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Critter Ridder to prevent animals from eating wires?

AEsco48

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I keep reading on Jeep FB groups of people having issue with animals eating up their wires, hoses, etc
Im planning to start doing some camping and parking the Gladiator at trail heads while I ride motorcycle.... Should i be concerned about parking it for hours or days?

Have read about people taking chicken wire and making a cage around the vehicle. Others spraying Critter Ridder...?

Jeep Gladiator Critter Ridder to prevent animals from eating wires? 1628137907608

Jeep Gladiator Critter Ridder to prevent animals from eating wires? IMG_7518.JPG
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spectre6000

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I live west of you and up (we've exchanged PMs before), and we've parked cars outside for years without ever having any such issue. We have had critters in crawlspaces and the like, and have tried what I think might be that exact stuff with zero effect.

I have no doubt critters will chew on things that get coolant on them (it's sweet), but the sort of wiring insulation that is attractive to critters hasn't been used in anything for several decades. If you don't spill coolant everywhere, and/or clean it up if/when you do, again, I wouldn't be worried.

At the end of the day, it's probably a lot like vampire repellant. 100% effective for centuries and counting. Proving a negative is a logical impossibility...

Bears on the other hand...
 

Dryfly24

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Youā€™ve been lucky. Iā€˜ve had mice chew up my wiring harness twice on a previous truck. After that I started using the various aftermarket products and havenā€™t had it happen again. Keeping my fingers crossed. Itā€™s expensive when it does happen.
 

spectre6000

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Youā€™ve been lucky. Iā€˜ve had mice chew up my wiring harness twice on a previous truck. After that I started using the various aftermarket products and havenā€™t had it happen again. Keeping my fingers crossed. Itā€™s expensive when it does happen.
We live in different places, but not too terribly different. Do you know what flavor critter did the chewing? We have mice, packrats, pikas, marmots, voles, and I suppose a raccoon or possum could get to some wires if they really wanted to. Only thing I've heard of doing any damage to vehicles around here is bears though.
 

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Dryfly24

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We live in different places, but not too terribly different. Do you know what flavor critter did the chewing? We have mice, packrats, pikas, marmots, voles, and I suppose a raccoon or possum could get to some wires if they really wanted to. Only thing I've heard of doing any damage to vehicles around here is bears though.
I live in New Mexico now but that was when I lived in the U.P. of Michigan. It was mice that did it. Also had the same problem in Northern Maine. Iā€™ve been told by the locals down here that itā€™s a thing in this area as well.
 

Merrick

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I live west of you and up (we've exchanged PMs before), and we've parked cars outside for years without ever having any such issue. We have had critters in crawlspaces and the like, and have tried what I think might be that exact stuff with zero effect.

I have no doubt critters will chew on things that get coolant on them (it's sweet), but the sort of wiring insulation that is attractive to critters hasn't been used in anything for several decades. If you don't spill coolant everywhere, and/or clean it up if/when you do, again, I wouldn't be worried.

At the end of the day, it's probably a lot like vampire repellant. 100% effective for centuries and counting. Proving a negative is a logical impossibility...

Bears on the other hand...
It's not the wire insulation they are attracted to. It's the wiring itself. They use it as a source for warmth. I had $3,000 in damage to my 2016 Land Rover LR4 from rats chewing to get to the wiring during the winter.
 

mog

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I used peppermint spray which works well.
More info and other suggestions in this thread Mice in cab
 

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spectre6000

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I don't know then. I'm trying to remember the last time any garage space I've had hasn't been occupied by some project car or another, and I'm coming up empty. My wife had a spot in the garage for her JK for a few years at previous houses, but I don't think I've kept a car garaged in my entire life... My very first car down in Texas had a mouse climb into the AC system, and found its way to the fan (with entirely predictable results... "br-r-r-r-r-r!!!!" ::blast of fur out the vents:: stank that never fully disappeared), but that's the critteriest parked vehicular episode I can think of. I've had cars ranging from the 50s to brand new, wiring harnesses new and old, varying degrees of rust and not, etc. on and on. Not a single critter-caused electrical issue. Not for not looking either. One of my go-to moves with 50s-60s vintage vehicles is a new wiring harness and complete brake rebuild, so I've been in all manner of old wiring and I can't think of a single time I've seen any damage from non-human critters.
 

AZCooWhip

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There is a little black box that has a strobing led light. Do yourself a favor and get one. It works. For the life of me I cannot remember the name. Will go get a pic of mine.
 
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AEsco48

AEsco48

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There is a little black box that has a strobing led light. Do yourself a favor and get one. It works. For the life of me I cannot remember the name. Will go get a pic of mine.
Im not sure if you are being serious... or...
 

AZCooWhip

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Im not sure if you are being serious... or...
I am. Here in AZ we have what we call desert rats. They love wires. They ate some of my wiring on my outdoor grill. A local told me that this was only good way to keep them away. Itā€™s worked outdoors now for 7 years or so.

Updated with pics....first pic is one I use in my grill. 2nd pic is unit itself. I canā€™t say if this will work for you, but it has worked for me and several folks around me.

Jeep Gladiator Critter Ridder to prevent animals from eating wires? 94B1E05F-17E3-44EA-B357-C52B0EAD6E42


Jeep Gladiator Critter Ridder to prevent animals from eating wires? 2FB76DFA-A89A-4A69-997E-CD370E3522E7
 

TimC

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Toyota wiring is the tastiest. After 4 different vehicle attacks I got these for under the hood and in/out of the motorhome. So far 100% Smells decent too.
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