Rodents... PSA

[Hoytster]

CEL has been on for the last few weeks, Kept getting P0325 - Combustion/Knock Sensor errors. Would take it to the dealer and they would say it was inactive, clear the code & send me on my way. Would come right back on a mile or two down the road. Took it back today to have them investigate deeper. They pulled the intake and intake manifold off to expose the valley of the engine. Low and behold, a rodent had made its way in there and chewed it all up. No wonder the PCM was going crazy....

Figured everyone could learn from my misfortune.

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[Pilsner]

That sucks. I have now repaired wiring on 3 vehicles, one twice. I put out bait stations. I am using Top Gun 750 poison and it has been very effective, just keep the bait stations full.

 

[Hoytster]

That sucks. I have now repaired wiring on 3 vehicles, one twice. I put out bait stations. I am using Top Gun 750 poison and it has been very effective, just keep the bait stations full.

Noted...lol

 

[ZoMojave]

Thanks for the PSA so others can see what even a few damaged wires can create. Being retired from the trade of thirty years, it can be a very real problem that can almost guarantee a repair bill that is uncomfortable. And it can happen anywhere no matter the time of year or climate. I've seen it many times.

Even though it will stink like a candy cane for a while, cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil tucked away in a couple of inner fender areas under the hood (not on the engine) will do the trick. Rodents hate it.

Glad they got to the bottom of it!

 

[Alfonz]

 

[Alfonz]

This is nuts! After squirrels hid hundreds of walnuts under the hood of my car, I went searching for answers
My family-friendly mid-size SUV had become friendly to a whole other family. There was an incredibly well-stocked squirrels’ nest under the hood.


When I bought a new car a couple of winters ago, I wasn’t interested in a walnut finish. Turns out, my friendly neighbourhood squirrels wound up taking care of that for me.

For the last couple of weeks, I had been driving around with the faint smell of what I thought was rotten apples in the car. When you have a couple of teenagers, it’s easy enough for food to get stuck in the nooks and crannies and sit there for months. But after a couple of comprehensive hunts under the seats and the trunk didn’t turn up anything, it seemed like the smell was going to remain a mystery.

A few days ago, when I got in the car, I heard an odd rustling. I opened the trunk, expecting a squirrel — or even a raccoon — to come leaping out at me, but nothing.



When I started it up, a squirrel sprinted out from underneath into the neighbour’s driveway.

Never once did I think to look under the hood until a couple of days later, when I got a text from a neighbour. She had heard some strange noises in her car, so she popped the hood, was stunned by what she saw and suggested I check mine.

Lo and behold, my family-friendly mid-size SUV had become friendly to a whole other family. There was an incredibly well-stocked squirrels’ nest under the hood. A bed of grass and straw just to the left of the engine. Hundreds of black walnuts and a few apples stuffed into every available space that could be found.

“It’s a dry, secure place,” explained Nathalie Karvonen, executive director of the Toronto Wildlife Centre.


“Hawks can’t get you, foxes can’t get you, coyotes. Their natural predators can’t get at them under the hood of a car. It’s actually an ideal spot for them. Not for you.”

 

[Hoytster]

Thanks for the PSA so others can see what even a few damaged wires can create. Being retired from the trade of thirty years, it can be a very real problem that can almost guarantee a repair bill that is uncomfortable. And it can happen anywhere no matter the time of year or climate. I've seen it many times.

Even though it will stink like a candy cane for a while, cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil tucked away in a couple of inner fender areas under the hood (not on the engine) will do the trick. Rodents hate it.

Glad they got to the bottom of it!

Yeah, one of my buddies said Cayenne pepper seasoning strategically placed in a few spots works similarly. Might double up on some mint and pepper... lol That and put some poison bate out to thin the heard that we have all around us. To be honest, I probably just need to clean the garage up and park inside, that is probably the best solution.

 

[ZoMojave]

Yeah, one of my buddies said Cayenne pepper seasoning strategically placed in a few spots works similarly. Might double up on some mint and pepper... lol That and put some poison bate out to thin the heard that we have all around us. To be honest, I probably just need to clean the garage up and park inside, that is probably the best solution.

Inside parking will help for sure. I also relocated my dog food and bird seed containers out of my garage!

 

[chorky]

That sucks. I have now repaired wiring on 3 vehicles, one twice. I put out bait stations. I am using Top Gun 750 poison and it has been very effective, just keep the bait stations full.

This kinda damage is really crappy and expensive. But, PSA poison and stickey traps are really bad to use. Poison is bad due to bioaccumulation. Look it up. Basically here is an example - a rodent eats poison and dies, a bird then eats said rodent and gets poison in its system but not enough to kill it. But it does this 4 more times and now has 5 times the poison killing it. Then a coyote comes along and eats said bird. This continues. And is the reason led shot shells are banned in many places.

Also, it is a very painful death. Imagine someone poisoning your food….

just because you kill 100 of em doesnt mean they wont reproduce and continue to come back. Consider alternate methods Of discouragement.

 

[punk'n]

I fought this guy for an hour but finally won the battle. I didn't give him a chance to cause any damage .

 

[ecidiego]

 

[Vtur]

Does Squirrels be chewing on wires? I thought only rats does that. I got about 4 stray cats around my property and once a while i see them walking around with a mouse in their mouths.

 

[Hoytster]

Does Squirrels be chewing on wires? I thought only rats does that. I got about 4 stray cats around my property and once a while i see them walking around with a mouse in their mouths.

Squirrels, chipmunks, mice, rats.... I have "heard" that just about all rodents can be a problem. We have them all in GA.

 

[Hoytster]

It's the warmth of the engine and the soy in the wire loom and insulation.

 

[49Gramps]

Critters love 'em! I've got more bird shit on my axles and suspension than I've ever had on the outside! When I had my LJ we found a nest on top of my gas tank, and I had to replace the evap lines there due to something eating them.

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