Vehicle chewed on by varmits

[elmacgyver0]

Mothballs work to keep mice away.

[Finster101]

Mothballs work to keep mice away.

Yep, get some mesh bags and put moth balls in them and zip tie them under the hood. Don't put them too close to the cowl or the A/C doesn't smell so nice unless you like that sort of thing.

[lefty o]

Mice have been the worst culprits where we live. They will tear insulation of of a wall and build nests - one year my in-laws left their car stored in our barn for the winter. When they got back, the AC didn't work . . . guess it wouldn' with a fiberglass mouse nest built in the duct work. I remember talking with a guy who owned the local NAPA store and complaining about the mice damage. It's been a few years but he told me that he was constantly hearing of problems form those that owned Dodges - pick ups usually. He said that the wiring in them had insulation on it made with a soybean base of some type and the mice loved it. True or not, I don't know. It's all part of "living in the country".

i have also heard toyotas have the soy based wiring insulation that critters love to chew.

[Elkins45]

A couple of years ago we were out of town for a week on vacation. My car was left in the driveway. When I started it I discovered the blower fan wouldn’t turn. Mice had chewed up the firewall noise insulation and stuffed it into the blower. It took a couple of hours of wrench turning to get in there and clear it out.

[brass410]

porqupines love the undersides of vehicles (roadsalt) they chew everything under the vehicle

[rmark]

I had something, probably mice, chew the wiring on my car - the mechanic told me that olive oil was used to lubricate the wiring that was pulled through the car body.

On a more fun note I've had a squirrel climbing the pole to the bird feeder so I put a real thin layer of grease on the pole. I watched him climb halfway up and slowly slide back down several times. He'll probably eat my car wiring for revenge.

[mold maker]

After taking the screens off 3 windows to discourage squirrels from my bird feeder this Spring, one learned to play acrobat and do a flip under the gutter and land on the feeder. It's so comical, I just fill the feeder half way and enjoy his antics.
On two occasions I've had the little scutters chew on auto-wiring. Once one wound up between the fan and shroud. The fan sent him into the radiator causing a $300. replacement.
When the leaves fell last Fall I counted 11 nests, no wonder I see so many.

[shooterg]

Car wouldn't start. Took a bit to figure squirrels ate the wires to the electric gas pump while snacking on pecans on top of the tank. Fixed. 2 days later they struck again. Shot 2 squirrels out of pecan tree. Problem solved.

[funnyjim014]

I have found hundreds of cases of mouse damage, several dead mice ( last week I had one in a washer jug, what a smell) dead birds, a grey squirrel with the plug wire still in his fried mouth, and a live wood Chuck with his paw stuck in a belt sitting on a hot ex manafold. He was angry lol. They all will eat stuff anything for no reason

[SeabeeMan]

I've never known grey squirrels to do much damage unless they get trapped inside. Red rodents of pretty much any variety, on the other hand, will mess stuff up. Mice as well. I finally sealed up my pole barn better last year and that solved my mouse problem in there. My kids are always watching for red squirrels and chipmunks around the house and in the garden. They know the drill if they see one: don't move, call Dad, and don't take your eyes off it until he shoots.