How to Protect Your Car and Machinery From Rodents

This article is a general guide to removing rats and mice from your vehicles engine and other machinery. By using the professional products and steps listed throughout this DIY guide you will get control of rat and mice infestations. Follow this guide and use the recommended products to remove these rodents, but to also prevent future rat and mice invasions within your car and machinery.

Whether in homes or in your car, a rodent is usually an unwelcome guest. This is because rats and mice are known for their ability to gnaw on electrical wiring or consistent burrowing into multiple surfaces for suitable nesting places. These irritating creatures can and will present themselves inside the engines of your vehicle or other machinery to create suitable nesting sites, especially during the fall and winter.

These persistent pests can find their way into your car and engine compartment through the smallest of openings and once inside, cause severe damage to the wiring, upholstery, and insulation. Besides gnawing on essential components these rodents create significant diseases through their waste. Once inside the hazards of the rodent waste can spread around your car through the air vents and air filtration systems.

Prevention is the best solution to keeping rats and mice from invading your vehicles engines. There are various methods available, but this detailed DIY guide will provide you recommended professional steps and products on how to avoid and control rodent infestations inside your vehicle.

Signs of Rats and Mice in Car

Before inspecting around and inside of your car, tractor, and other machinery make sure to wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to avoid coming into contact with rodent waste and other sharp objects inside engine.

These signs are common for both mice and rats infestations, continue with process of elimination or prevention if any signs of activity are noticed. For specific determination of rat or mice then you will need to examine leftover fecal matter.

Droppings: Rats and mice leave significant amounts of their waste as they travel around and inside of your vehicle. These pests create droppings in the engine, underneath car seats and pedals, along the dash, in the trunk, and other small openings.

Depending on the rodent species, these black or dark brown colored droppings will vary in size and shape. Droppings of rats are pellet-shaped like other mouse species, but slightly larger. Norway rats droppings have blunt ends measuring 3/4 inches and roof rats have pointed ends that are 1/2 inches long. House mice and deer mice droppings will measure to a quarter of an inch long similar to the shape and size of a grain of rice. The difference between these two pests is that house mice waste will resemble a grain of rice whereas deer mice droppings will be more pointed at the end.

Nibble Marks: Rodents need to constantly gnaw on multiple sources to sharpen their growing teeth and create nests with these chewed resources. These pests tend to gnaw on electrical wires, engine hoses, plastic panels in and around car, upholstery covering steering wheel and seats, ground carpet, power steering lines.

Food and Plant Residue: It might not be as common of a sign, but many car owners have noticed partial food and plants such as pet food, grass blades, plant leaves, bird seeds, acorns, and leftover french fries, bread, and other food resources in random places throughout their car. These sources are prominent as this means the rat or mouse is carrying materials to create nests and provide food to feast on in these sites.

Strange Sounds: These pests spend most of the day hiding away underneath the car hood, in car insulation, and sometimes inside your trunk. When driving or sitting in an unmoving vehicle you may hear scratching, scuttling, or squeaks coming from somewhere inside of your vehicle or machinery.

Foul Odors: When a mice or rat secretes fecal matter they also create urine deposits. It is often difficult to determine where this foul, musty odor is coming from, but the most common places for rodents to urinate is across your car seats, dash, cup holders, cabin filters, and underneath car hood. This is also evident for deceased rodents.

Rodent Themselves: More often than not throughout the fall and winter season, you may see the rat or mice escaping from your vehicle. Especially when the vehicle or engine of the machinery is turned on or being worked on. One rat or mice is an indication of a larger rodent infestation in not only your car, but also your home and yard.

How to Keep Rodents Out of Car and Machinery

Once you have confirmed sites of rat and mice activity, you can proceed with treatment. Remember when handling any rodent products to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves since rats and mice depend on smell. If your scent is left on the products being used then rats and mice will avoid the area rendering the product ineffective.

When applying any rodent products on cars, trucks, SUV's, lawn mowers, tractors, engines, motors, vehicle panels, tires, siding, and any other part on other type of machinery to ensure it is turned off. Machinery and vehicles being used will need rodent products to be removed prior to activation.

Step 1: Clean Vehicle

When you regulary clean in and around your car, tractor, and other pieces of equipment it helps discourage rodents from creating nests.

Regulary clean inside of your car to eliminate crumbs and aromas of food for rodents to smell. Make sure to vacuum and clean the dash, carpet, car seats, cup holders, and side of doors with soap and water to remove these food residues before they get a chance to build-up. This step is especially important for homeowners that do not use the vehicle often.

Additionally, you will want to keep your clean vehicles, tractors, and so on away from sites used for food storage such as dog or cat food, animal feed, and canned goods. If these food sources cannot be removed, then store in tightly sealed plastic containers.

Step 2: Maintain Lawns

If you keep your vehicle or other large pieces of machinery outside, make the surrounding area less appealing by mowing when turf reaches a height of 3 inches and keeping bushes and other ornamental foliage trimmed. In contrast, if vehicles and machinery is kept inside of garages or workshops, block entry points by sealing cracks and crevices with caulk and copper mesh.

When fallen leaves surround your car it gives rodents the impression of a suitable environment with plenty of nesting materials. Rake fallen leaves, sticks, and other plant material into piles away from cars, lawn mowers, and other machinery. Gather these leaves into sealed plastic trash bags then properly dispose of them.

Step 3: Set Solutions Easy Set Mouse/Rat Trap

Set standard rodent snap traps baited with peanut butter in front and behind the vehicle seats, in the trunk, and top of the tires. Placing the baited snap-trap in these locations is best as rodents are most likely to use this pathways to travel to and from the car.

We recommend using Solutions Easy Set Rat Trap or Solutions Easy Mouse Trap depending on the rodent. This easy to use snap product is made of sturdy, durable plastic materials for rodent control inside or outside of your vehicle. Not to mention this product also keeps your fingers away from the metal bar when disposing of deceased rodents. Check these traps on a daily basis to remove eliminated rats and mice.

The Solutions Easy Set Rat/Mouse Trap should be removed from the vehicle or machinery when it is being used. Do not operate these machineries with traps inside.

Step 4: Place Loaded Bait Stations Outside

On a regular basis, leave out tamper-resistant bait stations such as Solutions Rat and Mouse Bait Station loaded with rodenticide baits like Eratication Rodent Bait. Both of these products should be used with each other as Eratication Rodent Bait is immediately lethal to rats and mice once ingested. Solutions Rat and Mouse Bait Station provides effective covering of rodent bait blocks from outdoor weather elements, pets, and non-targeted wildlife from eating the Eratication Rodent Bait.

With a gloved hand open the Solutions Rat and Mouse Bait Station with the included key. Place 4 to 6 Eratication Rodent Bait Blocks on the metal rods inside the bait station, then close.

Make sure to put the loaded Solutions Rat and Mouse Bait Station flat against the structures wall closest to the vehicle or place underneath the vehicle behind the tires. We recommend using at least two Solutions Rat and Mouse Bait Stations loaded with 6 Eratication Rodent Bait Blocks. Between each bait station used there should be a distance of 20 to 40 feet.

Check the Solutions Rat and Mouse Bait Stations once a day to replace Eratication Rodent Bait Blocks or deceased rodents. Continue to replace the Eratication Rodent Bait Blocks until rat or mouse activity is no longer noticed.

Key Takeaways

Why Do Rats and Mice Invade Cars, Lawn Mowers, and Other Machinery?

• Rats and mice invade the inside of machines and cars due to the warmth the engine provides and protection from other weather elements, especially during the fall and winter season.

How to Get Rid of Rats and Mice in Car and Machinery

• First, clean the inside and outside of your vehicle and machinery to eliminate food crumbs, food aromas, and other partially eaten food created by you or the rodent. Clean your yard through regular lawn maintenance such as mowing, trimming, and raking. Use Solutions Easy Set Rat/Mouse Trap when vehicles and machinery are not operating. Set out loaded Solutions Rat and Mouse Bait Stations near the vehicle and machinery being used, preferably flat against a building surface or other pathways rodents use for travel.

How to Prevent Rat and Mice Infestation in Vehicles and Machinery

• Once rodents have been removed store cars and other machinery inside of garages or work shops. Seal all cracks and crevices around this structure with caulk and copper mesh. Move pet food, feed, and canned goods away from storage area or place into tightly sealed plastic containers to deter rodents. Continue to perform regular lawn maintenance and clean vehicle on a weekly basis. You can also deter rodent infestations by taking your vehicle or other machinery out on a regular basis.