Rats in the Engine!

So, my dad just brought his '97 Taco in to the shop to get his windshield wipers fixed. Nothing on the outside, but something behind the scenes was causing them not to turn on. Found out that rats have chewed through the wires.

No surprise for us, really. We've found rat nests inside my dad's engine, my mom's engine (on our old Toyota Camry), my brother's car, and even had a rat get caught in the air vent of the old Camry. Smelt like hell for the longest time (even after we got the damn thing out, too). Burned to a crisp.

My dad was told by one of the guys at the shop that a common fix for pesky rats who like to chew wires is to take some of those Downy clothing softener sheets, throw them in the dryer 'till they're "used", then wrap them around the wiring. Aparrently rats don't like them.

Has anyone tried this?

Do you have any other techniques you use either on your truck, or to keep the rats off your truck? (Other than mousetraps, haha.)

 

Put mouse traps in the garage? I hate rodents. Doing the dryer sheet thing would be ugly and a possible fire hazard

 

Hey! welcome back...

 

Ask to borrow hot dogs cats?

 

well, you could always put some sort of rodent-away spray around the perimeter of your garage. it would deter them from entering into the vehicle

 

Ha - thanks for the replies everyone. I would try and go the rat trap route when the time comes, but I might (and most likely will) be parking out on the street, and don't want to have to deal with those early in the morning, each night, every day, etc.

We've got a two-car garage, and by the time I get mine, my family will have 4 cars. We'll see how this one plays out.

Thanks, Ed!

 

[/offtopic]

I'll have him help me with my car and insurance payments, too! And maybe now that I can't go in the military, he can pay for my college, too!

 

I had rats in my engine bay found their little shit pellets in my in cab filter havent seen them in a while though.

 

The guy where my dad went to get his Taco fixed said he'd get about 5 people a week complainin' of rats.

 

Yeah there sure love engines and they love giving us the bill lol

 

My husband found a mouse nest underneath his engine cover in his 06 Acura. Totally surprised us....we drive our vehicles everyday & to work!! Makes ya wonder if the mouse was ever in there while driveing.

Now that the weather is cold again....if those little critters are searching for warmer nests. ENGINES!!

 

My buddy says mothballs will chase rats and mice away. I ain't never tried it.

I did have a problem with squirrels a while back. little bastages built a nest under my boat cover and chewed every wire and the speedo hose up under the dash. I took the cover off and they left (no more shelter I guess).

 

well he has a problem with you at least! but hey ant free is worth it!!!

 

Barn Cat Barn Cat Barn Cat!!
Had a mice problem when I bought my current house years ago. Got 2 scrappin little manx cats. Two weeks later no more mice. I was happy, so were the cats.

 

Here's what one of the guys at XR-U found under his hood

http://www.xr-underground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=942&highlight=cheeseburger