Rat in Taco

Couple days ago noticed a bad smell when I turned on the defroster.... found a rat on top of the cabin air filter. Not dead! It ran out when I started pulling out its’ nest. Fashioned up some aluminum mesh from the back of a window ac unit over the cabin air intake. Put some over the intake inlet as the bastard was in there also. The mesh crushed and form fit pretty nice being aluminum. Hopefully thIs will keep it away from the filters.

 

Yup red squirrel with babies in mine. Did the same thing to keep them out.

 

Damn rats....

 

Mice can can chew through aluminum mesh with those razor sharp teeth, and a mouse can squeeze through a 1/2" opening. Use 1/4" galvanized steel hardware cloth (fence material).

 

Oh...I was thinking this may be a recipe thread.

 

I would screen off the sides of the cowl area to keep them out of that space completely. I also use an electronic deterrent to protect the engine wiring and hoses.

 

LOL!

 

I did the same thing to the cabin air intake but hadn’t considered the engine air. I used some hardware cloth and some spare bolts/washers I had lying around.

 

Tastes better than beef

 

Yikes! I'm sure the brake fluid reservoir wasn't cheap to replace.

 

I've heard they taste like chicken.

 

The local mice seem to like my tasty battery.

You can probably plastic weld the brake fluid reservoir.

 

What sort of electronic deterrent did you use?

 

The rat was using pieces of my engine air filter to build a nest...

 

I've tried a couple of different kinds, but like these best. They have a shut off switch which you must have to work on the car. The sound will give you a headache. I also like the low voltage shut-off to save the battery. This thing absolutely works too.

$42 Angveirt Under Hood Rodent Repeller Ultrasonic Rodent Repellent for Car Engine Rat Deterrent Keep Mice Out of Vehicle 24V 12V Mouse Repeller Wires RV Protection 2 Pack

https://www.amazon.com/Angveirt-Rep...07MZMDY77/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

After seeing the video....220 volts sounds great to me!

 

I'm a bit skeptical about these things, but for $20, might be worth a shot.

 

Received a new charcoal cabin air filter in the mail today, so took out the old one and found it covered in rat poop. Also, it was partially chewed through! Fashioned up some more screen to cover the top of the cabin air filter. Had to keep it tight to the filter to clear the recirculate doors that are just above the filter. With the top screen, this is just a second line of defense to keep them out of the cabin. Pulled the fan and cleaned and wiped down everything with Lysol to wrap up the job. Stink is gone!

 

Good point, I’ll upgrade to steel if they get through what I used.

 

I trained a stray cat to sit on a front tire, by placing a couple treats on it from time to time. He likes the heat, just like mice do. He jumps out when he hears the door unlock. A mouse will pick up the lingering smell of a cat easily, and run screaming away.

Be carefull if you try this. Start by giving treats to a cat on the ground next to a front tire. Then, on top of the same front tire. He will find them. Stop there! The cat will hear and smell a mouse in the engine bay, and may go in after it, or may wait for it to come out. Or, If you want, place a treat on the engine cover. Just be aware the same treats will also attract a mouse. So the cat must have a habit of looking for treats on the tire before you proceed. Also a larger cat probably won't venture into the engine bay. Works best with a smaller male cat. Make sure you see the cat before you crank the engine.

I keep a charger on the battery, so I always open the hood to unplug it, check for cats, before starting it.