More suggestions to keep rats away from engine wiring
Q
About getting cats to take care of rats that climb into a car’s engine and chew away the wiring, my neighbors have three cats to keep the rodent population down. So they’re outdoor cats. Yet they use my yard as their toilet. They scared away my bird and squirrel friends and ate most of my bug-eating lizards. So please don’t get cats for your rats.
— Stacy Frawley,
Walnut Creek
A
Cats will also bring dead rats and mice into the house to show off their trophies. Yuck.
Other readers share their solutions to the rat problem.
Q
I have multiple vehicles parked outdoors, some not driven for extended periods (when driven regularly, it’s not a problem). Although keeping the hoods open might work, it allows the engines to be exposed to the elements. Not ideal.
I’ve had success over the last year by placing a shop light in the engine compartment, routing the cord so it’s not pinched when the hood is closed. I use a LED bulb for economy, longevity and to avoid heat generation.
I also remove the metal or plastic shield from the shop light to allow maximum light dispersal.
— Jan Jurnecka,
Aptos
A
Lots of light can make rats scurry elsewhere.
Q
I have used ultrasonic devices to protect the hoses and wires under the hood from rodents for many years. Just order some on Amazon. Plug two or three with an extension cord and either lay it inside with the hood down or set it on the front bumper. It’s inexpensive and it has worked for me even in barns in Montana where the volume of mice is unrelenting.
— Greg Young, San Jose
A
And it gets bitterly cold in Montana, sending rats into any warm place where they can nest.
Q
As I read the excellent suggestions on keeping rats and other critters out of hot engines, I am wondering whether some of these ideas could be fire hazards. When the engine is hot, placing things that would be flammable, wouldn’t that be an issue?
The suggestion I like the best is to merely open up the hood to cool it down and not invite warm nests for any of the critters. It seems safer.
— Jane Parks-McKay,
Santa Cruz
A
A year ago, Erika Leiba told Joan-theMerc’s expert on rats that Pro by Infinity Worldwide has a nontoxic spray and a hose wash that works. They supply the solid waste industry for their trucks. The rats don’t chew the wires or cables. It works and doesn’t harm them.
But also try Gain dryer sheets, available in most supermarkets, which are good rodent deterrents when tucked into the engine, passenger and trunk compartment.
Some good Christmas gift ideas, perhaps.