So freaking happy

[rclouse79]

I went out with a buddy on August 10th to set our blinds for antelope season and my Yukon xl went into limp mode on a dirt road on our way out. We had to get towed in the middle of the night back to town. The first shop had my car for 2 weeks before they could even look at it, and then said it was an electrical problem and I would have to tow it to a specialty shop. The second shop got to it in two days and found out a rat had chewed one of the wires. They fixed it for $350, so freaking pumped. I had all but given up on being able to get out for opening weekend of archery elk. Just went from a 1 to a 10 on the excitement scale. Now I just have to figure out how to get around all the fires to get into my area.
I plan on waging war on all vermin on my property. If anybody has any tricks to keep those little bastards out of vehicles, I am all ears.
Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend!

 

[wapitibob]

keep the hood open, rats want something over their head

 

[Bubblehide]

Put a piece, pastic... down on a flat spot in your engine compartment and a pool chlorine tab on it. Sand or shave it every couple weeks. I do this on my truck when hunting, it keeps everything except humans away.

 

[RepeatPete]

I think it was Honda that had some self-adhesive tape that was coated with something spicy. You would wrap it like wire loom to keep everything underneath from being chewed on. I’ve used it a few times and never had any issues, but didn’t have severe mice problems.

 

[PVHunter]

So, I trap (kill traps, not that poison stuff that makes them wander off and cause collateral damage) all over our property. I have two traps in the driveway to try to apprehend the little bastards before they make it to the vehicles.

As others have suggested, keep the hood open. I find that this offers mixed results depending on how cold it happens to be outside.

The service writer at our local Chevy dealer suggested soaking cottonballs in mint oil and wedging them into nooks and crannies in the engine compartment. The idea of keeping cottonballs in close proximity to engine components that get hot doesn't sit well with me, so I have a spray bottle that I apply weekly. This seems to help in conjunction with the measures described above. YMMV.

 

[LostArra]

When parked put a bag of Fresh Cab in the engine compartment. (even if you have the hood up)

https://www.menards.com/main/outdoors/insect-pest-control/animal-traps-repellents/fresh-cab-reg-rodent-repellent-4-pack/98703/p-1444427751360-c-10120.htm

 

[Nickofthewoods]

That's always a risk when parking in rural areas for multiple days unfortunately. If it's a problem at home just get a cat. I was having issues with rodents in my engine bays several times per year. After I had to replace the radiator on my F250 because rodents packed so much grass and seeds into the fins that it started overheating I got a cat and have had zero nests or chewed wires in the eight years since I got her.

 

[Nightstandx]

Eliminate food sources around the car. Food droppings attract rodents.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

A mechanic buddy of mine once told me to spray the engine compartment with plain Lysol every now and again and zip tie a bunch of drier sheets in there. I have one of these blinkie doo-hickies in my truck's compartment that sits outside and I never have had a problem.

 

[Crowmangler]

peppermint oil spray

 

[LeftyWilbury]

insurance company recommended sticking a bar of Irish Spring in the engine bay after a packrat totaled my stepmom's lexus. which reminds me, i should buy another bar of irish spring for my latest vehicle.

 

[BigE]

Put a piece, pastic... down on a flat spot in your engine compartment and a pool chlorine tab on it. Sand or shave it every couple weeks. I do this on my truck when hunting, it keeps everything except humans away.

This will work, but chlorine is an oxidizer. Bad for metal.

Dryer sheets work for our trucks, rvs, utvs and trailers. Use every tactic you can. Eliminate food sources, get cats, use traps. Try everything until you find what works for your pack of rodents.

 

[Rich M]

Keep your yard clear of places for em to hide and live. My neighbor basically has a junkyard in his backyard. Lil buggers don't respect the fence, so traps, poison, and pellets it is.

 

[go4thegusto]

So, I trap (kill traps, not that poison stuff that makes them wander off and cause collateral damage) all over our property. I have two traps in the driveway to try to apprehend the little bastards before they make it to the vehicles.

As others have suggested, keep the hood open. I find that this offers mixed results depending on how cold it happens to be outside.

The service writer at our local Chevy dealer suggested soaking cottonballs in mint oil and wedging them into nooks and crannies in the engine compartment. The idea of keeping cottonballs in close proximity to engine components that get hot doesn't sit well with me, so I have a spray bottle that I apply weekly. This seems to help in conjunction with the measures described above. YMMV.

Peppermint oil extract from Amazon. I bought the small glass jar with the cotton wick. Looks like a little oil lamp. Works well. The farmers up here would put Irish Spring soap in the grain trucks. They swear buy it but I have never tried it.