Rodent in 1998 Escort wagon

Too late now.. they arent 'getting in' they ARE IN.

Tear all interior seats, panels, and carpet out.

Remove all trunk panels and covers

And NEXT TIME....

The only way to make SURE they wont get in is to park with all four wheels in water moats.

Why go to that much trouble you may ask? After all it's just snacks, right? Well, they'll destroy wiring harnesses, vacuum hoses, etc. You will soon have an inoperable or partially operable car...

CJB

I am not a smart man, but I would take the food out of the car.

this would be one of the funnier posts I think I've seen here.

I think a man should be entilted to his cheese and cracker snacks while on the road!

Very good point. On our golf course the squirrels at the 14 th. hole always attack my golf bag, but not my 3 partner's bags. I'm the only one carrying food when we reach the 14 th. hole. >:)

Yep - they especially love wiring harnesses. I'm told the PVC is coated with some organic grease in the forming process. Dunno about that, but rodents love the stuff.

Mike

People who have dealt with rodent damage might see it differently. They (the rodents, not the people) can do thousands of dollars damage to the wiring if not brought under control.

Mike

And put the cat in:)

Al

Leave a tray of Tom Cat somewhere on a flat surface (get it at a supermarket), they'll gobble that stuff up and die. Then take everything out to disinfect, etc.

I thank all the responders for their insights.

I live in a chipmonk, red squirrel, field mice paradise. There is no way to eliminate them. So I try to keep them out when I can.

I keep the cheese and crackers for low blood sugar moments. I now have these stored in a rodent proof container.

I still would welcome suggestions as to how these critters are getting in.

Thanks

Max Power wrote:

There is no way you can seal the vehicle well enough to keep them out. For example check the rubber drain plugs under the carpet in the cargo area; those can be missing (or gnawed away). There are many other places where they can get in either directly or by gnawing the boot off a cable run.

Try putting a couple of traps on the back seat and leave it overnight (bait with some nice tempting peanut butter).

Trust me: I'm a T1; I can relate to needing supplies in the car for emergencies. Let me also say though, that having your stuff in a "rodent proof container" isn't enough. They will smell the oils, etc on the outside of the container and still come in after it.

At church we have had an ongoing battle with flying squirrels. Last week I noticed two different jars of peanuts in the cabinet, one had been opened and resealed, the other one had never been opened. The squirrels had gnawed the previously opened container extensively, but hadn't touched the still sealed one.

Also, you'll be surprised at what rodents can gnaw through. Plastic is no challenge whatsoever. PVC pipe would be a minor inconvenience, and plastic storage containers are no harder than us opening a wrapper. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see them puncture a tin can if they wanted to.

Having said all that, may I suggest that you carry something other than those crackers? I know that they work well for your lows, and are consistent in nunber of carbs, etc. However, peanut butter or cheese crackers are like Porterhouse steak to a rodent. Perhaps some hard candy or something would still be handy, but not so attractive to the rats, et al. I have a hunch that rodents aren't attracted to mint, but I'm sure some digging around on the internet, or even experimentation on your part, will result in a better solution than crackers.

Good luck, and keep avoiding those hypos.

CJB

However, they are averse to steel wool. Our "rat patrol" at work uses a coarse grade of steel wool where they can't use expandable urethane foam - which rodents don't seem to like much, but will gnaw through if they really want to.

Plastics in general seem to be almost attractive.

Mike

I wouldn't say that. I have two Rattus rattus here in a cage about eight feet to my right, who recently amused themselves by pulling a pack of Tic Tacs into their lair and eating most of them. They also steal chewing gum, when available.

Lots of people telling you how to get rid of them, what are you going to do for power when they are gone? Is this a 4, 6, or 8 rat vehicle?

Oh, these rats aren't going anywhere; they're family (though one of my dogs would probably classify them as "lunch" if he could get close enough to them).