Rodents chewing through wiring harness?

[Ricoman]

I haven’t had a problem lately but I have a problem with mice in the past getting into my garage and causing damage to my vehicles.

Someone suggested to me a while back that rodents hate the smell of original scent Irish Spring soap. I took a couple of Tupperware containers, cut holes in the lids, and filled them about half full with Irish Spring bars cut into chunks.

Now when I park in the garage, I take a container and leave it in my floorboard, plus I also have a couple of the containers which sit under my vehicles where I park in the garage.

Since I started doing this, I haven’t had a rodent problem and as an added bonus, people always comment that my vehicles smell good inside.

Similar experience,but only after mice completely screwed up my BMW...opened trunk one day and there was a mound a foot high of all my wiring and insulation...ruined the radio,speakers,some wiring under back seat,and have NEVER really gotten the smell out...especially when you turn on heat or air,as they must of nested in dash also and just have not wanted to tackle ripping out a BMW dash.. :-(
Anyway...after that I heard of spraying Fabric Softner all over all the carpets,seats if fabric,and in engine compartment..and/or leaving some in a small container,like you did with your Irish Spring....I have since used this in 3 other trucks I've owned...and still using in my Corvette..in fact,one day I found a very small start on the Vet floor...small piece of insulation and a couple droppings...did my Fabric Softner treatment and have never had another,the one there must of moved out....no more problems....I'd also keep 3-4 traps a couple near the tires and maybe one under seat in back....Thats how I finally caught my BMW Mouse...put trap in trunk,and 2 days later I had one fat ****..!!
Thats life in the country.....and I still bust a gut thinking of when I first moved from the city to the sticks...get home from work and the wife (now EX..hummm,I wonder?) and got ripped a new A-hole...."YOU WANTED TO MOVE TO THE COUNTRY..."... "What did I do now"..LOL
"Well go look in my car...I got a HEADLESS MOUSE and blood all over my carpet"....OMG...it still brings tears to my eyes...sure enough,there is a headless mouse on the floor of her NEW car.....Seems she turned the heater fan on where it must of been nesting,she heard a weird sound,fan hitting something and then,like a slot machine,it deposited her prize..The Headless Mouse...
I really tried not to laugh,but since I was in the doghouse anyway all I could say is...Well,at least we dont have Roaches like in the city...!!
OH...I've tried the Ultrasonic devices and have had no luck...problem I've found with them is the sound wave cant be interrupted and most of us dont have the 20 ft or so to place it far enough away so all the waves hit the truck...Especially with a Raptor...I'm lucky if I have 3 ft distance ....

 

[USCxGAMECOCK]

Would insurance cover this sort of thing? Be it homeowners or your vehicle insurance?

My car insurance did cover it the first time. I haven't heard back if they will this time. It was under my comprehensive and considered "an act of God."

 

[USCxGAMECOCK]

This is great article for those of you who may not be familiar with how common this is.

http://www.synlube.com/IncredibleEdibleCar1.htm

Obviously i'm definitely going to change things up this time around. I'm not sure what i'm going to do exactly. I tried that honda capsaicin tape but I can only get so far with that. I've also seen pictures where rodents chewed right through the stuff anyway. I bought an electric rodent trap that can kill squirrels that i'm going to start making part of my routine. I honestly don't believe it's squirrels because I believe whatever it is, is nocturnal. I work 12 hour shifts and worked 9:30AM to 9:30PM and the next morning, the wiring was destroyed. In less than 12 hours from my engine bay to my gas tank, wiring had been chewed.

 

[bigskyRaptor]

I had a similar problem when i lived outside of town. Field mice ate the wiring harness in my Tundra. They built a nest out of fabric softener, lol.

IMO, the only things that work consistently are poison and cats. I have dogs, so no poison.

Get yourself one or two barn cats, and sit back and watch the carnage. It is shocking how efficient they are at killing. They leave trophies like they are keeping score...

 

[smurfslayer]

mice completely screwed up my BMW

Germans do a good enough job of that, and don’t need help from American mice.

 

[cddawgs]

During the brief time my truck was parked outside, squirrels gnawed the top of the tailgate in a couple of places. If you look at the average outside water hose, you’ll see the same chew marks. Shame they went after your harness.

 

[PlainJane]

What ever you do, don't use mothballs, I read that it's illegal to use them for other than the purpose they were designed.