Gone up to the camper to go away for a couple of days and clutch goes straight to floor. Seems that something has eaten through the hydraulic cluch hose in the engine bay.
Van has been kept in the same place for the last ten years and first sign of this happening. It is kept rural and used on a regular basis.
Have we been unlucky or will they/it be back.
Any ideas as to a deterrant considered.
Thinking liberal/ regular spray in the areas affected and also granules under the engine bay on the floor.
Anything else
They'll go for wiring and other stuff because the manufacturers use easily recycled materials as part of their duties to the environment.
Parcel shelves have natural fibre such as hemp in them and wiring insulation is soy-based
Lidl sometimes have a Marten aerosol spray, but it isn't something that I've had a lot to do with. Above all, treat everything with your chosen brew
Cats often seem to find their way into the engine compartment of vehicles, because it’s warm…
We've had all sorts chewed in engine bays of both cars and van. Peppermint oil sprayed on, or we got some chilli infused tape for wrapping pipes. Best of all though is trapping them before they get there, so quality traps baited with peanut butter. I've had 7 in the last few weeks. Hate killing them, but needs must.
Do not put rat bait or similar in the engine bay, this encourages rodents into the bay n they can do more damage before they die. Situating rat bait around the vehicle is a better option.
We've had this in our car's, have an ultrasonic one wired to the battery, not had a problem for a few years now.
Like so much else in life, the Germans have it sussed ..
Like so much else in life, the Germans have it sussed ..
Yeah.... Marderschutz..... Really annoying high pitched squeak to deter the marten.
Mate installed something recently after they are through some cables in his engine bay leaving him with a 1500€ bill.
If you want to kill them, the Kiwi-made Goodnature CO2 powered traps work really well and don't put poison into the eco-system. Rodents have to gnaw stuff to wear their teeth down as they grow continuously, so if they use your engine bay for shelter, anything chewable will be fair game for them.
want to kill them, the Kiwi-made Goodnature CO2 powered traps work really well and don't put poison into the eco-system
Seems a bit extreme!
My neighbour's car died one day, they found a rats' nest in her engine bay, she'd been driving from Cardiff to Swansea every day for work and taking the rat family with her, until they eventually chewed through her loom and killed her car that is.
Wanting to deter them rather than kill anything.
As van is stored remote and rural there must be 1000s in the area.
Got some pellets delivered today to sprinkle under the engine bay and some spray coming tomorrow.
Fingers crossed thats the only damage as we couldn't see anything else looking down into the engine bay.
Garage will be having a good look around for any other damage once van is recovered to them.
I have an ultrasonic rodent scarer in the garage after I found some droppings. Seems to have scared off the little rodents
I used the chilli tape after some damage, no problems since.
Had no end of trouble with a previous car when rodents chewed through the fuel line, resulting in me running out of petrol in the middle of nowhere, and a big repair bill as dirt got sucked into the injector (or some such). Had a pest control bloke round at the weekend (for another reason) and asked him about cars. He reckons that mint sprays are ineffective (not sure if that's true) but mentioned a thing called a "rat mat" which apparently you put on your garage floor or driveway and it electrocutes the little bastards.
Pellets, spray and ultrasonic scarer sorted. Van picked up and recovered to garage.
Fingers crossed thats all thats been chewed.
Thanks for all the tips.
Bum. Feel your pain. I've had several annoying incidents on my old rarely used car. Worst bit was finding a nest under the inlet plenum with a load of plastic. Started pulling out the plastic and it just kept coming. Was about 4m in when I realised it was the thin poly decorating sheet I had stored next to the car that they'd pulled up through the bay, and I was pulling it up through, unrolling it like a third rate magic trick...
They've also been through fuel lines and expensive ignition leads.
I now leave the car with the bonnet open and haven't had any more incidents, not sure if that would be viable for you though?
Unfortunately due to location there's not alot more I think can be done
Hopefully it's just a one off after 10 years trouble free from them
rat mat
This reminds me..... I've mate has a frame covered with chicken wire which he places under the engine. Supposedly they don't like walking across it how effective it is, I don't know.
They will happily scamper across the top of our weldmesh chicken pen, so I'd respectfully suggest that this is potentially horseshit 🙂 I think to make it effective a second mesh and an energiser would need to be involved..rat mat
This reminds me..... I've mate has a frame covered with chicken wire which he places under the engine. Supposedly they don't like walking across it how effective it is, I don't know.