The problem of chewed wires, oil leaks, and car features & engine issues can all be credited to those rodents who find cars a suitable place to live during winters. Unfortunately, even they chew the wires and do the damage in summers when they find the wires smell attractive. Although damage from rodents may be covered by comprehensive insurance, it is always preferable to prevent damage than to pay for it after the fact. So, how to stop rodents from chewing car wires?
You can do this easily by setting a trap, using a smell deterrent, using mothballs, sealing the car garage, leaving the car hood open all night, and, importantly, using care regularly. These easy and simple methods are sure shot ways to keep rodents from chewing the car wires.
Let’s get to know more about rodents chewing car wires.
Why Do Rodents Chew Car Wires?
Actually, the rodents get attracted to the insulation on car wires that are made of soy, peanut oil, rice husks, and other plant-based materials. When the insulation is warm, it gives off a faint vanilla scent, which makes rodents want to chew on car wires because they smell good.
Visually, they may mimic the bushes or roots that wild rodents consume. If the car is near its nest, it may also eat the car’s cables.
How to stop rodents from chewing car wires?
You can stop rodents from chewing car wires in a number of ways. They all are very simple and inexpensive. These ways will work as prevention and cure for rodents chewing car wires. Let’s have a look at them:
1) Setting a Trap
The best and most common way to remove those rodents is to set a trap near the car. Set traps for mice and rats around your vehicle. As some rats may climb the wheels to enter the engine bay, you can also place traps on top of your vehicle’s wheels.
Use catch-and-release or snap traps instead of sticky traps, as they are more humane. It is surely the best way to stop rodents from chewing on car wires.
2) Using Smell Deterrent
Chemical repellents are another technique for preventing rodent damage to vehicles. Peppermint oil and Pine-Sol provide powerful odors that dissuade rats from entering your vehicle; they do not leave a foul odor, do not taste nice, and do not damage wires. Spray one of these things on your vehicle’s wiring to repel rodents from the engine compartment.
3) Use Mothballs
Mothballs are relatively non-toxic to people; however, pests such as insects and rodents abhor them. Spread a few about the area where you park your vehicle and under the engine compartment to deter rats from feasting there.
If you don’t like the odor or the chemicals in mothballs, several commercially available rodent repellents have a similar purpose.
4) Use Ultrasonic Emitters
Ultrasonic emitters can also be used to scare away vermin. Rodents will be able to hear them because of the high frequencies. Similar devices can be fitted in your car’s engine bay to scare away gophers. In order to scare away any hungry animals that might be lurking beneath your hood, they’ll make a noise that won’t affect you.
However, if you have pets, you must ensure that any device you use is safe around them.
5) Park the car inside a sealed garage
Whenever feasible, park your automobile indoors. Keep an eye out for any holes or cracks in your garage if you keep your vehicle there, and seal them if necessary.
6) Remove any eatables from the car.
Remove any fast-food crumbs, candy wrappers, or other food residues that would otherwise attract rodents to your vehicle. In addition, maintaining a clean automobile interior will help keep rodents out of your vehicle.
When parking your automobile in the garage, keep dog or cat food bins and garbage cans out of the way. Keep rodents from gnawing on your car’s food sources with this.
7) Keep the car hood up at night.
Make sure that the hood of your car is up if you leave it in a garage at night. Because the engine compartment is no longer dark, warm, or cozy, rodents are less likely to make use of it as a nesting location.
8) Use your car daily
Even if you don’t drive your car very often, you should start it up every day. Rodents are drawn to dark, secluded areas where they can build their nests. In addition, your car’s engine bay is a risky place for rodents to infiltrate if you start it up.
How to know if the rodents have chewed car wires?
If there is damage to the vehicle’s interior, you may notice that the check engine light is illuminated, the electrical displays are malfunctioning, or the vehicle will not start.
The most visible indicators of rodent damage to your automobile are jaggedly gnawed holes in various non-metal components, droppings, urine stains, scratches, and nests that contain automotive parts.
Despite the fact that these indications are typically obvious at first look, it is important to inspect every area a rodent could access. For example, your car’s steering column and air vents are common entry points for rodents. They may do a lot of harm in a short period of time if they get inside your car.
How to avoid rodents from chewing car wires?
Here are some things you should do to avoid the rodents from entering your car and causing damage to wires and other parts of the car:
- Rodent-infested areas, like trash bins and natural food sources, like vegetable gardens, should be avoided at all costs when parking.
- If at all feasible, park with the doors locked in a garage that is completely enclosed.
- Stored food and nesting materials such as newspapers, cardboard, rags, and patio furniture cushions should be avoided in the garage.
- Consider the gaps surrounding garage windows and doors as potential entry points for rodents. Underside doors and weather stripping can help seal them.
- Do not store food waste trash cans in the garage.
- Moving the vehicle frequently discourages vermin from settling inside. Additionally, occasionally honk the horn before starting the vehicle to frighten away any sleeping animals.
Does car insurance cover rodents chewing wires?
Depending on the specifications of the policy, some auto insurance policies may cover electrical damage caused by rodents. If your insurance includes comprehensive coverage, you may be eligible to file a claim for wiring damage caused by rodents.
Comprehensive insurance covers vandalism, theft, weather, fire, and animal-related damage. Although you may anticipate comprehensive coverage to cover damages caused by striking a large animal such as a deer, all animals, including rodents, are covered.
Bottom Line
This was all about how to stop rodents from chewing car wires. From time to time, you should check the car wiring and the engine area to see if there is no damage caused by rodents. Moreover, you should follow the precautions to avoid any rodents from entering the car and if one enters, then try the different methods that we have mentioned.
We hope this article was helpful & informative. Please leave your valuable thoughts & suggestions in the comments below!
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