Discover how to stop rodents from chewing car wires from our detailed guide. While it may sound outrageous, rodents can cause significant damage to your car’s electronics.
When you have car insurance, such a problem can appear minor. However, the inconvenience it can cause you is pretty significant. You need to stop it early on.
We will cover what it takes to keep rodents at bay in detail, plus other critical insights. Take a look.
Table of Contents
- Why Do Rodents Chew Car Wires?
- What Types of Rodents Chew Car Wiring?
- How to Prevent Rodents from Chewing on Your Car Wires
- How to Tell if Rodents Have Chewed on Car Wires
- What to Do if Rodents Chewed Your Car Wires
- Does Car Insurance Cover Damage Caused by Rodents?
- Conclusion
Why Do Rodents Chew Car Wires?
The idea of rodents finding a delicacy in car electrical wires is quite bizarre. But rodents find excitement in outrageous things.
- The shape of the electrical wires is quite enticing because it resembles the shrubs they eat in the bushes. Hence, they can confuse the wires for their food source.
- Rodents are cunning and will gnaw at anything within their reach. So when their nest is near the car electricals, chewing the wires will be a favorite undertaking.
- There are wires made from vegetative matter, so rats will find them palatable. In addition, they will gnaw at the rubber coverings of wires to sharpen/trim the rodent teeth.
What Types of Rodents Chew Car Wiring?
A rat chewing an electrical cable.
Below are some of the rodents that can chew car wiring:
- Rats
- Groundhogs
- Chipmunks
- Woodchucks
- Opossums
- Squirrels
- Mice
This list shows that any rodent near your car can be a considerable threat.
How to Prevent Rodents from Chewing on Your Car Wires
Lay Traps Around Your Vehicle
A rat caught in a trap.
Traps are one way to fix the problem, especially when dealing with a large-scale rodent infestation.
The good thing is that you can use many types of traps. They include
- Catch-and-release bait
- Snap traps
- Electronic traps.
Also, undertake the following precautions to improve the chance of trapping more rodents.
- Set enticing bait. Rats will eat anything, but there are foods that they like more than others. For instance, nuts are more attractive than other foods, so you should consider using them/their products.
- Avoid touching bait with your hands. You will infuse human smell into the food, which may put off the rodents.
- Try out different traps to optimize the chances of catching the rodents.
- Make sure to keep checking the traps. This step will help you to replenish the bait and remove the caught rodents continuously.
Use Rodent Deterrents
Peppermint Oil is an excellent rodent deterrent.
Rodents are highly sensitive to smells, which helps them make up for their poor eyesight. So, using a deterrent can be exemplary in keeping them at bay.
Peppermint oil is among the best repellents to apply around your car electricals. It is not a pollutant, and its strong smell will dissuade the rats from coming near the wires.
An alternative is to use special tape, essentially laced with capsaicin, a chili pepper repellent.
Block Entrances to Your Vehicle
The car’s hood and vent provide a perfect avenue for rodents to enter the vehicle.
Blocking it with mesh wiring prevents the issue. Also, rats and mice love secluded areas such as your garage.
Comprehensive coverage of all possible entry points will do the trick in keeping the rodents away.
Keep Your Car Hood Up
An Open Car Hood.
The warm environment in the hood is an excellent habitat for rodents, meaning you’re most likely to find their nest in this environment.
Consider having the hood up to expose the interior to discourage rodents from burrowing and nesting.
Alternatively, install lights inside the hood area.
Clear Hiding Places Near the Car
Cut all the shrubs around the garage as they are harboring grounds for rodents.
Also, clutter in the garage can be a perfect rat breeding ground. So clear everything around to eliminate the hiding places.
Regularly Run Your Vehicle
Starting a car.
There is no way rats will stay inside the car engine chamber when it’s running because of the high temperatures. Make sure you don’t park your car for too long.
Avoid Leaving Food in the Car
Your attempts to deter rats will be futile if you leave human and pet food all over the car.
A clever solution is always removing everything you’ve been eating in the car. Again, make sure to empty your car’s food waste bin.
How to Tell if Rodents Have Chewed on Car Wires
Rodent damage.
You can outright know when rodents have been chewing your car electrical wires. Check out for the presence of the following signs:
- Scratches or gnaw marks on the wires mean there’s a rat infestation.
- If you find rodent droppings in the car, this is also a telling sign that rodents are onboard.
- The main culprits of a rat attack will be the non-metallic components of the car. Hence, rodents are aboard if you see marks and holes on the plastics, in addition to the above signs.
- The car will develop issues while starting, especially if the rodents eat the critical components. The lights can also be affected if the mice gnaw on the electricals connecting to the battery.
- Finally, there may be an infestation if there’s a foul smell, tiny bits of paper, and wire cover chippings. You should immediately act on these issues, as rats are also a significant health hazard problem.
What to Do if Rodents Chewed Your Car Wires
Damage to rubber by rodents.
Don’t repair the car’s electronics unless you’re an experienced technician. Instead, involve an electrician or take the vehicle to an auto repair shop.
We recommend expert repairs because they’ll be able to fix all the issues caused by the rodent problem.
Remember to check if your insurance policy covers the repair of such damage.
Does Car Insurance Cover Damage Caused by Rodents?
Signing car insurance.
It all depends on the type of coverage. With basic packages such as liability insurance, you’ll have to shoulder most of the repair expenses.
But with a comprehensive insurance package, your car is covered for all damage, including rodents.
In addition, comprehensive covers shoulder costs such as car theft, accidents, and strike-by-nature elements.
Conclusion
A rodent attack in your car may seem like it’s nothing. But it can have a devastating impact on the wires.
It can lead to a disease outbreak, among other issues, so it should be treated seriously.
With this guide, you are fully equipped with insights on how to keep rodents at bay. Apply the prevention measures, and you’ll have solved half the problem.
