Take care to prevent critters from eating car wires
Oh sure, it may seem like a cute fluffy bunny, until it's eating car wires like rodents are known to do. Image from Wikimedia Commons.
As we all know, we share the places we live with a variety of critters, some large, some small and many tasty prepared by the right person. However, some critters don’t get along with human stuff that well, including some that have a habit of eating car wires, which a person should watch for.
Fox pee advised to ward off rabbits eating car wires
Denver is mostly known for being a mile high and for Peyton Manning playing for the Denver Broncos, though he totally blew it in the playoffs when he tossed that pick to Corey Graham, leading to the Ravens going to the AFC Championship and ultimately, winning the Super Bowl.
Try having those omelets now, Denver.
However, they also have a problem with rabbits at the airport. For years, rabbits at Denver International Airport, or rather those near the car park, have been eating car wires, wreaking havoc on motorists. According to CBS Denver, it’s been a noted problem since at least 1999.
Lately, according to AutoBlog, what people have been advised to do is drip fox urine onto car wires. It smells of foxes, which eat rabbits, ergo it’s scary to them.
Better not risk a frontal assault, that rabbit’s dynamite
It’s been an issue for awhile, but the rabbits have a preference, according to Jalopnik, for cars from model years 2002 and later. Around that time, car makers started making wiring components using soy-based compounds, ostensibly for wire coating. However, that also makes it tasty for rabbits, which is hilarious if some obnoxiously eco-conscious person is making car payments on a Prius and gets their wires eaten by rabbits.
Now if we could only get vegans to nibble at the wires on car batteries…
It isn’t a new problem. Many people in rural areas have found rats, squirrels or mice eating car wires. On the interwebs, discussions about it can be found from people all over the place, complaining of hundreds or thousands of dollars being lost to the little buggers in repairs.
Number of reasons, cures
There are a variety of reasons why rodents might be eating car wires. Soy-based wires might smell like food. They might also, according to the Longmont Times-Call, a Longmont, Colo., newspaper, be searching for a place to nest for the winter. The engine bay is warm, etc.
[To Get The Top Rated Buy On A Pre-Owned Or New Car, Van, Truck or SUV Pay A Visit To Atlanta Ga Scion Now!]
A variety of strategies can be suggested to keep them out. Fox urine is one. A couple of posts on CarTalk.com about the topic suggest mouse traps, dripping Tabasco sauce on the wires, putting mothballs on the wires and putting mouse or rat poison under the hood. In the latter case, it will make the rodent leave upon ingestion; rodent poisons typically induce a powerful thirst before a moderate case of death. There is also such a thing as “rodent tape.” Similar to electrical tape, it’s coated in basically hot sauce. Wrap electrical wires and keep them away.
In a worst case scenario, there is also the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. Count to three, then throw, so that one’s rodent foes, being naughty in the Lord’s sight, may snuff it, in his mercy.
An ounce of prevention can also help. Keeping one’s car free of food is always a good idea. If one’s car is typically parked indoors, make sure there aren’t any cracks in the walls or holes that could allow rodents access into the garage.
Sources
Longmont Times-Call: http://www.timescall.com/news/longmont-local-news/ci_19714416
CarTalk: http://community.cartalk.com/discussion/1236211/rodent-damaging-cars-wiring-how-to-prevent-this
CarTalk: http://community.cartalk.com/discussion/2282719/when-squirrels-or-other-rodents-eat-your-cars-electrical-wires