Rat eating away in engine compartment

[ALFAitalia]

My dad has had the wiring to his rear parking sensors (on his Qashqai) replaced three times..... twice in quick succession do to foxes chewing it. The second time they ran the wires through cable protector....but the just gave the foxes move leverage and they pulled the wire out further up! After the third repair dad made up a chicken wire and wood frame that sits under the rear of the car to protect it....all good so far. He never had this issue when he lived in the sticks....but only since he semi-retired and moved into Chichester....its those wile urban foxes!!!

 

[SpikyMikey]

Modern (plant based ?) wiring must be more tasty - a friend had same problem with Landrover.
Fairly sure he used snap traps under bonnet (so less chance snapping other wildlife or pets).

Soy oil in the insulation apparently.

 

[MSG2004]

Updates

As stated before - car is parked in a different spot ie away from the grass that is next to one of the allocated parking spaces.
Engine compartment cleaned.
Wires that were damaged tapped.
Peppermint oil sprayed in engine bay and shocks, wheel arches and around the tyres when the car is parked up
Peppermint balls in bag place in engine bay x 2

The sprays will be used weekly in engine bay and shocks etc and the peppermint bags changed in a few weeks
and car will now be parked in bay now being used.
Management of the estate has acted and put out a few bait traps around the two small car parks.

 

[Justintyme]

It's hard for them to nest if you're using it. I had a pre HE XJS for a while and stuffed if in the back of my building in an area where I don't work in for about two years before deciding to sell. When the buyer asked for pictures of the engine and I found this when I lifted the hood.

Fortunately the rats were gone. The snake that left its giant snake skin must have caused them out

Gotta love Texas

Evertythangs bigger in Texas......

 

[Justintyme]

My dad has had the wiring to his rear parking sensors (on his Qashqai) replaced three times..... twice in quick succession do to foxes chewing it. The second time they ran the wires through cable protector....but the just gave the foxes move leverage and they pulled the wire out further up! After the third repair dad made up a chicken wire and wood frame that sits under the rear of the car to protect it....all good so far. He never had this issue when he lived in the sticks....but only since he semi-retired and moved into Chichester....its those wile urban foxes!!!

Yes, I have a vixen living down the field at the back of the house, and each Jan, she shows up with two cubs. While the vixen is less trusting, the cub scratch at the back door looking for food, and even when I'm out the back, they will come to within 5-6 feet of me. But I don't let the relationship develop any further than that.

 

[SpikyMikey]

Yes, I have a vixen living down the field at the back of the house, and each Jan, she shows up with two cubs. While the vixen is less trusting, the cub scratch at the back door looking for food, and even when I'm out the back, they will come to within 5-6 feet of me. But I don't let the relationship develop any further than that.

We had this lot living under my mancave last year: fun to watch . but they wrecked the garden. Measures are now in place to dissuade them to do the same this year.

 

[Justintyme]

It really does sound like a classic ‘unintended consequence’.
Moving to something more sustainable has created rodent tasty treats.
I would hope the industry might research how to change composition.

We had this lot living under my mancave last year: fun to watch . but they wrecked the garden. Measures are now in place to dissuade them to do the same this year.
View attachment 167573

That was a very big litter....the most that I've seen has been 2 cubs. Most don't survive into adulthood, ditto the badgers that live around where I live. And a word of warning to anyone who may think its fun to hit an adult badger, Dont! Unless you have very deep pockets....

 

[SpikyMikey]

That was a very big litter....the most that I've seen has been 2 cubs. Most don't survive into adulthood, ditto the badgers that live around where I live. And a word of warning to anyone who may think its fun to hit an adult badger, Dont! Unless you have very deep pockets....

There were six in total originally; entertaining to watch but destructive doesn't come into it. Access to under the mancave now blocked to keep them out.

 

[Bellow]

Soy oil in the insulation apparently.

That's a myth I think. Mice will chew tyre valve caps, AC insulation foam, spark plug caps, air filter foam etc, etc - and I don't think any of that had soy as an ingredient.

 

[MSG2004]

Another update
Our daughter came to see us Saturday - engine bay all clear - I sprayed a bit more of the stuff around the engine bay - also have a couple of bags of the stuff in the engine bay - cr is still being parked away from the grass.

 

[SpikyMikey]

That's a myth I think. Mice will chew tyre valve caps, AC insulation foam, spark plug caps, air filter foam etc, etc - and I don't think any of that had soy as an ingredient.

Could be one of those urban myths; different sources have differing opinions on it.

 

[Bellow]

Could be one of those urban myths; different sources have differing opinions on it.

Along with the myth that says they chew the soft stuff to make a nest from it. If so, why do they leave it all where they chewed it with no nest in sight? If they take some of it for nesting and leave the rest that's the equivalent of ordering enough building materials to build ten houses then only building one. If they have to chew to keep their teeth at a reasonable level, why don't they chew steel?

 

[MSG2004]

Along with the myth that says they chew the soft stuff to make a nest from it. If so, why do they leave it all where they chewed it with no nest in sight? If they take some of it for nesting and leave the rest that's the equivalent of ordering enough building materials to build ten houses then only building one. If they have to chew to keep their teeth at a reasonable level, why don't they chew steel?

That's what the rats did in our daughters car, ie eat away at the foam and build a nest - we've had the foam removed.

 

[Bellow]

That's what the rats did in our daughters car, ie eat away at the foam and build a nest - we've had the foam removed.

Have you actually seen its nest?

 

[alabbasi]

Rats have teeth that never stop growing, so they'll chew on anything to keep their teeth down, even a 2*4 block of wood.

I've taken many old cars apart in the past and found nests in the HVAC box, behind the dash and under the back seats. Their bodies can squeeze through any hole they're head can go through. Like a firewall grommet hole.

 

[alabbasi]

That's a myth I think. Mice will chew tyre valve caps, AC insulation foam, spark plug caps, air filter foam etc, etc - and I don't think any of that had soy as an ingredient.

Rats will chew on anything but nobody gives a crap about valve caps and air filters. They do about wiring harnesses because it can total a car. They'll also hoard things away. I put out rat poison once at the shop, it was the pellet type that sits on the tray which was quickly emptied. I found out that they stashed it in the leg of my engine hoist when I went to use it. Some wiring insulation does use soy or peanut oil which makes it more attractive for obvious reasons.

 

[John N]

I know for a fact that Field Mice are attracted to Halfords Berry Scented Screen wash!

 

[MSG2004]

Have you actually seen its nest?

yes.