Rats living in my engine...

Just seeing if anyone can chime in and help out.

No matter where I park my 3rd Gen Tacoma rats are going inside my engine at night chewing up cables. It seems like they follow my car. I have parked in my garage, in the backyard, on the street, and even a neighbor let me park my car on his driveway for a night and the rats always seem to find my truck. Its driving me nuts! They are shitting and pissing everywhere making a mess of my engine. I tried rat poison and they eat it but I’m not sure it’s working. I have a dog too so I stopped using the rat poison.
I have tried making the possible entrance areas smelly with pine sol but that didn’t work.

I have google searched but none of these methods are working.

I’m just afraid that the rats are going to chew something and possibly cause expensive damage down the line and might even cause my truck to be unsafe on the road.

Anyone have this issue and fixed this pest problem? When the hell did rats start targeting and following 1 vehicle...

 

Park in your garage and focus on eliminating the infestation from your garage first?

 

Here is another thread on the topic with some helpful tips. Good luck.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/effing-mice.461226/

 

Sounds like you need a couple cats, I have read that the Rats and Mice do not like Peppermint Oil so you might try putting that around under the hood, and Honda makes some kind of tape to wrap the wires with that is full of hot peppers or something nasty.

 

Oh that is lovely. I recall reading something about the wiring coating being soy based or something like that. When we worked int he arctic we had an issue with foxes chewing up the wiring on the trailers for the same reason.

Now sure what you can do to stop this, besides what you are already doing.

 

Moth balls work but you can't leave them in there with engine running. And they smell bad. Another thing that works sometimes is dryer softening sheets. Many new vehicles use Soy based coating on electrical wires to be earth friendly and "Edible"...

 

I thought there were natural mouse repellants, but it turns out all I read says that peppermint, moth balls, and stuff of that ilk is just a myth. Recommendation is to kill the mice. Maybe a lot of peanut butter baited traps until you eradicate the population. I am not sure of the attraction your truck holds for the mice though.

 

I'm guessing they aren't following your car but have a nest somewhere in your engine area.

 

I've found nests in my air filter box under the filter. They get in through the fender well. If you park in garage, leave hood up. They don't like exposed areas

 

^ +1 on my old 350z. That was awful...

 

Bounce dryer sheets, use them when camping and recommend them to customers for engine bays, tuck them in places where not going to get caught in fan or belts or directly on hot engine. Also Irish spring soap works also

 

$60 MouseBlocker 12V Ultrasonic Under Hood Mouse and Rodent Deterrent for Your Vehicle

https://www.amazon.com/Mouse-Blocker-347-MouseBlocker/dp/B00DWGAHM0

 

Get a cat, spend several hours looking for a nest on the truck and near where you park it. If you know somebody with a good barn cat park the truck near the cat for a couple days or however long you can.

 

I have tried the garage. Leaves the Prius alone but attacks my tacoma.

 

Park in garage. Set these mothers out with some cheese.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Tomcat-Secure-Kill-Rat-Trap-0360810/205566237

 

Thanks everyone. I will look into some of methods you guys mentioned.

 

I'm not sure what this would sound like to pets...... could drive your dog insane.

There was a thread where someone made a wire mesh screen to block mice from getting into his air box.

 

Park in your garage. Seal up any possible way they can get in, especially the garage door seal and doors. (Exclusion)

Then set up a shitload of classic Victor snap traps. Wear gloves, mix peanut butter with cotton, and adjust the triggering mechanism so barely touching it will trigger it. You will kill all your rats, and prevent them from getting in.

You can also order contractor grade bait, and child/pet resistant bait stations, and place them around the perimeter of your house, to kill outdoor populations.

Don't bother with the repellents, sprays, or ultrasonic devices. All bullshit. I know because I have used them ALL.

Exclusion + Traps +/- Poisons

Check your crawlspace and attic. Don't give up.

 

If you can't park indoors (camping, carport only, etc) try cayenne pepper sprinkled all over the engine- wet the engine compartment down first to hold the powder. It looks ugly, but myself and at least three others had good luck with it - see the effing-mice thread link above, and this one too: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rats.519698/

Just curious- do you live in the mtns? That's a wood rat and they can tear up your truck big time. You may have to steam clean your engine bay because wood rats like to scent mark their territory and apparently, your truck is becoming theirs.

There's a great trap post in the Rats!!! thread of a string across a bucket with threaded through a coke can - spread peanut butter on the coke can sides and partially fill the bucket with water, I've heard mice plunking into one all night, whereas spring traps only work once.

Good luck with that.