How To Prevent Rats From Eating Car Wires

by | Jul 28, 2022 | Pest, Rodent Control

Scrolling for good information on how to prevent rats from eating car wires? You’re not alone. Across the nation, rats are chewing car wires and causing hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of repairs.

Here’s what one Portland rat exterminator recommends you should do:

How to Avoid Rats in Your Car

To avoid rats nesting in your car and chewing on the wires, you need to get control of the rats outside. 

This can be tricky if there is trash nearby, bird feeders or chicken coops in the neighborhood. First, secure any outside food sources.

Then clear up any overgrown vegetation or other rodent hiding places.

Repelling Rodents With An Essential Oil Diffuser

Repelling rodents with an essential oil diffuser can be a great safe fix for rats eating car wiring.

Place 20-30 drops of peppermint, tea tree, or eucalyptus oil on an oil diffuser and place it under the hood of your car overnight.

The powerful organic vapors of essential oils work nicely to repel rodents from car hoods, garages, crawlspaces, sheds, and other enclosed areas temporarily. To repel rats from your garage, place 15 drops of peppermint oil on a cottonball and place 1-2 for every 100 square feet.

How to Deter Rodents From Your Car Engine

If you continue to notice rodents chewing wires in your car’s engine compartment, there are a few more things you can try:

  • Set some traps outdoors, near your car. Make sure to follow the best techniques for trapping rats outside, to prevent rodents from learning to avoid your traps.
  • Open the hood of the car after you park for the evening for at least 30 consecutive days. This eliminates the ideal warm & protective habitat the engine compartment provides.
  • Use an ultrasonic rat repellent device. But beware, rodent repellent devices may not provide long-term control. Rats may get used to the sound and vibrations, so it should be rotated with alternating scents that rats hate to keep neighborhood rats on their toes.

The Best Rat Repellent Spray for Car

The best rat repellent spray for under the hood of your car is definitely peppermint oil. Peppermint contains menthol, which is well known for it’s intense minty burn

Mix up to 1 teaspoon of peppermint oil in a half cup of water and spritz under the hood, taking care to avoid electronics.

Rats’ sense of smell will be completely overwhelmed with spicy menthol, and they’ll be forced to move away.

Do not use this mixture in indoor living spaces or you and your pets will be exposed to pungent & potentially harmful vapors. 

Eco-friendly Rat Control. 

How to Stop Rats From Chewing Car Wires

Hopefully this information is helpful and you can stop rodents from chewing your car wires. But getting the best rat control takes knowledge and experience.

If you’ve tried setting rat traps outside, taking down bird feeders, and spraying rat repellents, and you still notice rats, feel free to call us. Pest & Pollinator specializes in finding effective & eco-friendly rat extermination solutions in the Portland Oregon area.

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