How to prevent chewed wiring in the engine

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winona

winona

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 17, 2015
Posts
415
Location
Indiana
I was to leave last week and being a try-to-be-good owner, lifted the hood to check the oil.  Ugh.  Chewed wiring.  Neighbor trimmed and splayed the ends then taped so nothing touching.  Limped to local repair who fixed it (hooray!) in one day.  (And should I add, fixed a couple things I asked for that the local Ram dealer couldn't be bothered with.)

So my question is -- how do I keep the critters from gnawing away?  Mechanic says he's seen people use mothballs which doesn't always deter.  Google says things like used cat litter.  I have that, so it's on a paper plate on the manifold with a clean paper plate on driver's seat to remind me.  Also dog and cat hair.  Ditto.  Clumps placed.  Mousetraps on tires.  Check.  Liquid or dried fox urine.  Uhhhh nope.

Any other tried and proven methods?
 
Be careful with the paper plate in the engine compartment.  If it came in contact with a hot exhaust manifold you might not have to worry about gnawed wires.  But you might lose your RV to an engine fire.
 
I'm leery of so called repellents. IMO traps are the best option
 
Back2PA said:
I'm leery of so called repellents. IMO traps are the best option
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Mechanic thinks it was a squirrel.  So just mouse traps on the tires to prevent one from climbing up?

And the paper plate will go in after I'm back and engine is cooled. Yes, don't want the fire department in my driveway.
 
I have noticed trucks in RV parks with the hood slightly raised, when I asked the owners why, they explained that the critters don't like any openings above the best. Not sure if they were having me on or if it really works.
 
Sorry, should have proof read, should say nest not best!
 
TonyL said:
Sorry, should have proof read, should say nest not best!
Click to expand...

Tony, just for future reference you can make changes to any of your posts by clicking on the word "Modify", make the changes, then click on save.
 
Paper products are quite appetizing to rodents, in fact they love paper. I had a mouse eat about half a roll of paper towels in my water bay. Use a metal lid of some sort to hold any bait.
 
In Arizona they have pack rats that like to crawl up and chew on wiring in vehicles left in driveways and garages. To prevent that, they plug a trouble light in with a low voltage bulb underneath their vehicles. They say that works for them, the critters do not like the light. May work for you.


Bill
 
I highly suggest anyone planning on setting conventional mouse traps drill a hole in one corner, and tie a string to it. This way you can anchor the string to something. My mother was having trouble with mice in her car. We set a few traps, and a few mice were caught. The next time, the trap was gone from inside the car. By a week later you couldn't stand the smell inside the car. We tore that car apart trying to find that mouse. We thought it was behind the dash, so we sent in to a garage so they could disassemble the dash. Turns out the mouse, with the trap still attached, made it two feet up the air duct under the passenger seat then got stuck. They found it with a camera scope inserted up the ductwork. It cost us $500 bucks to find that rodent, plus the effort trying to get the smell out of the car. I will no longer put traps anywhere without securing them down. Maybe a different style might be better, but someone needs to invent a better mouse trap.
 
TonyL said:
I have noticed trucks in RV parks with the hood slightly raised, when I asked the owners why, they explained that the critters don't like any openings above the best. Not sure if they were having me on or if it really works.
Click to expand...

Good idea.  Perhaps just propping my hood up a bit would deter the little bugger from returning.
 
SargeW said:
Paper products are quite appetizing to rodents, in fact they love paper. I had a mouse eat about half a roll of paper towels in my water bay. Use a metal lid of some sort to hold any bait.
Click to expand...

Ahh good point.  Don't want to lure any more in -- especially if he's crafty enough to dine around the used kitty litter.  Yech.
 
House Husband said:
Havahart Critter Ridder works for me. Spray in areas of concern ever 30 days.
Click to expand...

Did you use it to repel mice?  I called the company and spoke to a young lady and her list doesn't list mice or moles yet Amazon does list moles. I need something for mice. I'm thinking that if it repels moles, why not mice. I currently use a bucket trap but I'd like to just repel them before they get in the garage.
 
winona said:
Good idea.  Perhaps just propping my hood up a bit would deter the little bugger from returning.
Click to expand...

For that reason, I leave the hood up on a car I store. Also, I leave open all drawers inside the RV during storage. If you plug in your RV, be careful mice cannot get in past the cable opening. I set traps by each wheel and check them daily.
 
I had a squirrel ( tree rat ) problem in my shop. I found some little devices at Lowes about the size of a ping pong ball that plug into a wall outlet. They  supposedly emit ultra sonic sounds.  They seem to have really helped. IIRC they come three on a card.

I need to get another card of three and put them to work under my new to me 2016  Dodge 3500 that I hope becomes my tow vehicle.

I have no financial ties to Lowes or the manufacturer.
 
Rene T said:
Did you use it to repel mice?  I called the company and spoke to a young lady and her list doesn't list mice or moles yet Amazon does list moles. I need something for mice. I'm thinking that if it repels moles, why not mice. I currently use a bucket trap but I'd like to just repel them before they get in the garage.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what I was repelling. The smallest critter on the bottle is a squirrel. The left headlight wires were chewed into on the CRV. Found Critter Ridder (CR) at the hardware store and sprayed it on the CRV & MH. Dumby me, I got down wind and CR brought tears to my eyes. So far the problem has went away. It contains Black Pepper, Piperine, Capsaicin and related ingredients.
 
I've heard that "dryer sheets" will annoy the wire chewing varmints... anyone tried this?

Oh, these are the scented, fabric softening sheets that are heat activated when placed in a clothes dryer with a load of clothes...
 
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