box100 Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 I stopped using my car last month and have just found a lot of grey insulation in the footwells and a nest from paper in the boot. It was parked in the garage , I’ve just taken the nest out, parked it outside with the doors open and hoping the wind will encourage them to exit. Any advice appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daboy3000 Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 They probably leave the car during the day to look for food. I would start with sorting out your garage, look for any signs or places where they can get in. They can fit through a hole as big as a 10p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toddie Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 Borrow next doors cat! Put traps in the car, I put 3 in mine over winter 1 in car, 1 in frunk, 1 in boot, they love peanut butter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattman42 Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 and chocolate - traps in the garage as well is the only way to ensure you get them before they do too much damage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menoporsche Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 And before anyone says they are cute, someone here had a horrific bill, either a major wiring loom or part of the hood or both. Get them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 39 minutes ago, Daboy3000 said: They probably leave the car during the day to look for food. I would start with sorting out your garage, look for any signs or places where they can get in. They can fit through a hole as big as a 10p The 10p is for a Rat to be able to gain access. If you can put a bic biro through a hole there is a fair chance a mouse can get in. Basically for both pests, if the can get their head in they can squeeze their body through!! Both pests leave scent trails that their mates can follow hence why you still get them after you have caught one. It takes months for this to dissipate. Jeyes fluid is v good for disguising the scent, although I wouldn't suggest this in the car. Spearmint Essent discourages rats so may work on mice. By the way mice can get sustenance from eating the plastic from the wiring loom so don't have too leave the car! Do what you can to discourage them asap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul P Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 Had this years ago when I had my 911. I tried all the humane methods, ultrasonics, scent masks. ended up having to get medieval ( which I really was trying to avoid ) and bought a thing called a rat zapper 2000. basically mice are largely incontinent. Their feet and undersides are usually “damp”. The rat zapper has two plates inside it. When mouse bridges the gap there’s a shock generated. Baited with dry dog biscuits. Worked really well. “Cleaner” kills. And clearing the trap is simply tip into a bin. hated doing it but I had already lost a few power tools to rodent damage and when they started on the car it had to end. something like this. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/355300044287?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=wz00hf2ntz-&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=oEElfMfrSX2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menoporsche Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 (edited) This is definitely a thing. https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/dec/20/help-a-rat-ate-my-car-and-its-costing-me-thousands on a different forum some guy said “My SL55 was an insurance write off” Edited December 21, 2023 by Menoporsche Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bike Loon Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huytonman Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 The Rat Zapper is around £22 on Amazon - having had this problem which resulted in the wiring to my ECU and Fuel guage being chewed on a 981 - the ECU fix wasnt cheap I concur with the advice to first check your garage for anything that may attract them - in my case it was dried dog food as discovered by the Porsche mechanic who range me up to ask "have you got a dog? - because there is about a kilo of dried food stored in the car". Once I removed that the blighters moved on - I did also add an unltrasonic deterrent, who knows if that works but it was cheap and worth a try (I still use one today). They do have a taste for wiring, at the time I also had a Mk1 MX5 in the garage and that was also chewed but I fixed that myself. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattman42 Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 I can hire out this little rat killer out at very reasonable rates - he’s prolific and proud of his work! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul P Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 1 hour ago, Menoporsche said: This is definitely a thing. https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/dec/20/help-a-rat-ate-my-car-and-its-costing-me-thousands on a different forum some guy said “My SL55 was an insurance write off” Mate of mine works for uk power networks in the fleet management office. They have a lot of vans parked in back street car parks and railway yards etc. they have had a problem with rats eating into brake lines - so much so that they have commissioned a set of aluminium covers that they bolt on to the vans to cover the exposed lines. At one point local region had 12 vans off the road waiting for replacement lines to be fitted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul P Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 2 minutes ago, Mattman42 said: I can hire out this little rat killer out at very reasonable rates - he’s prolific and proud of his work! That an asbo tag around his neck ? when I had my mouse problem I shyate my two cats in the garage. As half Persian “lovvies” they just sat on top of the car and stared at the mice. brief kidnapping of neighbours cats was more productive. a later cat that we found as a stray kitten would have been awesome. Turns out he was a Norwegian forest cat (Maine coon family) a popular “shipboard cat” because they are murdering b*st*rds. He liked pigeons and rabbits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattman42 Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 3 minutes ago, Paul P said: That an asbo tag around his neck ? when I had my mouse problem I shyate my two cats in the garage. As half Persian “lovvies” they just sat on top of the car and stared at the mice. brief kidnapping of neighbours cats was more productive. a later cat that we found as a stray kitten would have been awesome. Turns out he was a Norwegian forest cat (Maine coon family) a popular “shipboard cat” because they are murdering b*st*rds. He liked pigeons and rabbits. Air tag so we can track the little fecker down when he goes on a field trip! Nothing is safe with this one - pigeons, mice, rats, any type of birds - he had a taste for Robins earlier in the year so our christmas cards were ruined! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iborguk Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 11 minutes ago, Paul P said: I shyate my two cats in the garage. That's a bit harsh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninesomething Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 My cousin had a 356 which he never told me about until he'd sold it. Coward. Anyway mice got in and ate the seats. Cost him a whole packet of mints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menoporsche Posted December 21, 2023 Report Share Posted December 21, 2023 The Seat with the Hole? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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