Rodent deterrence for engine bay etc

Have you tried installing a cat? ;=))

We zip tie a couple of rat blocks in the engine bay of each vehicle. Seems to get rid of them. Also, if I remember I leave the bonnet open. Bloody things can do some damage

I probably have a solution but since you are a Geelong supporter my Hawthorn supporting family have said you can work it out for yourself !!

Can't leave you hanging :-

If you are concerned about the vehicle while it is in a shed I have several bait stations that seem to keep them out. As someone else has suggested perhaps cable tieing a few blocks around the engine bay will probably be effective. I live on a rural property so they are part of life. In the house I am experimenting with the sonic devices and all good so far.

Oh and for the record I am an ABC supporter :-


Anyone But Collingwood.

A good deterrent is cotton wall balls soaked in peppermint oil, or make up a mixture of water and peppermint oil in spray bottle and spray inside your engine bay and over your motor.

I understand that placing a bright light in the engine bay can keep them away. But I am no expert. They chewed on the wiring of my BMW many years ago. trouble is that wiring insulation is now vegetable based.

Camphor balls, and bait, hopefully they eat the bait and not the wiring

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In the past I have seen recommendations for lights in the engine bay and, me being me, opted to try that.
However I added an extra touch. Instead of just steady LED lights I installed a pair of stroboscopic lights. My logic was that these can be very disorientating as they are a brief and strong assault on human vision so I hope that rodents have the same sensitivity. Also the strobing uses less battery power.
So far, so good.

We have a big problem with the white tailed rat up on the Atherton tablelands, chewing wiring when camping. Led lights in the engine bay and under the body has stopped the bludgers. I know some use a strobe light in the engine bay as well. The lights definitely work. Baits etc. do not work anywhere near as effectively and could lead to other animals ingesting and dying...

Remove the engine cover and leave the bonnet open at night and dont leave any rat food near the vehicle. This is what we advise the local farmers and it's working so far. For bigger equipment we recommend Wurth Rodent Protection spray. The downside it is very sticky and collects dust, dirt and debris.

Set baits on a perimeter line out from what you want to protect. Mine are in pvc pipe. You want to stop them getting in.

Sets traps at what you want to protect and lights do help. If they get in you need to catch them. They dont die instantly from baits.

I duct tape an eastern brown snake to the engine cover each night - haven't seen a mouse in ages :)

After trying a few things giving this ultra sonic device a try nothing to lose.

ebay

Used the bait blocks , they tend to melt and make a mess , if you leave them in and drive, even in the coolest place in the engine bay, plus lucky to find a few victims wedged down near the battery ,would have got rather smelly eventually.
Moth balls are just wrong , the smell they are even overpowering for me, will try the peppermint oil as someone suggested.

Cheers Rob

Contrary to the experience of others here we found an open bonnet & bright light suspended above worked well.

Setting was a 12 month stint in the Iron Range rainforest, Cape York, during which a number of visitors had wiring etc chewed on mainly by melomys'.

The Melomys' were a real nuisance, they would gnaw extensive holes in garden hoses, rubber mats & even the rubber sealing ring on the kitchen sink plugs.

Under bonnet car parts were an easy target for them. They got us once. Amazingly piercing a thick rubber coolant hose, but thankfully not any wiring. Following this we hooked up a 240v LED globe hung from the open bonnet every night & did not sustain any further damage over the following 8 months.

Thankfully damage from the 1kg+ White tailed rats was limited to a coaxial cable for satellite internet on the roof & and a wrecked bed blanket (multiple holes gnawed) from these shap toothed 'monster rats' which regularly gnaw holes into coconuts to eat the coconut 'meat'.

At another rainforest location we had Melomys' nest building on a regularly used doormat. Peppermint oil was used to good effect.

Someone we got to know swore by spraying everything under the bonnet with cheap hairspray when leaving his Toyota unused for a period of time. Never tried it myself.