RATS!!!!

Ok, this is disgusting, but I just saw a rat inside my truck (on top of cabin air filter).

I called dealer to see where the intake could be so I could install mesh, and found debris between front quarter panel. Will pull off tonight, and am sure I will find nests... The dealer happened to say, oh yeah we see this all the time in tacomas down here.

Does anyone else have this experience? With less than 5k miles on it I don't eat in it, so I'm not sure what is attracting them besides that new car smell. We also have a 2014 toyota Sienna, and have not had any issues with rats wanting to nest in it - that we know of.

Maybe this is just a common problem to FL, but its odd that our other cars have not had this issue. Any remedies would be appreciated!

 

Most modern vehicles are made with various "green" (biodegradable, etc.) plastics, wiring insulation being one of the more common uses.

More about this here...

 

It's the soy based wiring, and a dry warm location in the dark. If they are around, they'll find the Sienna too.

I've used bait under hood and killed a couple

I use peppermint oil on cotton balls place in the toe of old pantyhose tied at a couple of spots under hood as a repellent. Mothballs work sometimes too.

Best choice is a good rat trap by the tire or under the engine bay. Except when a possum gets his nose in it and walks off with your trap.

 

Rats seem to like to chew on wires in the engine compartment. Here is another thread with some helpful tips.

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

 

I am in FL as well. Let me know if you find/hear a solution.

I live very close to a preserve so it is no unussual for me to see some wildlife, though admittedly I do not recall seeing any rats around. To clarify what I mean by very close.... my daughter lives directly across the sreeet from me. The fence accross her backyard is the preserve's fence.

I have heard about our wiring being tasty to rodents before so if there is some sort of safeguard, I am in.

 

That's what I thought- mynock. Chewie, check the rest of the ship and make sure there are no more attached...chewing on the power cables



Apparently we have the same soy based power cables as the Millennium Falcon. Any one else grinnin' from ear to ear.

 

Get a cat. Ours keeps small furry things away--or makes them go away...

 

Have 4 strays here at the projects... I just have to remember to wrap on my fender well before I get in to start my truck.

 

Put a snake in your truck...

Funny, I literally found a snake sitting on the headlight under the hood just the other day.

 

My previous taco and rav4 were decimated by rats whereas I had no problem with either previous vehicle (99 Silverado and 01 Lancer). Dealerships in Texas will install this, https://www.amazon.com/Honda-4019-2317-Rodent-Tape/dp/B00AJTG3N0, on all the common wires that rodents chew on for around $100 or you can do it yourself and ensure that every reasonably reached wire is covered. I also purchased electric rodent traps and set them up in the corners of the garage along the walls. If you park in the driveway, you can set the old school traps (I used the plastic ones with sharp "teeth") on top of your front tires. Caught two that way. Just expect to run over a few of the traps before you get used to it. There are a few class action suits ongoing/possibly resolved regarding a few manufacturers including Honda and Toyota.

Just FYI, I did not have any house infestation and the rats were coming from external locations. I live in a suburb with a few parks within 3 miles, but nothing rural. I got tired of setting out traps nightly with peanut butter or cheese, so the rat tape was put on my vehicles for free (I paid for the tape on Amazon) once I complained enough and referenced the class action suit. Since then, I have had no issues and no need for additional trap placement.

 

The previous posts about rats freaked me out so much I bought some of that "rodent defense" spray and sprayed some around my vehicles, I haven't done it for a while but no rats so far. I hate rats.

 

Thanks all for the info!

 

Friday, I went out to my truck and I had a hard time starting it. When it finally started, CEL and "Track Off" light was on. So, I drove it to the dealership and left it. They called me an hour later and told me that my main wiring harness was chewed up and that it would need to be replaced at the cost of $2600. He told me to call my insurance company and report it. He seemed familiar with the process. I haven't looked at it yet, but he indicated that he was certain that an animal had chewed it up. This makes no sense because I drive my truck everywhere. It rarely stays parked for more than overnight. I didn't drive it on Thanksgiving though. So, it sat for one day. I have 4 vehicles, a camper, a boat, two lawn mowers and a tractor. The lawn mowers and tractor sit un-moved for weeks or months. Same for the camper and boat. My Yukon (gas hog) is only used when we all go somewhere together and sits in the same place for a week or two sometimes. Yet, the animal (most likely a squirrel) chose the vehicle driven the most. After some research, I have discovered that they wiring in newer vehicles have soy based insulation....It is without a doubt the culprit of the problem. I now have to figure out what to do to keep this from happening again. I can't sit out in my yard and shoot squirrels all day. I hardly ever see them anyways. It BS that I spent well over $30k for a small pickup truck with wiring (and more) made out of squirrel food. I'm pretty damned pissed at Toyota right now.

 

I have a black widow living somewhere on my older ‘85 truck. Likes to make webs on the outside of the truck but now I’m going to tracker the bugger down. Don’t want it messing up other parts of my truck!

 

I killed this fat girl in my truck a few months ago it chewed up a few wires, which insurance covered. I would say be aggressive and proactive in combating the problem. Good luck, op

 

Ugh.

 

Say cheese

 

This thread is gold. I'm going to stay tuned for more stories.

Sorry about the rats. Seriously. That shit would make me shake me head.

 

I posted about my experience here. Check post #97. TLDR: cayenne pepper sprinkled all over the engine bay keeps them out. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/effing-mice.461226/page-5

Also, don't throw scraps out around your home. These bastards ended up in the crawlspace of my house after my wife started throwing scraps in the yard. This wasn't the big one. This was momma rat. Daddy was ~10" long at the body with a 12" long tail. Freaked me out so bad all I could think of was getting rid of it.