Rats ate some stuff in my engine bay

[zzyzzx]

On my 1999 V6 Alero. Damage seems to be to my battery (group75DT), the insulating thing around the battery, the washer fluid reservoir cap, and the washer fluid reservoir itself. I am not planning on replacing the battery insulator, and I think the damage to the washer fluid reservoir is minor enough that I don't have to worry about a new cap coming off (since the damaged one isn't coming off either). My question is to how to potentially seal up the holes in the battery case?

 

[old1]

A good silicone glue

 

[JC1]

How big are the holes in the battery case and where are the holes on the case?

 

[zzyzzx]

Would Gorilla Glue (polyeurethane glue) work good here if I happened to have that?

 

[John_Conrad]

Flex seal tape.

 

[John_Conrad]

oh and better get some bait boxes set up around the perimeter of your building and keep the bait full, these critters multiply fast.

I live out in the country and deal with this all the time.

 

[jcartwright99]

Originally Posted by John_Conrad
oh and better get some bait boxes set up around the perimeter of your building and keep the bait full, these critters multiply fast.

I live out in the country and deal with this all the time.


A few outside cats generally solve these problems.

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted by JC1
How big are the holes in the battery case and where are the holes on the case?


Small holes here:

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted by John_Conrad
Flex seal tape.


Are you serious? I was thinking more along the lines of some sort of glue, topped by some sort of tape (like HVAC tape, or Flex Seal, or Gorilla Tape).

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted by old1
A good silicone glue


I think you are probably right here. I've done some homework and it seems like it's resistant to the acid and will stick good to the battery case. And I just found some laying around (and a relatively fresh tube too).

 

[loosebenz]

Why do they eat the insides under the hood? I thought rats are smart?

 

[Dinoburner]

Some of the hose insulation is made from soy don`t know about wire. Since the gov`t banned warfrin there isn`t a fast acting poison

 

[Oro_O]

Originally Posted by jcartwright99


A few outside cats generally solve these problems.


No kidding, or even good dogs.

c. 2000, squirrels or rodent like that got into the engine bay of my mom's nice Pontiac Grand Am GT. Fortunately, under warranty/company policy so the $3k repair bill was born by others. I swept in from the east coast, and her younger son and his wife persuaded me to go against my best judgment and spend a millennial new year's eve in Vegas - oh my that's a whole 'nuther story.

But anyway, three weeks later after I shook myself free of the clutches of that city and its depths, We determined that three weeks of rat-hound dachshunds roaming the property shed it of any thing rodent-like. Almost 20 years later and all safe, and there are vehicles parked outside all the time, tractor, excavator, etc. A serious period of predators on the property will really scare away rodents effectively.

 

[1foxracing]

Honda makes a anti rodent tape, not cheap but I've heard of good results
https://www.ebay.com/i/171844106322...xJN9Zx3S-4wfc2Xz1ojog-TukdIaAn31EALw_wcB

 

[WyrTwister]

Eric O. of South Main Auto , youtube channel has a video that he uses it .

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted by zzyzzx
On my 1999 V6 Alero. Damage seems to be to my battery (group75DT)



Problem is, if they chewed there, there's almost certainly damage done elsewhere and they've built a home somewhere in the vehicle.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted by 1foxracing
Honda makes a anti rodent tape, not cheap but I've heard of good results
https://www.ebay.com/i/171844106322...xJN9Zx3S-4wfc2Xz1ojog-TukdIaAn31EALw_wcB


It's got hot pepper embedded in the tape. Will convince the mice/rats to stop chewing, but not really repel.

 

[Donald]

We had a single rat in garage (so no babies,) and it was not disturbed by our untrasonic mouse blocker. Rat chewed felt on battery washer which was 6" from mouse blocker.

The main damage was done to WW reservoir and WW hoses.

We set many mouse and rat traps and a night camera and saw the guy. Finally caught in a Havahart trap and released on way to work in another state.

Rats are very smart.

Cat or poison, not both.

Buy coyote urine.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by Dinoburner
Some of the hose insulation is made from soy don`t know about wire. Since the gov`t banned warfrin there isn`t a fast acting poison

Not for a licensed pest control tech.

The common OTC active ingredient diphacinone is an effective anticoagulant... and yes, it's slow acting as you def' don't want one dropping dead in a wall void. You want them to live long enough to go back to any nest they have outside the house; hopefully it's not in your wall or in the crawl space. You also don't want possums and racoons that may happen to eat a bait block dying under your home.

And they chew to keep their incisors short.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by Donald
We had a single rat in garage (so no babies,) and it was not disturbed by our untrasonic mouse blocker. Rat chewed felt on battery washer which was 6" from mouse blocker.

The main damage was done to WW reservoir and WW hoses.

We set many mouse and rat traps and a night camera and saw the guy. Finally caught in a Havahart trap and released on way to work in another state.

Rats are very smart.

Cat or poison, not both.

Buy coyote urine.

That's because rodents eventually "learn" that your noise maker presents no harm. In other words, the contraption is useless... sorry to say.

And rodents navigate by scent.. when one blazes a trail, it's a good bet others will follow. Seal up any openings with screening and expansion foam and don't leave the garage door open unnecessarily if you have a known rodent issue... especially in the evening hours when rodents are more active.

I put bait stations along the perimeter of the foundation.. rodents skim along the foundations following a scent path. You gotta change the bait blocks out every 3 months as they go stale.