Rats can multiply fast.
One pair and their offspring can produce 15,000 rats in one year and the warmer than average winter weather has been the perfect conditions for breeding.
Of course, more rats mean more problems for vehicle owners.
“They just seem to keep breeding and we’ve seen way more evidence of it in people’s cars,” said Wade McPhedrain of Wade’s Auto Works in Courtenay. “What they do is chew it right off at the connectors, any exposed wire. They go for the easy wires first which makes your car not run.”
Wiring used by many auto-makers has a soy-based covering and the rats like to chew on it.
“We get three or four people in here a week with rat damage,” added McPhedrain.
The Pest Doctor in Nanaimo is seeing the very same thing.
“This is one of the busiest rodent seasons that I can remember,” said owner Richard Johnstone.
The Pest Doctor offers these tips for “Preventing Rats and Mice from Entering Your House.”
Mice and rats are looking for food and shelter. If you cut off access to those two things, it will help solve your rodent problem.
- Clean areas under stoves, refrigerators and dishwashers.
- Store dry food (rice, pasta and grains), dry pet food and birdseed in metal, glass or thick plastic containers.
- Clean pet bowls at night. Place bird feeders with seed away from the house.
- Store lumber, firewood and compost away from the house. Elevate lumber and firewood on pallets. Use thick plastic or metal trash cans with tightly fitting lids.
- Rake, collect and remove fruit, nuts and other foods that have fallen out of plants or trees. Repair all small holes in the foundation, walls, basements, etc. Use caulking, a concrete patch, coarse steel wool or copper mesh. You can also fasten a sheet metal plate or cement over masonry.
- Properly dispose of garbage.
In cold weather, rats are looking for a warm dry place, like a vehicle’s engine.
Leaving the hood open leaves a vehicle more exposed, in turn making it less desirable to rats.
Sheets of fabric softener safely tied to hoses under the hood seemingly deters rats and there are new sprays available as well.
Peppermint oil has also been suggested and ultrasonic devices can also be installed in your engine compartment, however, even experts agree that nothing appears to work 100 per cent of the time.
Dean Stoltz
