Anonymous
Post 12/01/2020 10:13     Subject: DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀
I have a small hobby farm in western Fairfax County, and I've had problems with mice chewing wiring in my truck at this time of year. If the engine is still warm as cold temps set in at night, they climb up the tires and into the engine.

The only thing that I've found to work is sprinkling crystallized fox/coyote urine around the vehicle and on the tires. This smells horrendous. Yes, you can order it online.
Anonymous
Post 12/01/2020 09:03     Subject: DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀
I have heard of this with squirrels. Yuck.
Anonymous
Post 12/01/2020 08:51     Subject: DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, do you have a Prius or other hybrid car?


NP here. I drive a hybrid. Are they more susceptible to rodents??

I’ve heard some manufacturers’ wire coatings are yummy soy-based.


PP here, YES. It's the coating they use for the wires. My Prius is a rodent magnet. I have lost count now. My husbands car which is parked right next to mine has never had this issue, despite me keeping my car extremely clean and his car being a disgusting mess with trash, old food and drinks, etc.
Anonymous
Post 12/01/2020 08:44     Subject: DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀
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.
Anonymous
Post 12/01/2020 08:28     Subject: DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀
Place mothballs in one of those onion mesh bags. Place the mesh bag under the hood - just remember to remove it before you drive off, and place it back under the hood when you won't be driving for a few days.
Anonymous
Post 12/01/2020 07:52     Subject: Re:DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀
Anonymous wrote:Was the spray a one time thing and all the 🐀 🐀 went away? Just sprayed around the engine?

Omg, what keeps them from coming into the inside car compartment ?
Anonymous
Post 11/30/2020 23:44     Subject: Re:DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀
Was the spray a one time thing and all the 🐀 🐀 went away? Just sprayed around the engine?

Omg, what keeps them from coming into the inside car compartment ?
Anonymous
Post 11/30/2020 22:16     Subject: DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀
This happened to me in NW with my BMW. It cost a fortune to fix but BMW said they had a spray that would deter it from happening again. I could have been suckered into buying anything at that point so I paid for it. Not sure what it was but I never had the problem again. The most disgusting part is that I drove the car mon-fri for a longish commute and then would park it on the weekends. To think I may have been driving with rats under the hood? And my fear to this day is one would pop out of the ac!! Actually that’s what I took the car in for - the ac suddenly died.
Anonymous
Post 11/30/2020 21:29     Subject: Re:DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀
My grandfather says it’s all Fords.
Anonymous
Post 11/30/2020 20:46     Subject: DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, do you have a Prius or other hybrid car?


NP here. I drive a hybrid. Are they more susceptible to rodents??

I’ve heard some manufacturers’ wire coatings are yummy soy-based.

They used to be petroleum-based in the good ole days.


I’ve heard Hondas are especially problematic- my neighborhood consensus was Hondas were getting chewed up that most.
Anonymous
Post 11/30/2020 20:43     Subject: DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, do you have a Prius or other hybrid car?


NP here. I drive a hybrid. Are they more susceptible to rodents??

I’ve heard some manufacturers’ wire coatings are yummy soy-based.

They used to be petroleum-based in the good ole days.
Anonymous
Post 11/30/2020 20:37     Subject: DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀
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.

Can confirm. I live in the middle of nowhere, and some critter chewed a hole through my gas line.
Anonymous
Post 11/30/2020 20:06     Subject: DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀
Spray the underside with pepper spray. Use dryer sheets. And have rodent tape installed on the wiring. It’s because the wire coverings are soy based.
Anonymous
Post 11/30/2020 20:03     Subject: DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀
Anonymous wrote:Been there. It's disgusting.

My advice:

1) put traps in the car (I put some under the bottom panel of the trunk where the spare wheel lives)

2) clean the inside of the car, and never leave food or crumbs in there.

Wait, were the rats inside the car?!
Anonymous
Post 11/30/2020 20:01     Subject: DC Rats eating car wiring 🐀
Anonymous wrote:Another resident of the high desert -- we keep our car hoods up, wedging a piece of firewood vertically between the hood and the frame of the car.

The rats are less likely to take up residence if the engine compartment is as cold as outside and they're not hidden from view.

Also try moving your car around occasionally - back it in sometimes.

PineSol supposedly gets rid of the rat pee scent.


Aha! I always wondered why people did this!