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never thought I’d be adding this to my list of reasons why I don’t live in the city. I have no advice, but damn that sucks. Sorry.

Field mice do it too. This can happen anywhere.

The long term parking lots at the Denver airport have issues with rabbits eating peoples wires.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have heard of this with squirrels. Yuck.

We are going through this right now with my DS's Hyundai. The car is a 2024 and rodents (he thinks probably squirrels where he goes to grad school), have made a mess of the wiring and under-hood insulation over the past month. He thought it was a dead battery until he checked under the hood.

[Anonymous]

This happened to me with a BMW years ago - I only drove the car max once a week. I ended up paying to park it in a garage until I moved - interestingly, I moved to Logan and never had a problem with rats in the car there.