$5000 of rodent damage
Help?
Twice in the last three weeks, I've had to take my 2019 Elantra in for service due to rodent damage. The first time, they chewed through not one, but two wiring harnesses, the intake for my engine, and a bunch of other stuff. Dealership pulled at least two potential nests out from under the car. Got the car back a week later. One week after that, a bunch more crap starts going off. This time, they chewed through the ABS wiring and caused a bunch more issues and the dealership pulled out an entire branch of cedar from within the car.
Insurance covered $4400 worth of damage the first time, this time around I've paid out of pocket since the bill was just over my $500 deductible.
I've put peppermint oil everywhere I can under the hood. On the recommendation of the dealership, I've got smelly fabric softener sheets under every single mat in my car (and in the trunk). I would use mothballs, but real mothballs are incredibly difficult to find and the newer "mothball packets" aren't made from the same chemical (if you've used them and they've worked, let me know!). The dealership has NOT recommended that chili tape you can get for cars to help with rodents. The other two cars in my driveway have not been affected (both are over 10 years old and don't have the soy-based plastic garbage my car has that seems to attract the wildlife). I drive my car at least once a day but can take it out more often if that'll make a difference.
I live in an established neighbourhood with, you guessed it, lots of trees. Multiple people on my street have had issues with this in the last few years, with repair bills in the thousands. At the rate I'm going, I'll end up with another few thousand dollars of repairs by the time April is over and my bank account can't take it much longer.
There isn't another place to park.
I don't have a garage at my disposal.
I don't have a cat/dog to try and catch rodents.
Traps don't work - the squirrels know how to get into them to get the bait and get back out again.
I'm at my wits end. I need something that's not going to cost me $1000 and that I can get/use now. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Twice in the last three weeks, I've had to take my 2019 Elantra in for service due to rodent damage. The first time, they chewed through not one, but two wiring harnesses, the intake for my engine, and a bunch of other stuff. Dealership pulled at least two potential nests out from under the car. Got the car back a week later. One week after that, a bunch more crap starts going off. This time, they chewed through the ABS wiring and caused a bunch more issues and the dealership pulled out an entire branch of cedar from within the car.
Insurance covered $4400 worth of damage the first time, this time around I've paid out of pocket since the bill was just over my $500 deductible.
I've put peppermint oil everywhere I can under the hood. On the recommendation of the dealership, I've got smelly fabric softener sheets under every single mat in my car (and in the trunk). I would use mothballs, but real mothballs are incredibly difficult to find and the newer "mothball packets" aren't made from the same chemical (if you've used them and they've worked, let me know!). The dealership has NOT recommended that chili tape you can get for cars to help with rodents. The other two cars in my driveway have not been affected (both are over 10 years old and don't have the soy-based plastic garbage my car has that seems to attract the wildlife). I drive my car at least once a day but can take it out more often if that'll make a difference.
I live in an established neighbourhood with, you guessed it, lots of trees. Multiple people on my street have had issues with this in the last few years, with repair bills in the thousands. At the rate I'm going, I'll end up with another few thousand dollars of repairs by the time April is over and my bank account can't take it much longer.
There isn't another place to park.
I don't have a garage at my disposal.
I don't have a cat/dog to try and catch rodents.
Traps don't work - the squirrels know how to get into them to get the bait and get back out again.
I'm at my wits end. I need something that's not going to cost me $1000 and that I can get/use now. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!
