Keeping Rodents Out of Your Vehicle

cradmin • December 17, 2016

Tricks for keeping rodent pests out of your home or garden are pretty common to find. Everyone has their own techniques for keeping mice, rats or squirrels out of a house. But what about trying to keep rodents out of … Continue reading →

Keep Rodents Out of Your Vehicles

Keep Rodents Out of Your Vehicles

Tricks for keeping rodent pests out of your home or garden are pretty common to find. Everyone has their own techniques for keeping mice, rats or squirrels out of a house. But what about trying to keep rodents out of your car, camper, RV or other vehicles?

Part of the problem with rodents and vehicles is that you can’t always tell they are there. When they settle in and start to build nests in the undercarriage or engine areas, there may be no signs whatsoever. Of course, if they have infiltrated right into the body itself, then you will start to notice debris, droppings or related damage in the passenger or living sections of the vehicle.

Tip #1 – Let There Be Light

If you’re trying to protect a car or truck, one trick to keep them from getting in the engine area is to leave the hood up when the vehicle is parked (in a garage or other protected spot). The added light will give the mice second thoughts about nesting.

Tip #2 – Strip It Down

For RVs or boats, when you are storing for the winter, remove as much fabric as you can. Cushions, curtains, and other upholstered items should all be brought inside to remove the nesting material so tempting to rodents.

Tip #3 – Use a Good Repellent

A good repellent is another way to go, and it can be used for just about any kind of vehicle. Shake-Away rodent repellent can be put out inside some of the hidden areas of your vehicle (in the trunk, or in the backs of cabinets if you’re dealing with a boat or RV). For vehicles that are parked for longer periods of time, or in seasonal storage, you can also use these types of pelleted repellent products to create a barrier by sprinkling them on the ground around your vehicle as well as inside.

Tip #4 – Move It Around

In a situation where you are still using your vehicle regularly (in other words, not in storage), you can try to park in different locations. Rodents will often explore multiple times before starting to nest in a vehicle, and if you are parked in precisely the same location every single day, that makes it easy for them to become comfortable. Even just changing your spot from one end of the drive to the other, and not always keeping your car in the garage can be enough.

And speaking of garages, you can help keep rodents out of your vehicle by pest-proofing your garage. Check for holes, gaps or cracks where animals can be getting in. If you can keep them out of the garage, you’ll have a lot less trouble protecting your car.

 

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