[deehunk]

Originally Posted by RLight

Hi deehunk,

I am looking to buy the Varna Ultrasonic rodent repellant too.

Thanks,
RLight

The rats have been away from my car now for atleast 3 weeks, I am using Tufkote near ECM and ultrasonic repellent near the wiper motor both places have been free from rat/rat substance. There is no drilling required to fit this in engine bay, the device has to be fitted with the speaker facing the bonnet top so that the sound emitted by the device is spread across inside. I suggest not to connect the device through ignition key and connect it to the battery directly as the current drawn from battery is very negligible. I have seen the reviews on their website and few cars require 2 speakers so check with them before buying. The cheapest option still worth trying is using raw tobacco leaves which is effective than all other methods.

[gopikb]

My Punto is under attach from a rat for the past two weeks. Initially it cut the reverse sensor wire due to which it stopped working. Today the ABS Not available light turned On upon ignition. So the rat is cutting down the wires one by one. Have tagged the Tufkote tins - two of them in engine bay. Will see if it helps.

The surprising thing is that the rat seemed to have entered the cabin of the car as well and I see rat **** all around the cabinet. It has also started biting the passenger seat cushion from underneath the seat. I saw few chucks of cushion lying below. I am not sure how a rat can enter the cabin. Called Vecto motors for service booking. But the next slot available was only on Aug 1st. Have no choice but to wait.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by gopikb

My Punto is under attach from a rat for the past two weeks. Initially it cut the reverse sensor wire due to which it stopped working. Today the ABS Not available light turned On upon ignition. So the rat is cutting down the wires one by one. Have tagged the Tufkote tins - two of them in engine bay. Will see if it helps.

The surprising thing is that the rat seemed to have entered the cabin of the car as well and I see rat **** all around the cabinet. It has also started biting the passenger seat cushion from underneath the seat. I saw few chucks of cushion lying below. I am not sure how a rat can enter the cabin. Called Vecto motors for service booking. But the next slot available was only on Aug 1st. Have no choice but to wait.

You have to murder the rat. There is no such thing as a rat repellant. If rat is alive rat is problem. If rat is dead, rat is no problem.
There are various ways of killing rat.
Taking a stick and beating it multiple times will kill it. but you have to catch it first. If you are a fast runner, you can try this method.

However, if you are not, buy a rat trap and capture the rat, and then commit the murder.

The sticky glue trap is best for catching rats. Use peanut butter sandwitch. Its the rats favorite meal, and protocol demands that the prisoner be given the best meal before death penalty. Will also help rat to quickly be trapped.

[gopikb]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

You have to murder the rat. There is no such thing as a rat repellant. If rat is alive rat is problem. If rat is dead, rat is no problem.
There are various ways of killing rat.
Taking a stick and beating it multiple times will kill it. but you have to catch it first. If you are a fast runner, you can try this method.

However, if you are not, buy a rat trap and capture the rat, and then commit the murder.

The sticky glue trap is best for catching rats. Use peanut butter sandwitch. Its the rats favorite meal, and protocol demands that the prisoner be given the best meal before death penalty. Will also help rat to quickly be trapped.

tsk1979, Agree with you. Unless the rat is alive, it keeps returning to the same spot again and again. All these repellents might work for a few days and this is turning out to be a major problem. I was supposed to drive to Palani this weekend and that has gone for a toss now.

By the way, those sticky glue trap that you indicated, does it work for the rat's larger cousin (I guess they call it bandicoots) as well? I am tempted to try it now. your other solution of running and catching the rat - that was a joke. isn't it? I dont think we can ever match them as they go into hiding very easily.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

You have to murder the rat. There is no such thing as a rat repellant. If rat is alive rat is problem. If rat is dead, rat is no problem.
There are various ways of killing rat.
Taking a stick and beating it multiple times will kill it. but you have to catch it first. If you are a fast runner, you can try this method.

However, if you are not, buy a rat trap and capture the rat, and then commit the murder.

The sticky glue trap is best for catching rats. Use peanut butter sandwitch. Its the rats favorite meal, and protocol demands that the prisoner be given the best meal before death penalty. Will also help rat to quickly be trapped.

I will escalate your post with the Rat Rights Commission.

Alternatively, you can catch the rat in the trap (after going through tsk's flowchart) and then give a nice ride to the rat in your car (which is trapped in the trap) and set it free at an isolated place. This way you escape the murder charges.

[VW2010]

When we eat goat, chicken, cow,buffalo what not, there is nothing wrong in killing a rat. Having said that, the best way to protect is to use your car once a day irrespective of how busy you are.

Few tips:-

- Daily check your car once and notice anything different.
- if you see ants, there are and there was rats that carried some food and is not staying either under your car shield or in front of your bumper.
- Remove your bumper at home and clean them once every 15 days. If not bumper you can just try the grill part alone.
- Use some mosquito repellent over night
- Tobacco stratergically placed and try blocking all access area with some cloth. I use socks with tobacco.
- If you smell something different when you start the car, double check for rat.
- Rat poop is just an alarm for its always fresh for quite some hours. If you see fresh rat poop slightly wet, just take your car out for a short drive, clean the car and just put it back.
- If the above step happens everyday, just drive everyday.
- If you are using the car occasionally, sell the car and use cabs

Overall as a car owner if you can spend few minutes a day to look under your car and clean your car you can avoid any issues with rats.

[bigben]

I found rat foot prints in my engine bay. I guess mine being a diesel, stays warm and thats why this dude comes every night. Now I have noticed the rat poop on the top of the air filter case. A couple of months ago when my neighbour had parked his car in the same spot where I normally park, a snake entered his car. It must have gotten the smell of the rat.

As of now this lil fella just comes I guess for the warmth provided by the engine. So far he has not bitten off any wires or caused any harm.

what do I do? Let it be or .....??

[Thad E Ginathom]

I'm afraid the answer is "or ....."

So far he has not bitten off any wires or caused any harm.

Sadly, it is almost inevitable that he/they will.

It may go against the finer instincts, but we cannot let these animals invade our cars, gardens, houses. Simply the rate at which they can breed means that it does become an invasion.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I'm afraid the answer is "or ....."

I have used my quota of 2 smilies but wished that I had more! Your post made me burst in laughter! You have the uncanny ability of weaving words like a craftsmen. Reason why I always look upto your posts!

Tsk's last post was also fantastic! Love the humor coming in teambhp flavors!

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Sadly, it is almost inevitable that he/they will.

It may go against the finer instincts, but we cannot let these animals invade our cars, gardens, houses. Simply the rate at which they can breed means that it does become an invasion.

On a serious note, that is right. If you remain in inaction regarding this menace, they will soon land you in trouble.

[tsk1979]

Over the past few years, I have hunted down this vily creature. Do not underestimate this creature. In the olden days men used to band together and hunt dragons. That was simpler.

This creature will hide at the first sign of trouble. Under the seat, behind the curtains, under your bed, wherever it can, no matter what poisons you find, this vile creature will outsmart you.

To kill it, you have to train like a jedi. Its reflexes are quick and it mind sharp, so you have to be one with the elements to hunt it down. As I mentioned earlier, pesonally hunting it down is the best way. The last beast I murdered had me up till 4am in the morning. For 6 hours I stalked it, and launched multiple hits. finally after 4 broken vases, one torn curtain, and 2 cracked pots, I was successful

But as you can see this is not practical, though morally uplifting.

For quick genocide of this vile creature, you have to purchase glue trap. If your target is bigger, get the multiple entry mouse trap. It has a one way trap door. Once mouse gets in, it cannot get out. Much more effective than the spring loaded trap. These vile creatures have learned our defences and delicately extract the bait from the spring load.

So make sure, get the trap door trap if your target is big.

[kash_pegasus]

Staying in a central government staff colony surrounded by trees and loads of greenery, senseless idiots throwing waste all around the dust bins, it was no surprise that this hairy ball with 4 legs popped up to say hello in my house.

"Mortein rat kill" works just fine in the house. The only problem is becoming the "sniffer" after a few days to try find the location of the dead rat and drag the decaying carcass out of the house.

The glue traps suggested in some posts are actually illegal. Rather- they are thrown with the rats in to garbage (disposed of carelessly). There have been notable cases of birds getting stuck in these glue traps and dying. If at all anyone plans to use it- please make sure you dispose it off carefully, perhaps bury it neatly. Let us do out part to the environment.

[SirAlec]

one important thing to remember is that. Just keep the re-circulation switch to off after using it.

[gopikb]

Guys, here is the update after almost 4 weeks since the rat menace started. I had bough Tufkote rat repellent and tied all 4 bottles in the engine bay in different locations. Absolutely no effect. They have still been happily hovering around the engine compartment.

Two days ago I spread chilli powder in a newspaper on the driver and passenger seats inside cabin. Yesterday I also bought a sticky mat, put a piece of bread in the cente and placed the sticky mat inside the engine compartment. Today morning I was hoping to find a rat caught in the mat. Guess what??. This is what I saw in the morning

The rat has eaten the full bread that was kept in the engine compartment on sticky mat. I could see footprints of the rat in the glue with some pieces of its hair stuck to the glue. But the rat managed to free itself pretty easily I guess. Moreover I saw rat potty all over the chilli powder which was kept in the cabin.

I am lost for ideas now. I guess I will have to call a pest controller similar to what GTO did. Can anybody throw light on how much these pest controllers charge for keeping rats away from cars

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by gopikb

The rat has eaten the full bread that was kept in the engine compartment on sticky mat. I could see footprints of the rat in the glue with some pieces of its hair stuck to the glue. But the rat managed to free itself pretty easily I guess. Moreover I saw rat potty all over the chilli powder which was kept in the cabin.

I am lost for ideas now. I guess I will have to call a pest controller similar to what GTO did. Can anybody throw light on how much these pest controllers charge for keeping rats away from cars

Was the engine hot? If so, engine heat may have partially melted the glue, or you got a bigger rat which can wrestle itself free. This is good news. This means you can buy the "multi rat" trap. Its a trap with a trapdoor.
The trapdoor is closed with a spring which pushes it from inside the trap. To get to the bait(peanut butter laced bread), the rat will push at the trapdoor which will open easily, and then it will close behind the rat. Now rats can push, not pull, so push it may, but trapdoor will not open.
This is much better than the pin collapse traps, as many rats gently lick the bait without triggering. The trap door trap has nothing to trigger. As soon as rat is in the trap, its toast.

Remember, there is no such thing as rat repellant. Such a device does not exist. If it did exist, the inventor will be a legend.

[kash_pegasus]

Originally Posted by gopikb

I am lost for ideas now. I guess I will have to call a pest controller similar to what GTO did. Can anybody throw light on how much these pest controllers charge for keeping rats away from cars

You seem to really have a wily and strong creature tormenting you. You definitely can consider getting the pest controllers to get rid of them (perhaps). But what steps can you take to make sure it won't recur? Forget the repellants- did you try Mortein "rat kill". It indeed is effective!