[Thad E Ginathom]

Oh My God!

I opened the bonnet of the car just now, and a large and, obviously previously comfortable animal glanced at me and ran off in a panic.

It was the size of a large rat, but I had time to notice its distinguishing feature: a big bushy tail. No rat, then <phew> and I'm guessing mongoose. Have seen them in our garden, but not for a while as the crows chase them mercilessly.

Do mongooses (mongeese? ) eat wires?

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

It was the size of a large rat, but I had time to notice its distinguishing feature: a big bushy tail.

Though usually they are slightly bigger, almost as big as a kitten, what you saw can be a civet cat too.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Do mongooses (mongeese? ) eat wires?

I'd welcome that mongoose to your area if I were you. Not only do they eat snakes they also eat small rodents. Baby rats would certainly be on the menu. It probably smelt a rat (no pun intended) and decided to visit your car to investigate further. Never known a mongoose to eat through wires.

[shankar.balan]

The Skoda Service GM gave me two or three bags of Dark Twisted and Matted Tobacco leaves which he had procured from some local market in Bangalore. They cost Rs 80 each.
These have been placed in the Skoda Yeti in the engine compartment to ward of miserable beasts such as Rats and so on.
Apparently, this method works beautifully for the GM Service at Vinayaka Skoda so Im just adopting the same for my Yeti.

Im thinking I must do the same for the Gypsy as well - keep the nasty little furry four legged long tailed beasts away!

[Snehal Sekhar]

It's not rats that I have to worry about, but squirrels. The place I stay is infested with squirrels and they seem to have taken a liking to my Baron. One of them had made a neat dried grass nest under the seat and had nibbled on the wires. Good thing that it didn't cause any damage. I got to know of this when I went to get the Aux lights fitted on the bike. The mech removed the seat to connect the wiring harness and that's when we saw the nibbled wires and grass nest. He wound insulation tape on the effected wires.
These guys have even taken a liking to biting my riding gloves as well that were kept out to air after one of my rides.
I have no clue as how to put an end to their menace. Just thinking of the cost involved to get the bike repaired, if any damage happens due to one of these wires being bitten and causing a short circuit, is driving me nuts.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Though usually they are slightly bigger, almost as big as a kitten, what you saw can be a civet cat too.

That would be a new one for us!

Originally Posted by R2D2

I'd welcome that mongoose to your area if I were you. ... ... Never known a mongoose to eat through wires.

Indeed, it is very welcome as a devourer of rats. They do eat birds' eggs too, which is why the crows chase them away

Thank you for the reassurance. I always been the horn before starting the car in case of cat-in-engine. Now I have another reason!

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

It's not rats that I have to worry about, but squirrels.

Sad to hear about your experience. I've had squirrels nesting in part of a window frame, and we were able to watch some of their growing up. This was great... but in the car and nibbling stuff? Not so great; not great at all.

[Mortis]

I guess rodents in general, squirrels included would pose some danger to wires as all of them have a habit of gnawing things to keep their ever growing incisors in check.

There was a study proposed some time ago to determine what exactly attracts rats to gnaw on wires, it was thought to be some compound or VOC given off by the wire insulation that was supposed to be attractive and the scientists were trying to develop a new insulation that would be non attractive or repellent.

Alas like all the new improved battery and solar panel technology we have been hearing about for years, this too seems to have vanished into the ether. Perhaps its a conspiracy and the wire nexus might have buried it like Big Oil Gas and Coal does to Green technology developments that threaten their bottom line

[prithm]

Since we all are talking "protecting" action here, recently I took my car for 10K service and service engineer there identified that few unwelcomed visitors (read rodents) were paying their visit to my engine bay. He showed me distinctive marks left by them on the fine dust.

They told me that it might be because:

1. I am parking my car very close to the walls.
2. Food left overs or food packages inside the cabin.
3. Wires that are becoming sticky due to heat damage.
4. Any recent oil or polish that I used which closely matches the smell of food.
5. A female rat who might have left some clues for her potential suitor.

Though he had few amazing solutions to these problems.

1. Do an engine wash and cover the engine with Wurth engine polish which he says has necessary "ingredients" to ward off rodents.
2. Crush naphthalene balls and sprinkle the powder around the base of the engine.
3. [Very Radical] - Allow cats to wander near the car and they will naturally smell the rubber tyres and mark them with their "scent" (read urinate in short jet spray). This as per him (and myself included) is the most potent rodent deterrent. But Cat scent marks are really pungent and over time stinks and washing car will wipe off the scent marks too.

I am of the educated opinion to use natural deterrent..

[kapilsharma80]

My friend's punto cabin was a safe heaven for rats. We had absolutely no clue from where they use to enter the cabin. Rat infestation stayed for close to two years. We tried naphtaline balls, keeping cabin spic and span and other ways but all in vain.

Then we decided to take the care to the FASS and asked them to put a metal mesh on the back ventilators where we suspected the rats might enter.In punto ventilators are covered by back bumper: the rats had chewed the plastic cover and made way into the cabin from the boot.

The techician also suggested to put the mesh in front as well on the vent opening for cabin air circulation. In punto this provision is below the plastic covers which are on the bottom of the front windsheild. Rats tend to chew the rubber padding on the either side of the bonnet (next to shocker mounts) and can enter the cabin through the air circulation vent which leads them straight to the air blower and glove box.

I hope this will help all punto owners to check rat infestation into cabin.

One more thing: naphtaline ball dont work to fend off rats...i remember that once we found rat babies delivered in quilt which had naphtaline balls (good local brand)to keep the fabric fresh. The babies were alive and healthy.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Gansan

When I took my car recently for service, it was noticed the turn indicator on the left side (above the wheel) was not blinking. I told them to change the bulb. But the electrician informed me the bulb was OK, just the wire was chewed by rat.

The problem occurred once again after a gap of five years. The rat had chewed through the insulating tape as well as the cable, it was the horn this time.

While having the cable fixed, a senior SA told me to keep raw, country tobacco on the insulation as well as a few strategic places inside the engine bay. Available at shops that sell country medicine products, Rs 10.00 for a pack. Comes as whole leaves, we have to tear it and hang pieces on the cables and keep some in niches. Should be removed before driving the car. Can be used for about a week after which the pungent odor will be gone, and has to be replaced.

He said it is the cheap and effective method. I have been doing it for a couple of weeks, no sign of rats.

[bhp_maniac]

Originally Posted by gautamkhadse

One of my friend who is into chemical manufacturing , has recently releaed the following product .

http://www.amazon.in/dp/B01ELA2G6A

Disclaimer : Have no affiliation or business interest . Try it at your own will .

Thanks for sharing about this product. This finally helped. I sprayed a decent amount in my Swift engine bay and the menace which was happening for the past few months has gone, well at least for now Before, the engine bay used to be filled with food materials every other day and luckily no damage to wiring. FYI, I tried tobacco leaves, lizol etc. before which didn't work for me.

[TorqueTwist]

Rats chewed up my HID ballast wire and made a mess of my HID kit. Both my left low beam and right fog lamp stopped working yesterday. Took my car to a accessory store guy, he confirmed that the HID ballast cannot be used as the rats chewed up at the point from where the wires come out from the ballast. I had to replace the 55 W ballast with a new one. In the earlier instance, buggers chewed up my high beam HID wires; I was lucky at that time as the wires were chewed a bit higher up and could re-join the wires and close it up with heat shrink tubing. Accessories guy suggested spraying a healthy dose of HIT all over the compartment and at wheel wells. Can't say how that can help.

[nishantbhatia84]

Since many years now I have been using this insecticide called 'Umet' - it's a phorate based product. It's available reasonably cheap @ around 70-80 bucks per kg at any pesticide shop.
All one has to do is put a liberal quantity of this product into an old sock or a thin cloth bag and place / tie it wherever you find space inside your bonnet.

On my Ecosport and Figo I place it above the suspension strut area.
This product has worked extremely effectively for me, with absolutely no rat issues.
It lasts for a good 3-4 months and only then it requires to be replaced.

The only downsides to this product are:
1. It's poisonous so needs to be handled with care.
2. It STINKS! Boy it does! Thankfully the stink doesn't seep into the cabin on either of my vehicles but one can definitely smell it when approaching the vehicle even from 4-5 feed away.
That said, the positives of this product are great and it works 100% so I would surely recommend it!

[archat68]

Originally Posted by TorqueTwist

. Accessories guy suggested spraying a healthy dose of HIT all over the compartment and at wheel wells. Can't say how that can help.

This will help. I'm using the same. But you need to repeat the spray at regular intervals, twice in a week. Be sure the engine is not hot while spraying.

[SRK72]

Found this Facebook ad on electrified flooring

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...59681627430872