Anybody having this problem? I live out in the country and having trouble with mice/rats eating my plug wires!!! They ate the rubber boot that goes onto the coil.(On the Mini and they were not the stock plug wires ) They also ate the rubber boot that goes onto the sparkplug on my Mitsubishi Cordia(Also performance plug wires.) This is getting very $$$$$ any suggestions?

 

I had the same problem - thought it was mice but turned out to be a large rat. Ate the wire insulation right down to the bare wire. Also chewed a couple of holes in my hood insulation and just about ate the tops off half the sparkplug boots.
My son saw him on one of the garage shelves and nailed him with a pellet gun. I don't adhere to violence but it was good to know that the vermin was gone.

T

 

 

Moth ***** have been used. Just remember to take them out before driving away...!

 

Okay, let me preface this by saying that I have no idea if this will work or if there is some way this could be mechanically bad, but, perhaps some cayanne pepper powder, or a mix in water sprayed on, might do the trick. I know that you can put it in birdfood to keep rodents from eating it (for some reason the birds don't mind) so my reasoning is that the seasoning could deter them from chowing down on those car parts

 

Myself, I think I would move.

Ive seen some rats that I wouldn't want to mess with.

 

second that!

 

Mice/rats eating rubber plug wires? Doesn't sound so bad... Maybe some bread and a little mayo... ...and if you already put hot sauce on the plugs...

I gotta some get dinner...

 

I would suggest stopping by the BMW dealer and telling them about this. Yes they may laugh, but you could have someone in the parts department look for the plastic housing that went on the early 750 BMW plug wires. They actually called it rodent protection. As this was a problem they had in Germany. You might be able to just stop by a hardware store or hot rod shop and get some plastic wire surround that would work for this.

 

I suggest an alternate diet.Go with rodent trap with peanut butter.Repeat diet if necessary.

 

wher'e PETA when you need them?

 

No dang rodent gunna et mi Minih

 

I had the same problem until last week. I opened the hood one day and saw a soft fluffy nest near the manifold heat shield. After removing the nest I would check the hood every morning. It kept trying to rebuild. It also started storing seeds from our neighbors birdfeeder. I tried the sticky paper much to the dismay of the few hand wringers on this board.(oh pleeze, its so cruel) gimme a break; one of those f****ng little rodents eating my wires, now thats cruel. Put a big dollop of peanut butter in the middle of the sticky paper. There were a lot of foot prints but he got unstuck and ate the peanut butter.
I finally got some traps and smeared them with cheese. SNAP! gothim or so I thought. Next day more nesting stuff. Did another trap and SNAP got another. Checked under the hood daily and no return problem. Do a search, there are several threads about this. You hand wringers, save it for someone who cares No rodent that messes with my MINI will get sensitive humane treatment..

 

the moth ***** are a great idea, but how do you get their little legs apart to get at them?

 

They sell a product for people who have rodents as pets called Bitter Apple Spray available at pet stores and such. Basically it's a really nasty tasting spray you use on things you don't want them chewing on. I was watching some show on TV where they were demonstrating it. The guy sprayed a little on his finger and offered it to a ferret. The ferret took a lick them almost immediately got away from the finger and didn't look like he had a very pleasant taste in his mouth.

 

I used that when training my dog... He HATES it!
If you use it on an object, youll have to spray it ALL the time cause it evaporates quickly...

warning- it smells like old apple meets rubbing alcohol.......

 

Is your car parked outside or in a building? Varmints can do major damage to a car. You are very lucky it's only been plug wires so far. If you're in a building try & varmint proof the building. Maybe get a barn cat to do sentry duty for you. If that varmint gets in your car look out. You just won't believe what damge they can do. I have a friend that had a Subaru Justy that was stored for a few months outside. When he got in the car to move it he was overpowered by the smell of what they'd left behind. The wires were chewed along with the seats. He ended up giving the car away. He couldn't bring himself to even sit in it. Do a Google search & you'll find lots of info on mice in cars.

Chuck

 

Try Bitter Apple spray and a bottle of this stuff:

http://www.critter-repellent.com/

I had a chipmunk problem and this stuff solved it. Trick is to find a place in the engine bay to sprinkle the stuff so it will stay put. I used an engine mount spot right in front of the battery for my MC.

 

i've got about 15 mouse traps set around my car and my wifes mini....i catch atleast 1 a weel

 

When training my dog we picked up a big-o-bottle, thinking that it would solve all our problems. To test it I sprayed it on my hand and oftered it to him... He licked my hand clean, and begged for more. I guess your mileage may vary.

I bet the moth ***** in a cloth bag would work well. If you park in a garage you could just keep a shallow bowl of them under the car. If you park outside I bet you could find a spot that would be out of the way, but still produce enough odor to keep the mice away.

Scanner, it's all about timing, gotta catch them when they are sleep

 

You've got a rat. Better deal with it with extreme prejudice before you have more rats. Get a rat trap (it's a big mouse trap) and screw/nail it to a big board. If you don't, when it snaps it may just flip or the rat may flip and flop himself out. Load the trap with something that cannot be nibble off without tripping the trap. Cheese covered with peanut butter is almost irresistable. Check it daily, and when you check it have a hammer or tire iron in your hand. When your trap remains empty for a week or so after one or two "events" then you're probably clear.

....Les

edit...oh by the way we live in the country and this worked well.

 

does smoke help at all? just wondering if it would help if there was an
insect repellant incense spirial coils (katori senko) under the car at night.

it's like those aroma candles but in this spiral coils. it keeps my garage
insect and rodent free so far.

 

MY mousies decided they actually like my cigar smoke [and also the aftersmoke that even I abhor], so I'm ordering that Animal Repellent.

 

^^ oh my... 2nd hand smokers.

 

This rodent encounter, unfortunately, recently happened with my dear MCS. After Christmas, she was parked outside our garage for a few days. The weather was mild so I figured it was okay to leave it outside.

Apparently, rodents getting into car engines is not uncommon. The rodents are often searching for a warm place to nest in cold weather.

This rat did not wait long to make a home inside Enid's engine. Like SSMini's post, the rat chewed numerous wires and plugs. A part had to be ordered from Germany, as well. Since I live in a city approx 100 miles from Dallas, Enid had to be towed to the dealership. It was painful to see Enid being put on the tow truck...I could not bear to watch it. She spent just about a month at the shop.

I did file an auto insurance claim so this helped cushion the expense. My MINI service rep recommended that. It never occured to me that rodent damage would qualify under a comprehensive auto insurance coverage.

As for the rat, it has never been found. I had out pest control set up a bait box inside and outside of our garage, just in case we have some rat on car action in the coming months.