Leaving the hood / bonnet open overnight for rats.

JonM1 · Feb 8, 2020

How long can I leave the hood open. Will an alarm go off after a while? I would think never but these things constantly surprise me.

I'm trying to keep rats out of my engine compartment and don't want the alarm to go off in the middle of the night.

I'm going to try it tonight but thought I would ask first.

I don't think it will let me lock the car as the warning horn goes off every time. Right now anything stolen out of the car will be cheaper then what that little bugger has done to my LR3 - had to have the wiring harness fixed.

(pine sol, dryer sheets, and mothballs I'm going to try too. Also electronic mouse blocker I heard might work)

ArmyRover · Feb 8, 2020

Have you considered a large pet cat? Should be able to leave it up all night

Gov na · Feb 12, 2020

I had the pac rats eat up some of my wires as well, I heard the wires nowadays are soy based, go figure. After I spliced and repaired all my wires I thought I would just spray wd40 over the engine bay and see if the smell of it would work, it's what I had on hand and I didn't soak the engine, just enough to cover and I hadn't had any problems since, could be a coincidence but has worked for me so far.

5crows · Feb 14, 2020

Got to ask, why do you need hood open over night? Rat most likely coming in from underside, right?

I've heard that fox ***** repellent works for rodents. But I have not had the problem under hood.

Maybe you can identify and pull the fuse for hood alarm? (If there is one).

zulu · Feb 14, 2020

I had the same problem. Chewed through my wiring harness.. Twice!. Tried mothballs..but my son commented that the car now smelled like grandmas house. Tried tying strings around the engine that was dipped in sirrachi sauce. Worked for a bit. But then mustve gotten a rat that had a Thai background or something. So what i figured is that once a rat finds your engine as a suitable home it will always come back. So i hung up some poison in the engine. It appeals to the rat but wont **** it immediately to avoid having it die in the engine. Seems to be the best remedy for me so far

Houm_WA · Feb 14, 2020

Nobody has tried a standard mouse/rat trap in the garage around the vehicle??? Maybe with a glob of peanut butter on it?

zulu · Feb 14, 2020

My car is parked outside.. Fearful that if i leave traps with peanut butter around it will attract more unwanted guests

RobRover88 · Feb 14, 2020

I had a problem with mice getting into my D4's engine bay & leaving their "calling cards", but no wiring
damage - so far! When we get a major drought here in Aussie the mice come into houses & garages.
I seem to have solved the problem by taping a couple of "Ratsak" edible sachets in the engine bay, well away from heat sources. They haven't been touched in over a year & we've had our worst drought for
decades. I throw the sachets around inside the garage walls as well. Seems to work. There should be a similar product available at your U.S. Home Depot stores. Good luck!

JDiehl · Feb 14, 2020

I leave my hood up all night fairly often with no issues but it is parked in the garage.

blacksparrow · Feb 17, 2020

Just found a nest in mine over the weekend (right on top behind manifold cover, near windshield), first time. Cleaned it out and will keep watch. Hopefully no damage, no errors and can't see anything abnormal in engine bay. I also have to park outside. I am in hills in So. Cal, Laurel Canyon so we have all kinds of critters.

Leaving the hood / bonnet open overnight for rats.

JonM1

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ArmyRover

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Gov na

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5crows

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zulu

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Houm_WA

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zulu

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RobRover88

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JDiehl

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blacksparrow

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