I went camping in the desert a few weeks ago and my grandson pointed out a critter had chewed on my tent. We've had the tent for 40 years and I would have been cranked if the damage had breached the actual floor or sidewall of my Springbar Tent. We drove home, I repaired the damage, life goes on.

I hadn't driven my truck for two weeks when I went to the gun range and noticed the check engine light had come on. This is a 2017 Tundra, just out of warranty (I had an extended warranty and expected to make a claim).

The dealership called and said the damage was caused by rodents. None of my neighbors have alerted about this problem and in 30 years of living here, we haven't experienced it before.

Total cost of repair, at the dealer, is $3,800! Gratefully, it was covered by my comprehensive insurance so my out-of-pocket is $50.00. The truck has been at the dealer for 10 days. The insurance inspector had to verify the damage, the parts had to be ordered and the dealership had to schedule the repair.

Of course, I'd like to prevent this from happening again. The truck is parked in my front driveway. I've looked at the electronic rodent repellant gadgets on Amazon. From what I can see on YouTube videos they don't appear to work. I've place poison bait in a trap by the house in front of where the truck is parked.

Any suggestions on how to make these critters feel unwelcome or dead?

Hey, lets make the wiring insulation out of soy so it's biodegradable.
Oh yeah, rodents love it.

A guy I work with stored his daughters brand new car in his garage while she was away for a couple of weeks.
They mowed down a large field next to him and the mice moved into the garage and ate the wiring all the way to the dome lights.
It was almost $5K to fix it all.
He just put out poison to kill them off.

They do make tape for wrapping anything in sight that they will not eat that's made with pepper.
There was a story about 100's of cars in Chicago's airport long term storage that had to be towed out due to rabbits eating the wiring.

Hate to tell 'ya, but you can use a few feral cats.

Toyota loves to use the plant based insulation. I think the Yaris was the first one they tried it with. Just imagine a regular wiring harness smeared with peanut butter.

Seems to be getting more common. My boss had the same thing happen to his Tundra, except it was squirrels.

Many thousands of dollars in damage as well.

There has been quite a bit of rodent activity in my neighborhood lately.

So I placed THESE bait stations filled with THIS rodenticide around the perimeter of my garden.

This is exactly the same stuff my neighbor paid an exterminator $350 to deploy around his property.

The bait in my four stations is completely consumed weekly, and the rodent population has been significantly reduced.

Good luck.

very common

think there is still a class action suit against Honda about it

Same thing happened to my 2014 Tacoma recently. Rodent damage to wiring. Fortunately my auto comp insurance paid the bill less my deductable. The problem is so prevalent that when I searched the fault code (P0333), it said knock sensor bank 1. The next sentence said most likely caused by rodent damage!

Maybe he rode home from the desert?

Get the outdoor rat poison boxes (other critters can't get into them) and put Fast track or Contract in them. You usually see them outside of restaurants everywhere. Here is a great place that sells them and the poison to go in them. They're also very helpful on the phone.

https://www.domyown.com/rat-ba...ations-c-21_333.html

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jimmy123x,

quote:

Originally posted by snwghst:
very common

think there is still a class action suit against Honda about it

That's why they make Honda tape. https://www.alldiscountparts.c...C4BM4HMaAol0EALw_wcB

All car manufactures have been using soy based insulation since the late 90's.

We get rabbits around the house and at work. They are taken out with an air rifle if I see them around.

I keep an LED light under my Ferrari and Tacoma go keep the pack rats away.

Also like it when I see king snakes in my yard.

Mice have gnawed the hood insulation and asbestos tube wrap from my Sport Trac over the years.

Several years ago, I kept smelling gas fumes. My step son who is a mechanic and I tried every solution trying to find the leak.

Finally got so strong I couldn't drive it, took it to the Ford dealership.

Squirrel /s had chewed a quarter sized hole in the plastic gas tank between the cab and bed.

$500

Same thing happened to my Hyundai. Mice chewed on the cable to my day time running lights. Bastages.

Problem is, around here, kill one, and five thousand show up for the funeral.

H&K-Guy

It's not a new problem. My Mom had it happen to her Saturn about 25+ years ago. It wasn't as expensive as yours, but it was pretty bad.

Her response was to create a shortage of mothballs in the upper Midwest by putting them all into her car. It was pretty whiff in there, but she never again had rodents eating her wiring.

Will keeping security lights on in the parking area be enough, or would it take light shining specifically under the vehicles?

quote:

Originally posted by Sunset_Va:
...Squirrel /s had chewed a quarter sized hole in the plastic gas tank between the cab and bed...

DAMN! There are a problem. I saw some kind of non-toxic peppermint spray at the local hard ware store, might be worth a shot.

(FWIW: my friend had a cat that spent 50% outside. He died suddenly one day, it was ugly. Vet was pretty sure he was poisoned; like he got a mouse that had already eaten poison from a trap).

Lights do nothing.

This has happened to my last two trucks. My 2003 Chevy quadrasteer and now my 2015 Chevy Silverado. The Chevy dealer that repaired my wiring 6 months ago used the Honda electrical tape to ward off the squirrels. Guess what. They did it again. I’ve got to take it back in and Get it fixed again. There should be an freaking class action suit against Chevy for this shit too

Now that I think about it I’ve been smelling gas fumes too. I better have them take a look at that too. Little shits won’t go to a live trap with peanuts or corn so now I’ve started setting out a rat trap with peanut butter. They’re avoiding it to. Damn squirrels are smarter than shit!