Rodent Damage!

JoeDirt

JoeDirt

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📛 Founding Member
Jun 15, 2024
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San Diego
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2024 Land Cruiser FE
After only six months and 8k miles, my LCFE landed at the dealership for a complete harness replacement. Ugh!!! Some rodents liked my LC, too, and set up a buffet outside my passenger-side and driver-side fuse boxes and started noshing on the harness. Total cost....nearly $18k and three weeks in the shop. F' me!

I am looking for the "wisdom of crowds" here, given all of the experience on this forum. I've heard peppermint spray, Irish Spring, mothballs, dryer sheets, etc...as potential deterrents. We are near an open field, so complete eradication of these fakkahs is probably not realistic. Open to any and all ideas....I have not ruled flamethrowers out yet.
 
JoeDirt said:
After only six months and 8k miles, my LCFE landed at the dealership for a complete harness replacement. Ugh!!! Some rodents liked my LC, too, and set up a buffet outside my passenger-side and driver-side fuse boxes and started noshing on the harness. Total cost....nearly $18k and three weeks in the shop. F' me!

I am looking for the "wisdom of crowds" here, given all of the experience on this forum. I've heard peppermint spray, Irish Spring, mothballs, dryer sheets, etc...as potential deterrents. We are near an open field, so complete eradication of these fakkahs is probably not realistic. Open to any and all ideas....I have not ruled flamethrowers out yet.
Click to expand...

Since I put in two ultra sonic mouse repellents in the garage I've had zero issues.
 
sorry to hear this and reminds me that since i live near open space, that i will put dryer sheets in several locations in the engine bay on mine. they've kept the rodents out of my 2018 Tacoma for 5+ years so try that once the vehicle is fixed. lot's of other home remedies as you mentioned a few I've considered as well

crazy its $18k though, wow!

GL
 
jbtac2002 said:
sorry to hear this and reminds me that since i live near open space, that i will put dryer sheets in several locations in the engine bay on mine. they've kept the rodents out of my 2018 Tacoma for 5+ years so try that once the vehicle is fixed. lot's of other home remedies as you mentioned a few I've considered as well

crazy its $18k though, wow!

GL
Click to expand...
Yeah, I know....all labor costs, for the most part; that harness requires removing a bunch of stuff to route it properly.
 
Insights from the farm - if you are in the city you have chance to control rodents with traps and baits because there just aren't that many to fight but if you are adjacent to a natural/rural area they've got the numbers since we've gone and eradicated most of their natural predators (other than starvation) and you'll never beat them in a war of attrition other than going full on scorched earth and taking out every living thing for a country mile. It often takes a multi-pronged strategy but if I had to focus on one approach a good mouser will do more to keep an area clear of the little buggers than traps or poisons. For years my in-laws relied on poisoning the mice and rats in their barn and garage and it was like fighting a zombie horde - lots of dead bodies stinking up the place but they keep on coming (plus several expensive trips to the vet to get our idiot city dog's stomach pumped after a corpse snack). Their old barn even burned down from an electrical fire probably due to rodent's chewing on the wires. Then their both of their old dogs died and a couple of the neighbor's barn cats moved in. We also convinced them to stop trying to kill every snake they could find for 600 acres. Since then mice are not 100% gone but at most now they might catch a couple per week in traps in the acre or so that is the main living/working area. There's no more stench, no more scurrying in the walls, no more droppings in places you don't want them, no more nests or chewing. The cats are fixed and vaccinated and we make sure they have adequate shelter and food. They're not exactly cuddly but they're not aggressive and seem to enjoy hanging out in the background when people are about. An all around decent arrangement for everyone concerned (even the snakes and the mice I'd say).
 
JoeDirt said:
After only six months and 8k miles, my LCFE landed at the dealership for a complete harness replacement. Ugh!!! Some rodents liked my LC, too, and set up a buffet outside my passenger-side and driver-side fuse boxes and started noshing on the harness. Total cost....nearly $18k and three weeks in the shop. F' me!

I am looking for the "wisdom of crowds" here, given all of the experience on this forum. I've heard peppermint spray, Irish Spring, mothballs, dryer sheets, etc...as potential deterrents. We are near an open field, so complete eradication of these fakkahs is probably not realistic. Open to any and all ideas....I have not ruled flamethrowers out yet.
Click to expand...
I have a long history of fighting the war on rats in my cars. Had them chew up the inside facing firewall and hood insulation of two Audis. They used to nest on top of the engine of our GLS 450. I also live next to open space and am very familiar with the issue. Haven’t had them nest in my LC yet, but they did sit on top of the engine eating acorns and I quickly put a stop to that (see image below from today…wasn’t being vigilant enough). The only way to stop them is to trap them because they keep coming back. Once you trap one batch, you will have a break, but a new family will come in soon enough.

The only way to have a chance of keeping them out is constant vigilance and not letting your guard down…ever…especially when you haven’t trapped them yet. Here is my current routine (product links below):

Deterrent…

I use 3M command adhesive Velcro strips to attach repellent cans to the top of each fuse box. Use the 3M strips as the adhesive that comes with the cans is hard to get off. Be sure to remove the cover and take off the foam cover inside the repellent cans. Screw the lids back on loosely as they are hard to get off otherwise.

The repellent cream doesn’t last too long, so after about a week, I usually replace the contents of the cans with 5 cotton balls soaked in the peppermint oil shown below. About 15-20 drops per can will do it initially and then 10 drops at least weekly to replenish. I replace the cotton balls and start over every month or two. If rats are active, I add drops daily through the holes on top of the can.

Trapping…

I use between 4 and 8 tomcat rat snap traps under the car. Two against each front wheel as shown and two or four under the engine area. All on the ground.

To bait the traps, I use one piece of dog kibble per trap and top it with a blob of the rat attractant gel. This is clean and works well and doesn’t leave peanut butter goo everywhere. Rats come quickly to the attractant gel when they are around anyhow and makes trapping easier.

The grabber makes it easier to place and remove traps under the car…especially when there is a dead rat in the trap. Works great…dry weather is easy…rainy weather is messy but still works. I find the rats come in to hang out on cool and dry evenings…especially if the engine is warm. Since I live on open space and don’t use poison, I just drop the dead rat onto a shovel and fling it over the fence to feed the wildlife.

There is usually an “alpha” rat…typically an adult female…trying to establish a nest. You need to catch the alpha. Don’t stop trapping until you go 5 days without a catch. Where there is one, there are others!

Vigilance…

I check under the hood at least weekly and daily when there is activity. The key is knowing they are there and taking action right away before they settle in. I have seen them go from debris one day to a chewed up firewall and nest of leaves and fur the next when I wasn’t on top of it.

When weather is good, I often leave the hood open overnight. They aren’t there for food…they are there for warm shelter, so don’t give that to them.

Also, if you park in the garage, make sure your dog food and other food is sealed and not accessible. My friend had his Porsche electrical system chewed up inside his garage because the rats were coming in for dog food. They can fit through a quarter sized hole, so it is tough to seal them out.

If you park outside, make sure garbage and recycling aren’t by your car. Keep the car away from rat food and habitat if you can!

I have become as expert as they come with catching rats, moles and voles. My neighbors and I all have the same issues in our cars, yards and houses and share knowledge and tips. I haven’t found a pest control company yet that gets it done like we do.

Good luck!

Repellent “can”:

Peppermint oil:

Rat traps:

Rat attractant gel::

Grabber:


IMG_3195.jpeg
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All gr8 ideas!! I have wooded areas behind me and have to deal with these nuisance rodents as well. The first line of defense is keeping them out of your garage if that's where you park your car. I bought this "Xcluder Rodent Fabric", glued it to small pieces of 2x4's on 3 sides, then placed them on both ends of the garage door. Followed up and sprayed them heavily with peppermint oil. Mice use their noses for just about everything and this fabric will prick their lil nostrils and help deter them. I watched one in action and it immediately chose to avoid that fabric.

Xcluder Fabric
 
McCloud_Rainbow said:
I have a long history of fighting the war on rats in my cars. Had them chew up the inside facing firewall and hood insulation of two Audis. They used to nest on top of the engine of our GLS 450. I also live next to open space and am very familiar with the issue. Haven’t had them nest in my LC yet, but they did sit on top of the engine eating acorns and I quickly put a stop to that (see image below from today…wasn’t being vigilant enough). The only way to stop them is to trap them because they keep coming back. Once you trap one batch, you will have a break, but a new family will come in soon enough.

The only way to have a chance of keeping them out is constant vigilance and not letting your guard down…ever…especially when you haven’t trapped them yet. Here is my current routine (product links below):

Deterrent…

I use 3M command adhesive Velcro strips to attach repellent cans to the top of each fuse box. Use the 3M strips as the adhesive that comes with the cans is hard to get off. Be sure to remove the cover and take off the foam cover inside the repellent cans. Screw the lids back on loosely as they are hard to get off otherwise.

The repellent cream doesn’t last too long, so after about a week, I usually replace the contents of the cans with 5 cotton balls soaked in the peppermint oil shown below. About 15-20 drops per can will do it initially and then 10 drops at least weekly to replenish. I replace the cotton balls and start over every month or two. If rats are active, I add drops daily through the holes on top of the can.

Trapping…

I use between 4 and 8 tomcat rat snap traps under the car. Two against each front wheel as shown and two or four under the engine area. All on the ground.

To bait the traps, I use one piece of dog kibble per trap and top it with a blob of the rat attractant gel. This is clean and works well and doesn’t leave peanut butter goo everywhere. Rats come quickly to the attractant gel when they are around anyhow and makes trapping easier.

The grabber makes it easier to place and remove traps under the car…especially when there is a dead rat in the trap. Works great…dry weather is easy…rainy weather is messy but still works. I find the rats come in to hang out on cool and dry evenings…especially if the engine is warm. Since I live on open space and don’t use poison, I just drop the dead rat onto a shovel and fling it over the fence to feed the wildlife.

There is usually an “alpha” rat…typically an adult female…trying to establish a nest. You need to catch the alpha. Don’t stop trapping until you go 5 days without a catch. Where there is one, there are others!

Vigilance…

I check under the hood at least weekly and daily when there is activity. The key is knowing they are there and taking action right away before they settle in. I have seen them go from debris one day to a chewed up firewall and nest of leaves and fur the next when I wasn’t on top of it.

When weather is good, I often leave the hood open overnight. They aren’t there for food…they are there for warm shelter, so don’t give that to them.

Also, if you park in the garage, make sure your dog food and other food is sealed and not accessible. My friend had his Porsche electrical system chewed up inside his garage because the rats were coming in for dog food. They can fit through a quarter sized hole, so it is tough to seal them out.

If you park outside, make sure garbage and recycling aren’t by your car. Keep the car away from rat food and habitat if you can!

I have become as expert as they come with catching rats, moles and voles. My neighbors and I all have the same issues in our cars, yards and houses and share knowledge and tips. I haven’t found a pest control company yet that gets it done like we do.

Good luck!

Repellent “can”:

Peppermint oil:

Rat traps:

Rat attractant gel::

Grabber:


View attachment 23688View attachment 23689View attachment 23690View attachment 23691View attachment 23692View attachment 23693
Click to expand...
This is a goldmine of information. Thank you. Yes, it is a neighborhood problem for sure…one just had $7k in damage to his Rivian pickup. I’ll start implementing some of this asap and spread the word.
 
Any suggestions for birds? We have sparrows that are tearing up the engine hood insulation. I suspect for nesting.
 
Sorry to hear!

I am in the country and surrounded by Farm Fields. I've had this happen once in a different car and I now check all our cars minimum once a week for any kind of mouse nests.

I have poison traps at our house and I basically lift up the hood on all cars probably twice a week and dust it off and look for any signs. In the winter time when the engine is warm after driving I make sure to park it in the garage so that other Critters don't want to warm up in the engine bay. Our neighbors also have Barn cats and they catch some of the mice.
 
While I will agree with what has been written I will add my 2 cents. I am in Arizona but I have a place up north in the woods. Several people have had issues with mice and rats eating the wiring. Turns out wires what we think have plastic coating is made with soy. So that is the attraction. Two solutions I would employ.
1) Grandpa Gus Rodent spray. Most of this stuff is hocus pocus but this stuff really does work. Pretty sure you can also buy on Amazon:

2) Bait boxes with this stuff inside you should eliminate your problem inside of 2 weeks!

diypestcontrol.com

Ultimate Rat Control Kit

Ultimate Rat Control Kit | Flatline Soft Bait, Evolve Soft Bait, and Aeigis Bait Stations
diypestcontrol.com diypestcontrol.com
 
Bappy said:
While I will agree with what has been written I will add my 2 cents. I am in Arizona but I have a place up north in the woods. Several people have had issues with mice and rats eating the wiring. Turns out wires what we think have plastic coating is made with soy. So that is the attraction. Two solutions I would employ.
1) Grandpa Gus Rodent spray. Most of this stuff is hocus pocus but this stuff really does work. Pretty sure you can also buy on Amazon:

2) Bait boxes with this stuff inside you should eliminate your problem inside of 2 weeks!

diypestcontrol.com

Ultimate Rat Control Kit

Ultimate Rat Control Kit | Flatline Soft Bait, Evolve Soft Bait, and Aeigis Bait Stations
diypestcontrol.com diypestcontrol.com
Click to expand...
Great recommendations. Thanks Bappy…and thanks for the links, ordering now. 👍🏼
 
jenos96 said:
18k sounds absolutely absurd
Click to expand...
Yep..it is. The harness is an expensive part, but the cost is almost all labor…sucks. Not something I can really shop around for…but at least this one is covered under my insurance.
 
Mice will eat about anything. Some modern wiring is insulated with a soy based covering as opposed to petroleum, making it more appetizing to the rodents. So once again we pay the price for be green agenda without considering the unintended consequences i.e. Cal wildfires.
It would be interesting to know if the LC has this type of wiring and if so, then perhaps there could be a solution proposed for all of our rolling buffets. I suggest Tom the cruiser cat.
 
For porcupines and marmots in high country Colorado, driving over a giant tarp and tying up the edges is the only strategy that deters them in my experience. Pain in the arse to set up but it works (so far). I think these two rodents are after the road salt that collects in the undercarriage, but with my luck they'd still chew on the wires if no salt was present. Didn't want to risk it with my month old 250 here.

A porcupine chewed through a fuel gauge sending wire on a different vehicle a few years ago. I was glad it wasn't the fuel pump wire. I always have spare wire in the vehicle and some crimp connections/tools to MacGyver my way back to civilization. This is gonna get more complicated with the hybrid systems though.

My grandfather battled with squirrels in an old barn, and he noted that they didn't like to be underneath plastic. He would cover boxes with thick plastic and the squirrels would seem to leave them alone. Might be worth a try to get thin plastic sheeting and cover the whole vehicle if garaged and not using for some time.

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