[faustus77]

Originally Posted by speedsatya

Might be effective , but then I will have to carry pepper along with me to wherever I go.
I use the long brushes used to clean glasses to solve this problem. Have tied them inside the engine bay. The pricky bristles ensure tht rats don't dare enter the car anymore.

Has been effective since 2005 when I posted this thread. Also it's plug and forget. Don't need to do anything to these brushes even during service ��

Speedsatya
Hi.
I too read about the bristled brushes years back.
Would like to try now.If it is not too inconvenient could you pl upload some photos of the brush and the places where they are to be tied.
For the time being the FNAE has put grease over all the wires.I wonder if it has kept the rats away.Will have to check.
Regards

[9thsphinx]

I found a unique solution. Try spraying the engine bay with HIT for cockroaches or Baygon or any other similar brand. The rats somehow dislike this smell as well and won't bother with your car anymore. However, this is a temporary solution and the problem with this method is if you use your A/C a lot, the smell tends to seep inside the cabin and stay there - unless you're living in a city that has a lot of sun. The heat takes the cabin smell away!

The HIT-it method and application only stays for about 5-7 days and you have to redo the spray again after that.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Our pest control people visit once a week. They don't seem to do very much, and we wonder if it was worth the money ...until we realise that we don't seem to have rats any more!

[nitnab]

Originally Posted by faustus77

Hi everybody.
As posted earlier by me I hardly drive in Bombay and so my beat is parked for days at a stretch.
=================
Anything else?
Regards

My humble suggestion, why not try my method listed in post #768. It is three monsoons since I did the cable covering and have not had a single wire / tube cut inspite of having an even larger population of rats in my society compound. The rats do enter the engine compartment but the cables and tubes are safe.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

we realise that we don't seem to have rats any more!

My wife just saw a giant crossing the road from next door (Vinayaka Temple, oddly! Maybe just going off duty ) to opposite plot. But they are, so far, leaving us alone still.

[Trilok]

Recently i had been to Maruti Showroom (Bimal Showroom, Whitefield Road, Bangalore) and they had a offer for a rat mesh which is installed into the car just below the screen in a manner that no rats can enter into the car. I was told it actually cost abt 2.5K and in offer being given for INR 999.
The service person personally took me two a car wherein the rats at eaten into the plastic and entered into the cabin area and destroyed some part of leather seats too!!!!! Well, after i saw that i felt its better to spend INR 999 now rather than ending up with a bill of 10-15K later as my house also has rodent issues...

If Maruti vehicles has this kind of option, i am sure other vehicles will also have similar things to curb rodent menace.

[faustus77]

Originally Posted by nitnab

My humble suggestion, why not try my method listed in post #768. It is three monsoons since I did the cable covering and have not had a single wire / tube cut inspite of having an even larger population of rats in my society compound. The rats do enter the engine compartment but the cables and tubes are safe.

Nitnab
Hi
Thanks a lot for your tip.
What about the cost for the whole lot.
How many metres did you use and how much per metre for both the sizes.
What did you pay to the auto electrician as labour?
Thanks
Regards

[nitnab]

Originally Posted by faustus77

Nitnab
Hi
Thanks a lot for your tip.
What about the cost for the whole lot.
How many metres did you use and how much per metre for both the sizes.
What did you pay to the auto electrician as labour?
Thanks
Regards

I don't remember the exact cost offhand as it was done a while back. I think it costs around 100 to 150 bucks per metre (though the MRP is quoted much higher) of the MX Easy cable cover and around 200 - 300 bucks to the local garrage man to go under the car and do the inaccessible areas. As for inside the engine compartment, I think it is easy enough for you to do it yourself (a lot of it was done by myself). If I remember rightly I spent around 1000/- bucks for the whole job. But it was worth the money and the effort. Do ensure that every bit of cable / tubing is covered (specially the cables from the Engine to ECU as well as the fuel lines and even the short length thin single flexible wires).

[GTO]

Originally Posted by nutmello

it takes lot of time and effort to overcome the rat menace. we protect our cars/ factories and house by doing this
1. regular use of rat cakes ( even if the rats are not to be found) in frequented areas.
2. placing sticky mat ( Rs 35 per mat, easily available in market) all around the car and at door entrances
3. excellent rat traps are available ( made of metal) which is also placed in and around car.
4. keeping the house, factory, office and surrounding free from food garbage ( we remove food garbage daily)- this is very important- deny the food
5. the above suggestions must become a part of our daily chore, just the way we do our other routine things.
only then we will notice considerable eradication of rat menace. any other way is only temporary in nature.

100% Agreed. I tried all sorts of solutions & products over the last 2 years. The only thing that worked was kicking the rats out of the building altogether. 5 months up and no rodent damage to any of my cars.

Originally Posted by GTO

- Complained to the BMC to take necessary steps in my building
- Brought on Pest Control India with their rat treatment. They are going to treat the entire building
- Plugging all holes, soil etc
- Rat traps across the building (cage and the sticky sheet).

[rubicon]

Just read web reports that the cars left at Denver International Airport are being attacked by Rabbits that hop their way under parked cars for warmth.

The Rabbits are turning their sharp teeth onto vehicle electrical systems resulting in thousands of dollars worth of repairs for travelers who leave their vehicles in long term parking. Local wildlife workers have been removing up to 100 rabbits a month from the airport's parking lots.

Meanwhile, Local mechanics & Vegetable farmers are advising owners to mark their vehicle's wires with Fox Urine. The solution/granules is available at most outdoor and hunting stores. Simply spraying the ground around the vehicle is sufficient enough to keep the bunnies away.

Fox Urine is a natural solution for getting rid of nuisance animal pests. It creates an illusion that a fox is present in the garden and scares away pesky nuisance critters without harming them. It scares away small animals including gophers, prairie dogs, squirrels, rabbits, skunk, chipmunk, woodchuck, moles, voles, shrews, possum, gopher, groundhog, porcupine, mice, rats, raccoons.

Has any TBHP'ian tried this out for keeping away Rats ?

[rmonie]

Discovered a bunch of new born rats in my Cruze below the dashboard behind the central console. War has been declared so far I have not been able to discover any damage apart from some chewed up foam insulation, but not taking any chances.

The car smells like a mixture of a masala shop & pesticide.

Lets see what happens!

[narsi_6989]

We have been using the dried tobacco leaves to keep the rats at bay. 2 years back rats had chewed up the indicator and temperature sensor wires of my Fabia and I had to spend a lot to replace them and to check the whole wiring again .

One of our relatives told me that rats can be kept at bay if dried tobacco leaves are used. I just tied up a bunch of leaves and hung it in the engine bay such that it is not in contact with any of the parts (to prevent any damage). It has been working perfectly till date and rats never approach my car.

[pganapathy]

Originally Posted by rmonie

Discovered a bunch of new born rats in my Cruze below the dashboard behind the central console. War has been declared so far I have not been able to discover any damage apart from some chewed up foam insulation, but not taking any chances.

The car smells like a mixture of a masala shop & pesticide.

Lets see what happens!

Make sure you figure out how they got there in the first place. If it is through some opening, getting rid of them is a temporary measure only. You need to ensure that gap is closed, along with any other potential entry point.

[abdriver2000]

Originally Posted by narsi_6989

We have been using the dried tobacco leaves to keep the rats at bay. It has been working perfectly till date and rats never approach my car.

What is the frequency of changing the tobacco? I have tried this in my Indica but it does not work for long. Every 2 weeks, one would need to change it else it gets powdery and scatters.

[narsi_6989]

Originally Posted by abdriver2000

What is the frequency of changing the tobacco? I have tried this in my Indica but it does not work for long. Every 2 weeks, one would need to change it else it gets powdery and scatters.

Hi abdriver2000, I did not find the need to change it that often. I normally change it once in 2 months. Dried tobacco leaves does tend to get powdery, but i do not how it remains in my car for 2 months.

Even if we have to change it often, I don't think it is a big investment