Squirrels and Car Engines

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

Anyone had to deal with wire chewing? If so how did you handle it?

Woke up this morning to notification that headlights were low, so went to replace the bulb. Turns out that the wire had been chewed through. Didn't find a nest and could tell wear part of the back insulation had been torn off. Could see the footprints at the bottom of the engine on the cover. I read that once they strike they are likely to return.

Appears something like this can get very costly (thousands of dollars). Fortunately I have comprehensive and confirmed they will cover past my deductible. Will find out the financial damage Tuesday. Will have to have the wiring to the passenger side headlight and turn singles replaced.

I ordered some spray and have tucked some dryer sheets in the areas for overnight (read they don't like the smell).

Never had an issue with it before, guessing it got up under there when we had the big thunderstorm.

[AUsince72 11,084]

No wire chewing but we have a palm tree in our front yard that produces thousands of some little, fruit I guess, that looks like a tiny pumpkin (size of a large cherry).

I started the car one morning and the engine started smoking so I turned it off, opened the hood and there were dozens of the seeds all over the engine compartment and were starting to catch fire.

I sorta feel like Carl Spackler towards squirrels....

[I_M4_AU 7,762]

I live on a lake and have a boat lift.  The algae gets coated on the hoses that deliver the air to the floatation pontoons and the muskrats love to chew through the rubber hoses.  Several mornings I have woken to the boat in the water and taking the shotgun out to see if I could see that RAT.  He was just too cautious. Soooo, they do sell a steel mesh laced rubber house that he couldn’t chew through.  Long story short, if you can find a steel mesh sleeve to put over you wiring, I’m sure it would help......until that squirrel finds something else just as tasty.

[AUloggerhead 2,225]

On 5/17/2020 at 9:25 PM, Texan4Auburn said:

Anyone had to deal with wire chewing? If so how did you handle it?

Woke up this morning to notification that headlights were low, so went to replace the bulb. Turns out that the wire had been chewed through. Didn't find a nest and could tell wear part of the back insulation had been torn off. Could see the footprints at the bottom of the engine on the cover. I read that once they strike they are likely to return.

Appears something like this can get very costly (thousands of dollars). Fortunately I have comprehensive and confirmed they will cover past my deductible. Will find out the financial damage Tuesday. Will have to have the wiring to the passenger side headlight and turn singles replaced.

I ordered some spray and have tucked some dryer sheets in the areas for overnight (read they don't like the smell).

Never had an issue with it before, guessing it got up under there when we had the big thunderstorm.

Just now saw this thread.  What kind of vehicle do you own?  

Toyota vehicles with soy-based covering for wiring

I have a 2017 Rav4 that I took in for some scheduled maintenance awhile back and the mechanic noted that there seemed to be some chewing evident on some of the wiring -- he said it was mice.  I was very surprised to say the least.  I mixed some ammonia & water in a spray bottle & started liberally spraying figuring that the smell would discourage them.  Would have to do it 2-3 times a week in the evening after parking the car.  Apparently it works because I haven't had any more reports of chewing since.   

[SaltyTiger 7,761]

On 5/17/2020 at 11:25 PM, Texan4Auburn said:

Anyone had to deal with wire chewing? If so how did you handle it?

Woke up this morning to notification that headlights were low, so went to replace the bulb. Turns out that the wire had been chewed through. Didn't find a nest and could tell wear part of the back insulation had been torn off. Could see the footprints at the bottom of the engine on the cover. I read that once they strike they are likely to return.

Appears something like this can get very costly (thousands of dollars). Fortunately I have comprehensive and confirmed they will cover past my deductible. Will find out the financial damage Tuesday. Will have to have the wiring to the passenger side headlight and turn singles replaced.

I ordered some spray and have tucked some dryer sheets in the areas for overnight (read they don't like the smell).

Never had an issue with it before, guessing it got up under there when we had the big thunderstorm.

Several years ago my wife had trouble starting her new Honda Pilot. Finally got out of the garage and it died in the driveway. According to the dealership there was some serious rodent chewing on some serious wiring. If my memory is correct the final bill was around $1800. I know insurance paid but I think it was our home owners PP. I  never considered an insurance claim until the Honda dealership told they cover that type of damage.

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

Mine came out to be about 600 dollars. Fortunately it only got the headlight harness.

I am giving this a shot. Spraying about 3 times week atm.

https://www.amazon.com/Exterminators-Choice-Protection-Repellent-Chewing-All/dp/B01DTBOV06/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=TK1QY7PB0CBN&dchild=1&keywords=rodent+repellent+for+car+engines&qid=1591326066&sprefix=rodent+re%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&smid=AKTB0RYF60KE7&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE0NFpNSVg1NDhRM0gmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAyOTE2NDYxQTlTNk5MMlJIODdIJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1MTIxNTYyVFBQMzk4SUQ0QkFPJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

7 hours ago, SaltyTiger said:

Several years ago my wife had trouble starting her new Honda Pilot. Finally got out of the garage and it died in the driveway. According to the dealership there was some serious rodent chewing on some serious wiring. If my memory is correct the final bill was around $1800. I know insurance paid but I think it was our home owners PP. I  never considered an insurance claim until the Honda dealership told they cover that type of damage.

If you have comprehensive it falls under animal. Like hitting a deer.

[SaltyTiger 7,761]

8 hours ago, Texan4Auburn said:

Mine came out to be about 600 dollars. Fortunately it only got the headlight harness.

I am giving this a shot. Spraying about 3 times week atm.

I found that a good pellet rifle with a scope works well around the house to control rodent population. Chipmunks present a challenge. Small tough target. They got so bad and were tunneling my yard so bad in Auburn that I put a bounty out on them. Gave my three boys $5 for every one of the little varmints they distinguished. One of my neighbors finally got two rescue cats, they were a huge help. 

[AUDub 11,131]

On 6/5/2020 at 7:01 AM, SaltyTiger said:

I found that a good pellet rifle with a scope works well around the house to control rodent population. Chipmunks present a challenge. Small tough target. They got so bad and were tunneling my yard so bad in Auburn that I put a bounty out on them. Gave my three boys $5 for every one of the little varmints they distinguished. One of my neighbors finally got two rescue cats, they were a huge help. 

Cats are my solution. We've got two outdoor cats and one of them is an excellent hunter. 

[SaltyTiger 7,761]

6 minutes ago, AUDub said:

Cats are my solution. We've got two outdoor cats and one of them is an excellent hunter. 

Undoubtedly "outdoor cats" are the best solution. My neighbors cats would lie in wait beside a chipmunk tunnel for hours some days. I tried Havahart traps and would get squirrels but no success with chipmunks. Havahart advises taking a chipmunk at least 5 miles away from where it was trapped to ensure no return.   

[Mike4AU 1,739]

Here is an extremely easy and efficient way to kill chipmunks.  It is also a good way to feed hawks.  Chipmunks are cute, but are major pests.  Every year I set out the munk dunk to eliminate the pests, at least for a while. 
 

https://www.trap-anything.com/homemade-chipmunk-trap.html

[SaltyTiger 7,761]

On 6/8/2020 at 4:08 PM, Mike4AU said:

Here is an extremely easy and efficient way to kill chipmunks.  It is also a good way to feed hawks.  Chipmunks are cute, but are major pests.  Every year I set out the munk dunk to eliminate the pests, at least for a while. 
 

https://www.trap-anything.com/homemade-chipmunk-trap.html

Tried that several times with no success. Guess we have smart chipmunks in Auburn.

[Mike4AU 1,739]

4 minutes ago, SaltyTiger said:

Tried that several times with no success. Guess we have smart chipmunks in Auburn.

I quit counting after 80.  The key is to put the bucket next to a bush or something that provides cover for the munks.  They are quite skittish.

[SaltyTiger 7,761]

2 minutes ago, Mike4AU said:

I quit counting after 80.  The key is to put the bucket next to a bush or something that provides cover for the munks.  They are quite skittish.

Must have been my problem.Always placed close to their tunnel and never considered cover. Makes sense.

[augolf1716 21,095]

On 6/24/2020 at 2:32 PM, Mike4AU said:

.  They are quite skittish.

Sounds like my wife

[SaltyTiger 7,761]

Have two bird feeders in Auburn. One is squirrel proof but my favorite is not. Squirrels continuously empty it and beginning to damage it. The wife read that tying a sock with a bar of Irish Spring soap in it adjacent to the feeder would deter the squirrels but not the birds. Seemed to work for one day. Go figure. 

[I_M4_AU 7,762]

1 hour ago, SaltyTiger said:

Have two bird feeders in Auburn. One is squirrel proof but my favorite is not. Squirrels continuously empty it and beginning to damage it. The wife read that tying a sock with a bar of Irish Spring soap in it adjacent to the feeder would deter the squirrels but not the birds. Seemed to work for one day. Go figure. 

Here is something that will entertain you while keeping the bird seed for the birds.  The squirrel figures it out eventually, so there is a modification at the end.

 

[homersapien 11,352]

On 5/18/2020 at 12:25 AM, Texan4Auburn said:

Anyone had to deal with wire chewing? If so how did you handle it?

Woke up this morning to notification that headlights were low, so went to replace the bulb. Turns out that the wire had been chewed through. Didn't find a nest and could tell wear part of the back insulation had been torn off. Could see the footprints at the bottom of the engine on the cover. I read that once they strike they are likely to return.

Appears something like this can get very costly (thousands of dollars). Fortunately I have comprehensive and confirmed they will cover past my deductible. Will find out the financial damage Tuesday. Will have to have the wiring to the passenger side headlight and turn singles replaced.

I ordered some spray and have tucked some dryer sheets in the areas for overnight (read they don't like the smell).

Never had an issue with it before, guessing it got up under there when we had the big thunderstorm.

I paid over $1,000 to replace the wiring harness in my tractor alone, plus various and assorted car repairs. I have a rat trap in the engine bay of my truck (which is an interesting story (pack rat nest = runaway throttle on a four lane.)

I use dryer sheets, put out traps, and protect all the black rat snakes I find in the area (such as the four footer that I watched crawl out of my pool.)  Sometimes they startle me, but they are allies when it comes to reducing rodent damage.

I've also read that leaving the hood open on a vehicle discourages them from settling in - they prefer the closed-in protection. I haven't tried that, but I will when I get more sheds.

One thing is essential - frequent inspections of your vehicles. 

[homersapien 11,352]

On 6/8/2020 at 3:19 PM, AUDub said:

Cats are my solution. We've got two outdoor cats and one of them is an excellent hunter. 

Unfortunately, cats are devastating to song birds.

[AUDub 11,131]

1 hour ago, homersapien said:

Unfortunately, cats are devastating to song birds.

Believe it or not, my current ones tend to leave the birds alone. They are getting up there,  so may just be a case of not wanting to put forth the effort.

Then again, the only thing I've ever seen them kill are rodents, insects and the occasional skink. 

[SaltyTiger 7,761]

On 7/19/2020 at 10:00 PM, homersapien said:

I use dryer sheets, put out traps, and protect all the black rat snakes I find in the area (such as the four footer that I watched crawl out of my pool.)  Sometimes they startle me, but they are allies when it comes to reducing rodent damage.

Tough thing  to convince people that all snakes are not evil. i. e.  Black Indigo snakes  are a deterrent to copperheads  in the yard  or garage. Rat snakes  are called  'rat snakes" for a reason. 

On 7/19/2020 at 10:05 PM, homersapien said:

Unfortunately, cats are devastating to song birds

Bird feeders one of my favorite things these days. Get a little older and surprising how simple and inexpensive things can become so enjoyable.

[homersapien 11,352]

On 7/22/2020 at 11:37 AM, SaltyTiger said:

Tough thing  to convince people that all snakes are not evil. i. e.  Black Indigo snakes  are a deterrent to copperheads  in the yard  or garage. Rat snakes  are called  'rat snakes" for a reason. 

Bird feeders one of my favorite things these days. Get a little older and surprising how simple and inexpensive things can become so enjoyable.

We are feeding what I estimate to be about 30 hummingbirds on the deck just outside our living room.  They can be pretty feisty with each other and it can look like a dogfight from time to time.  And it's easy to train them to your presence so you can sit near the feeders on the deck and get the full sound effects as well.

They are going through about a quart of sugar-water per day, so we have to make up a new batch about every three days. (4:1 ratio of boiling water to sugar, no red dye needed.)

We scatter bird seed on the ground.  Can't use a bird  feeder for them because of bears.

I've always been tolerant of non-poisonous snakes in the area, but after suffering literally thousands of dollars from rodent damage I have learned to really prize them.

You are lucky to have Indigo snakes, they are pretty rare. (And very beautiful!)

My wife has a story when she was a little girl growing up in Plantation Florida and one of their neighbors had a large Indigo snake in the yard and - as I am sure you know - they can get quite large.  The neighbor called the cops, and the cops shot it!  

All the while my wife was pointing to a picture in a reference book and was trying to explain to the cop and neighbor that Indigo snakes were harmless/beneficial and rare.  All to no avail.

People are irrational about snakes, especially large ones.

[SaltyTiger 7,761]

22 minutes ago, homersapien said:

We are feeding what I estimate to be about 30 hummingbirds on the deck just outside our living room.  They can be pretty feisty with each other and it can look like a dogfight from time to time.  And it's easy to train them to your presence so you can sit near the feeders on the deck and get the full sound effects as well.

They are going through about a quart of sugar-water per day, so we have to make up a new batch about every three days. (4:1 ratio of boiling water to sugar, no red dye needed.)

We scatter bird seed on the ground.  Can't use a bird  feeder for them because of bears.

I've always been tolerant of non-poisonous snakes in the area, but after suffering literally thousands of dollars from rodent damage I have learned to prize them.

You are lucky to have Indigo snakes, they are pretty rare. (And very beautiful!)

My wife has a story when she was a little girl growing up in Plantation Florida and one of their neighbors had a large Indigo snake in the yard and - as I am sure you know - they can get quite large.  The neighbor called the cops, and the cops shot it!  

All the while my wife was pointing to a picture in a reference book and was trying to explain to the cop and neighbor that Indigo snakes were harmless/beneficial and rare.  All to no avail.

People are irrational about snakes, especially large ones.

Love to see hummingbirds. We had a hummingbird feeder several years ago. My wife was buying the syrup mixture and did not like fooling  with it . Maybe attracted  to many bees or insects? Never thought mixing our own and we were busy in those days.

Know Indigo snakes can grow large and are extremely rare.  Pre  hurricane I feel confident that I  saw a couple of  them in Mexico Beach (my yard). Also had a large population of black racers and a few cottonmouths.  Adjacent Tyndall AFB   has  large tracts that have gone untouched by development  and  is a safe haven for wildlife.  Post  hurricane I have not seen near the snake population or bears . Bears  used to be a pretty common site. Especially if garbage was left out over night.  Good thing is lack of yellow flys  since the hurricane.

Auburn involved with Indigo reintroduction:

https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/florida/stories-in-florida/paradise-regained/

[homersapien 11,352]

I included the recipe for sugar water "nectar" because it's easy and cheap.

We make it by adding 4 cups of ordinary cane sugar to 8 cups of boiling hot water. 

We boil the water in a tea kettle and then fill a large pyrex measuring cup to the 8 cup level, add the 4 cups of sugar and stir.  Boiling helps the sugar to dissolve and sterilizes the solution.  After cooling, we store it in a large jar in the refrigerator.

The commercial "nectars" are an expensive scam IMO.  And while it's good to have red feeders for attracting the hummingbirds initially, it's totally unnecessary to dye the feeding solution red.

Thanks for the article on reinstating Indigo snakes!  Such articles make me feel good.

[kevon67 2,368]

4 hours ago, SaltyTiger said:

Love to see hummingbirds. We had a hummingbird feeder several years ago. My wife was buying the syrup mixture and did not like fooling  with it . Maybe attracted  to many bees or insects? Never thought mixing our own and we were busy in those days.

Know Indigo snakes can grow large and are extremely rare.  Pre  hurricane I feel confident that I  saw a couple of  them in Mexico Beach (my yard). Also had a large population of black racers and a few cottonmouths.  Adjacent Tyndall AFB   has  large tracts that have gone untouched by development  and  is a safe haven for wildlife.  Post  hurricane I have not seen near the snake population or bears . Bears  used to be a pretty common site. Especially if garbage was left out over night.  Good thing is lack of yellow flys  since the hurricane.

Auburn involved with Indigo reintroduction:

https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/florida/stories-in-florida/paradise-regained/

Yellow flys are the worst.