Soy coated wiring

I just moved to a place where rats are actually an issue (i haven’t had any problems in my house but have read a lot about them being an issue in the area). Wanted to know if the 2017 tacoma has this issue + ways people have combatted it. Please no shitty smelling resolutions lol, my taco is my daily so I’d really love to find something to help avoid this issue without compromising my sanity (I have really sensitive smell to harsh chemicals).

 

Dogs love trucks and cats love rats. Get a cat?

 

Installed this on a car owned by the lady that cuts my hair. She was having a problem where they were chewing the washer nozzle hoses.
No problems with mice after install.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Mouse-Blocke...t=&hvlocphy=9003316&hvtargid=pla-310328245377

 

I've heard some of those electronic rodent repellers work well, but when i tried them here in my garage the mice just ignored them. Found the only sure fire way is to trap the little bastards and feed them to the crows.

 

Honda makes a 'spicy' tape for this. It's spendy though. https://www.collegehillshonda.com/product/4019-2317.html

Here's an article about it and other options. https://www.consumerreports.org/car-maintenance/how-to-protect-your-car-from-rodents-a5816950285/

 

I've made a hot pepper spray with ghost, and habenero peppers in a blender, then sprayed it throughout my snowmobile wiring. It works well for a few weeks, but you need to repeat it again.

 

They do not.
Neither the cheap ones, nor the spendy.
They're a gimmick. If they're working for someone, it's because they didn't have a rodent problem to begin with.

 

I put mothballs in small plastic containers at strategic places in the garage after little mouse bastards made nests in my lawnmower. No mice since, just gotta replace the mothballs every couple weeks. Maybe you can find golf ball-sized mothballs for rats!

 

I had the same issue. I replaced the hoses with airline tubing meant for aquarium air pumps

 

I heard cat litter keeps them away. I have no way to prove it, but I have some in my garage for camping toilet, and never seen a rodent...

 

hillbilly mouse trap: 5 gallon bucket, drill a hole or cut a notch toward the top, then another opposite from the first, put a rod through a 20oz soda bottle, mount it in the holes or notches, add peanut butter to the outside of the bottle, fill the bucket about 2/3 or 3/4 with water, use a yardstick or something similar and set it up as a ramp to the rod. The mice will do their part.

As for the smell, fish them out ASAP and change the water often.

 

As noted below, there is no soy in the Taco harnesses. That said, rodents have nested in plenty of Tacos and have done damage.


Mint oil is both pleasing to you and hated by rodents. Worked like a champ for us.

 

Google it, seems there is soy wiring

 

Disagree! I'm a long-time volunteer at our local Farmers' Institute fairgrounds. We have had a rat problem as long as I've been there... big barns, lots of hay, oats, etc, and lots of places to hide. A couple of years ago, we spent a bunch of money on a bulk lot of these. While they have by no means eliminated the problem, I can say with total certainty that they have reduced the problem drastically, simply based on the quantity of rat droppings that have to be swept up before each show. They may not all work well, and none will be 100% effective, but they do work.

The best deterrent through is regular use. As long as your vehicle doesn't sit unused for long periods, it really should be fine.

 

Maybe they work better with rats than mice? lol
This has been my experience with all manner of ultrasonic deterrents.

 

Maybe Canadian rats are just naturally more polite and leave when they know they're not wanted?

 

That and minty tea bags does the trick!

 

Coolant rather than water helps with the smell.

 

I saw someone quoted that auto manufactures don't use soy-based wiring. In 2019 I worked for a Ford dealership that had cars and trucks coming in every week because of mice eating soy-based wiring. Mice were really partial to the Ford Fusions. Those buggers even ate the foam engine covers. I asked the service manager if it was true about soy-based wiring being the problem and he said it was. The mechanics were also saying the same thing. The dealerships loved it and would sell you a full replacement harness and then charge you to install it instead of trying to replace the damaged area. I was also told most of the other manufacturers were doing the same thing including Toyota.
I had a few mice in my shed until a screech owl moved in. Don't have as many chipmunks or squirrels now either.

 

I actually had that note in my post but took it out as I don't want someone to accidentally expose a kid, pet, or wildlife to the coolant. It also keeps the trap working in the middle of winter.