You start the car only to see the dreaded Check Engine light come on. What’s wrong?
Unfortunately, it may be damaged wiring caused by rats. It’s a problem for a growing number of motorists.
In Canada, rodents may cause as much as 25% of all comprehensive insurance claims, according to BrokerLink, a network of insurance brokers across Canada.
The critters gnaw wires and fuel hoses and infest engine bays. The cost to repair damage can reach thousands of dollars.
Why do rats chew car wires?
Rats are biologically programmed to chew. It’s something they must do to survive.
Like other rodents, their teeth are constantly growing. Gnawing keeps their teeth short, straight and sharp. Without gnawing, their teeth grow long and curved and this makes it difficult for them to eat.
Researchers aren’t exactly sure what attracts rats to wiring. It could be that wires are easy to gnaw and readily found where rats harbor, like warm engine compartments in cold weather.
Wires may resemble what rats gnaw in nature. The sound and vibration of electricity humming through wires also may be a lure.
Some car owners claim the soy-based or biodegradable coating on automotive wiring makes rats want to chew them. But experts aren’t convinced, reports Toronto CityNews. And nearly all lawsuits against automakers in the U.S. claiming this have been dismissed.
How do rats damage vehicles?
When rats chew the wiring in your car, the electricity needed to run your vehicle is disrupted. As a result, headlights or brake lights may stop working. Or the car may not start at all.
In addition, rodents can chew up the car’s air filter, causing debris and contaminates to enter the engine. Chewing on rubber hoses can cause leaks.
Besides the damage to your car, you can get sick from breathing in rat urine and feces that get airborne in the cabin of the vehicle. Learn about rodents and your health.
The internet is full of car owners sharing high-cost estimates to fix the damage, which can add up to thousands of dollars for parts and labor. The labor required can be extensive to take the vehicle apart, sanitize it, replace the damaged parts, and then put the vehicle back together.
A comprehensive insurance policy may cover the cost of rodent damage, but you need to read the policy’s fine print. And you’ll still have to pay the deductible and borrow or rent another car to drive while yours is getting repaired (unless your policy covers that, as well). Towing is another potential cost.
Steps to keep rats away from your vehicle
The experts at Pest HQ, Ontario’s leading DIY pest control supplier, help many customers get rid of rats on their property. To protect your car from rats and also mice, chipmunks and squirrels, they suggest the following:
Clean your car. Food scraps attract rodents. Throw out fast-food wrappers, remove forgotten food items, vacuum up crumbs. Also remove excess papers, clothing and blankets that rodents may use as nesting material.
Drive often. Rodents seek safe harborage. A car left sitting on the street or in the garage for long periods of time becomes a quiet place to nest. On the street, try to park away from gardens, nut trees and trash bins, where rodents forage for food.
Inspect the engine compartment. Regularly open the hood and look for signs of rodent activity: feces, seeds and nuts, chewed wires and nesting material, such as shredded paper, fabric, leaves, twigs and grasses. Clean up the mess immediately. Wear high-quality gloves and a mask to protect against disease transmission.
Secure the garage. Make your garage rodent-free by storing trash and pet food in bins with tight-fitting lids and clearing out clutter that can be used for nests.
Inspect the exterior of the building and seal up gaps and holes where rodents can enter:
· Install a commercial door sweep. Rodents commonly enter garages by chewing holes in door sweeps and squeezing under ill-fitting sweeps.
· Apply Roban Barrier Rodent Excluder to small holes, cracks, and the gaps around utility pipes, conduit and cables entering the structure. The caulk-like material is reinforced with metal fiber. Unlike builder’s caulk, rodents cannot chew through it.
· Use stainless steel wool and copper mesh specifically designed to exclude rodents to seal up larger entry points.
Apply a repellent. A rodent repellent deters mice and rats from entering, nesting and foraging. Pest HQ experts recommend Tomcat® Repellents Rodent Repellent Continuous Spray, which is formulated with cedar oil. Rodents don’t like the taste or smell of the essential oil; to humans, it is “stink free.”
Apply repellent every 30 days around garage doors, windows, cracks and crevices, vents, pipes, even garbage bins. Do not apply it to your vehicle or engine compartment. When used as directed, the repellent can be applied indoors and outdoors and is safe for use around kids and pets.
Set traps. If you see signs of rodent activity in the garage, set traps and check them daily. Rats typically avoid new things in their environment. Using an attractant helps overcome their wariness of traps.
Order rodent control products online from Pest HQ. Items ship fast or can be picked up at our headquarters: 7 Meridian Rd, Etobicoke, Ontario, Monday – Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.
Want to know more about protecting your vehicle from rodents? Our experts are here to help. Contact Pest HQ.
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Expert tips: How to get rid of mice and rats
