Rats taking residence within vehicle engine compartment??

[The Quadfather]

Alright, let’s wake up the sleepy people who are dormant in the winter, on the forum.

So, does anyone have any experience with rats taking up residence, hanging out, under the hood of your vehicle? That being said, one might think I’m a pig, or have an unkept yard, etc.
No..no... not the case. Plenty clean on this end. If you live generally within the city, rats are everywhere. You just have to know when and where to look.

The problem with these guys up in your engine compartment is they are well known for chewing up the wiring, etc.

It’s not about removing the nearby food source. There’s no dog food, bird feeder, etc. it’s just a city thing, and I’m not even downtown, just in the neighborhood.

There are various electronic transmitters that emit high frequency signal, and other discussions about certain scents to add under your hood.
I was wondering if any of you have dealt with this.
It would seem a little odd to have to each morning open the hood to remove a rat trap, but maybe so..

I was shocked at the volume of critter crap that was in my engine compartment.

[BentRod]

That sucks Chris!

Question: Is this in a vehicle that sits dormant for a while or is it your daily use vehicle? They might be getting up in there for the warmth during the cold months.

When visiting Glacier NP a couple years ago, we noticed along our journey the majority of people at the campsites in Idaho and Montana would routinely have the hoods of their cars open constantly.....eventually I asked someone why this seemed to be a thing. I learned that packrats over there were a constant problem and they'd nest or tuck their babies up in the engine compartment and then people would unwittingly spread the things. The way to combat it was to leave the hood of the car open to let light in as they look for dark enclosed places. So, you might try popping the hood at night and leaving the lights on to keep critters out.
I've never had a problem with rats/mice in the car engine compartment or cab, but I've seen what a mess they make. Not a fun thing to deal with.
Good luck!

[The Quadfather]

Yeah, I know people will say leave the hood up, but not in Seattle. It would be a total invite for the truck to be messed with. Again, nice neighborhood etc. but we have security cameras everywhere. I don’t leave a soda can in the yard. Last year our entire street (about 1 mile). Had ALL the mailboxes messed with. Some entire rows of 5 boxes were pulled out of the ground and dragged down the street.
This is just under the hood, not in the cab.

[BentRod]

Yeah, I know people will say leave the hood up, but not in Seattle. It would be a total invite for the truck to be messed with. Again, nice neighborhood etc. but we have security cameras everywhere. I don’t leave a soda can in the yard. Last year our entire street (about 1 mile). Had ALL the mailboxes messed with. Some entire rows of 5 boxes were pulled out of the ground and dragged down the street.
This is just under the hood, not in the cab.

Ha! I assumed the car was in a garage....no idea what to tell you about parking on the street....maybe place some of those poison pellets somewhere under the hood? That might get rid of the rats and the vandals!

[Amx]

Bounce dryer sheets help. The original ones, not the funny scented ones.

[nwbhoss]

Second on the dryer sheets rodents dont like the smell I stuff them all over my camper and boat and show cars in the winter in my shop.
I used to keep a cover on my Chevelle in the shop during winter. The dark secluded area was perfect for them (mice not rats but all the same really) they cost me a set of seats and a headliner, now it winters with all the windows down uncovered and the truck interior and engine compartment filled with dryer sheets.
Bonus is the car smells good! I open all the compartments on my camper and do the same and the boat.

[The Quadfather]

Second on the dryer sheets rodents dont like the smell I stuff them all over my camper and boat and show cars in the winter in my shop.
I used to keep a cover on my Chevelle in the shop during winter. The dark secluded area was perfect for them (mice not rats but all the same really) they cost me a set of seats and a headliner, now it winters with all the windows down uncovered and the truck interior and engine compartment filled with dryer sheets.
Bonus is the car smells good! I open all the compartments on my camper and do the same and the boat.

Alright, well maybe Dryer Sheets it is.. man, i’ve been here 90% of my life (Seattle) How much longer?! I can’t wait to get out of here.

[hewesfisher]

Yep, but not rats, chipmunks and marmots (think woodchuck) here. You think rats leave turds, you should see marmot excrement! Problem we have is living in a rural area with a carport not a garage. They seek heat from the engine which is usually protected by under hood insulation. Ideal "warming shelter" for the critters. Best we can do is keep the area uninviting but chipmunks are everywhere and about impossible to get rid of them. The others, well, there's a solution to keep that problem in check.

[Bodofish]

OH Chris! a little slow but that's just nasty, I have the same trouble around here. My neighbor to the North is just a pig, wish I could get rid of them...…. many problems would resolve them selves if they were gone. My dogs are always on the hunt for them (the rats). The crawl space under the house has several bait stations. The only way I've found to keep them in control is to make sure you have plenty bait stations out where they can get to them easily and take the prize home to their families. The best stuff is called "Just One Bite". In the last few years, the only place I can find it is at the Grange or Coop. Most of the other stuff is just weak. Just keep feeding it to them, they'll come and take it all till they're all dead. New ones will move in but they too will have just one bite. When their numbers drop, so will the visits to your engine compartment.
A friend of mine in the South end spent tens of thousands of dollars on rat proofing his house and nothing worked, they would chew right through the foundation into his house. He put three feet of pea gravel all the way around his foundation so they couldn't keep any tunnels open, they'd just dig through and chew through the concrete.... Fun fact, an adult rat can squeeze through a hold the size of a quarter, yeah even the big ones that you see with saddles on them...…. There was no stopping them until he made bait stations that only the rats could get in. Put out the Just One Bite and it took about two months of constant filling but it finally slowed down and now the only rats are just interlopers that have a bite and they are on their way.
You are not in a game my friend, its all out war. You or them.

[racfish]

I live down by Lk wa and its Rat heaven around here. Theres no stopping them. I have bait stations around my house and inside. They can squeeze in the smallest openings. Ive had pest control to the house. Thank G-d they haven't found any signs of them in the house. You need some homeless nearby. They seem attracted to them.