That's exactly what's happened here. Overnight a wood rat got into our car engine and built a nest, with forest debris, bark, grass, blueberries, shiny objects, etc. Thankfully no real damage was done. But rats are notorious for returning to the scene of the crime and inflicting extreme damage to property of all kinds. Yes, sometimes they are called pack rats because they're attracted to shiny objects, but the name pack rat makes them sound cute. These rodents are not cute, not to mention they carry lots of diseases.
After we cleared the engine of their nest, the next day we found three under ripe blueberries on top of the engine. We now have traps set on top of the front tires, lights under the car overnight, overhead lights on all night, and the hood up. Apparently rats don't like daylight. Last night no evidence of rats but one trap was moved. For us tonight is another anticipatory waiting game. Hopefully it isn't traumatic. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.
Fingers and toes crossed that your efforts are successful.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue, thanks, we are so worried that the rats will eat at our car engines and it will cost us a bundle. yikes. so far so good.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I did not know that they built nests in cars and can cause such havoc. Heard about the diseases they carry but nothing else. This has been an education.
ReplyDeletep.s. as a child we lived near a railway embankment that was home to rats. My parents brought a cat into our home, not just as a pet. He was the rat/mouse catcher I'm assuming. I remember having a converesation with my father why I couldn't keep one of the rats as a pet? Shortly afterwards the mother of a young boy I was friends with, gave me a pet rat. It was white with pink eyes and was very tame! I do seem to remember the look on my mother's face when I came home with this white rat in its cage. We already had a dog and a cat and lots of pet rabbits. The rat disappeared a few days later. Mother told me the pet rat missed its home and she had had to take it back. I can only imagine the conversation she had with my friend's mother. Oh well, that's the story of my pet rat ;) My Dad was also a big fan of those movies.
DeleteHi Denise, thanks, squirrels also nest in car engine compartments and are also destructive
DeleteHi Denise, thanks, the white rats with pink eyes are far different from the wood rats of cities and the woods. I remember in my collge psychology studies we had to train white rats and study their behavior, it was an education and still is to this day.
ReplyDeleteThat does not sound pleasant and repairs can be expensive. One year my husband’s pick-up would not start. It turned out some rodent had eaten the wiring. We placed trap and scent deterrent and they did not come back. I have left a car in my house in Georgia as I go there half of every month and I am always afraid something will happen to that car, so far so good.
ReplyDeletewild animal unexpectedly come to our house too..
ReplyDeleteGood that you could overcome the problem of rats...
Have a wonderful day