Wire Eating Rats

[hridge2020]

add rat poison to coolant too

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[ajdelange]

He's a rescue Bengal........even though he's been neutered he is a rat killing machine.

Well whatever he is he is a very handsome fellow with, evidently, just the right amount of "attitude".

He don't eat them but he'll bring them to you for approval.

When I was a kid our cat got lots of rabbits in the yard. He ate most parts of them but always brought the guts to my mother for approval which he didn't get.

 

[rtfitch]

Big problem in rural areas are rats that chew through automotive wiring harnesses which can cause thousands of dollars in repairs. I've already seen a Youtube video where a Tesla 3's electrical system was destroyed by a rat. The new Cybertruck is going to be used by people that live in rural areas and farm land. I really hope there's some thought that goes into this issue being that the Cybertruck is all electric

We have a farm, 4 car garage with collectables and after I bought my wife a brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee it would not shift out of firs;, rat ate the harness. We have critters so poison is not doable but my wife found these ultra-sonic little thingies that you plug into outlets and they are supposed to make rodents and insects go crazy, I thought SHE was crazy but 2 months into this experiment and not a rat or mouse turd to be seen. I was getting tired of cleaning rodent poop of from my Vette's engine.....perhaps she is on to something.

 

[Dalegend27]

I had ground hogs chew through the wiring on my Silverado. Not once, but twice. Had to have it towed both times.

 

[OCS12]

Not a car, but this “little” punk did 150K worth of damage at work and caused headaches for a few months. I was furious the the company wouldn’t let me send him to a taxidermist so I could leave him out as a warning to others!

 

[dyldebus]

I live on a larger lot in a more rural part of town and we have giant rats. We have had two incidents in our M3. The first we paid for the service center to fix and the second I pulled the trunk and spliced everything myself (much cheaper). It's surprisingly simple under there and it was pretty obvious where the rat chewed.

I also have a Diesel F350 and while they might like the warm compartment, they don't stay inside when the engine bay heats up. Since the Tesla is always nice and cozy they build pretty big nests in there and drive around town with you.

Also, the wiring on the Model 3 is apparently soy based which they find delicious.

Since then I have sprayed the entire area under the trunk with peppermint oil and did a paper mâché with bounty dryer sheets. No problems since then but we've also put commercial poison traps out.

Tesla is not immune!

 

[XB12R]

Also, the wiring on the Model 3 is apparently soy based which they find delicious.

Ask any owner of a 1992 S Series Mercedes what they think of bean/corn based wire sheath throughout the entire car. It's just another $12,000 bill after the critters, age, heat or short circuits gets to it. Been there, done that on my 600SEL after it turned 10 years old with only 80K miles on it.
Porcupines like rubber brake lines too. You figure that one out fairly fast when the pedal drops to the floor.

 

[Saskateam]

We have a farm, 4 car garage with collectables and after I bought my wife a brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee it would not shift out of firs;, rat ate the harness. We have critters so poison is not doable but my wife found these ultra-sonic little thingies that you plug into outlets and they are supposed to make rodents and insects go crazy, I thought SHE was crazy but 2 months into this experiment and not a rat or mouse turd to be seen. I was getting tired of cleaning rodent poop of from my Vette's engine.....perhaps she is on to something.

We use these sonic mouse deterrent at work and they do work great.

 

[Noncorporeal]

Big problem in rural areas are rats that chew through automotive wiring harnesses which can cause thousands of dollars in repairs. I've already seen a Youtube video where a Tesla 3's electrical system was destroyed by a rat. The new Cybertruck is going to be used by people that live in rural areas and farm land. I really hope there's some thought that goes into this issue being that the Cybertruck is all electric

Well tesla’s right now have flat bottoms with no holes. So there is no little holes or exposed areas for rats to crawl up under your car like ICE cars. Also, many of the wires used in tesla’s are a lot thicker than the wires in ICE cars as tesla acknowledges how wire dependent their cars are.

 

[ricinro]

I should have known better to read these comments. Now I am getting ads with pictures of rats and my wife is not happy.

But it really is a good topic. critters do crawl into spaces in vehicles and where critters go so does water and dirt. Suspension is hard to enclose but an EV can be sealed up (yes, even float) as they don't need to aspirate or require significant cooling.

 

[gernreich]

(modify to the EV as necessary)

Poison, sticky trap, remove food sources, block entrances in combination with the tips antique car buffs swear by the following:

Use Repellent Fragrances and Odors
Mice, rats, squirrels, and similar species have a well-developed sense of smell. They can be repelled by the following strong odors.

• Irish Spring Soap: Cut the soap into cubes, drill holes into each cube, and wrap a wire through and around the soap. Then, tie them under the hood in locations where it doesn't get hot. Or just rub the soap bar around on various surfaces. This soap is also often used to repel deer.
• 
  
• Peppermint oil: This oil works as a mouse repellent when it's applied to cotton balls and appropriately fixed or wired in place, but you must remember to reapply the oil every few days. Peppermint oil has a strong scent, and its fragrance is possibly repugnant to rodents, but more pleasant to humans than other options.
• 
  
• Laundry Dryer Sheets: Campers and hikers occasionally use these sheets as a type of mosquito repellent. It has been said that putting them under the car's hood or tying them in certain places in the vehicle can make mice vacate the premises. They are also very easy to purchase and acquire. Dryer sheets must be regularly replaced.
• 
  
• Pine-Sol: Some people recommend spraying pine-sol into the car's engine compartment to repel mice. Try to not to get it on the batteries. Spraying the area around the windshield wipers should send a message to invading rodents. Confirm that pine-sol is safe to use before spraying it onto certain parts of your car. Alternatively, "Stop the Rodent" or "Critter Ridder" products should be safe to use everywhere. Check each product's directions before you use them.
• 
  
• Brillo steel wool scrubbing pads: These pads may contain soap residue which can act as a good rodent deterrent.
• 
  
• Cayenne pepper: This type of pepper is occasionally used in some commercial spray products. Sprinkling it around the vehicle's tires might help deter rodents.

Rats ate our irish spring soap!

 

[Dids]

Rats ate our irish spring soap!

And now they smell magically delicious.

 

[madquadbiker]

And now they smell magically delicious.

Ultrasonic rat and mice device, either plugged directly into the CT so always there wherever you park up or in the garage connected to the house wiring.

 

[Crissa]

Ultrasonic rat and mice device, either plugged directly into the CT so always there wherever you park up or in the garage connected to the house wiring.

Those have diminishing returns; as the critters find it's not a worry, they become accustomed (or deaf) to them.

Best to just armor up. Keep patrols (predators). And reduce attractants.

-Crissa

 

[firsttruck]

Big problem in rural areas are rats that chew through automotive wiring harnesses which can cause thousands of dollars in repairs. I've already seen a Youtube video where a Tesla 3's electrical system was destroyed by a rat. The new Cybertruck is going to be used by people that live in rural areas and farm land. I really hope there's some thought that goes into this issue being that the Cybertruck is all electric

Yes, absolutely the wires & all tubing (coolant/ brakes, etc) need to be rat/mouse/squirrel proof.

What is the point of having apocalypse outdoor vehicle body that is dent resistant and bullet resistant to 9mm but can easily be made immobile by any random rat/mouse/squirrel.

The Cybertruck could be sitting in the brush for days or weeks without being moved while owners are out hiking. It is unacceptable that they return and find the Cybertruck immobilized.