With the recent comments received from readers asking for guidance on squirrels, I am very excited to finally have some helpful information here! Just as in the guidance for rats on the home page, I think you initially need to understand the psychology and habits of the type of rodent you are dealing with in order to put together a plan of action. Here is the run down of your enemy profile, The Squirrel:
- Squirrels are smart! They are much more intelligent than the other types of rodents that may be chewing up your car. They can actually learn from watching each other from afar.
- Squirrels can leap up to 10 times the length of their body (i.e. Squirrel’s got hops!).
- Squirrels have padded feet that could easily handle a 20 foot drop, can rotate their ankles 180 degrees, and can run up to 20 MPH!
- Squirrels have incredible eyesight with built in sunglasses to reduce glare. No joke!
- Squirrels are omnivores meaning that they eat both meat and plants.
- Squirrels rotate between multiple nests (“dreys”) of two different types. The first type of drey is made in trees which are typically made out of leaves/bark at the base of where a branch meets the trunk. In the warmer months, more time is spent in these types of dreys. The second type of drey is made in a hollowed out area with overhead cover. These can be observed in old tree trunks, in the attics of houses, car engine compartments, etc. This second type of drey is mostly used in the colder months and is also used for birthing and raising squirrel babies.
- Squirrels breed 1-2 times a year depending on the type. Eastern Grey Squirrels breed twice a year (once in the spring and once in the fall) and Western Grey Squirrels breed once a year. Each birth can yield anywhere from 2-8 squirrel babies.
- The majority of squirrels are diurnal, meaning they sleep at night. Flying squirrels are nocturnal, but these aren’t the type of squirrels that would be getting into your car.
- Squirrel teeth continually grow at a rate of 6 inches per year. Squirrels need to be continually chewing on things to keep them at a manageable length.
Alright, now that we understand our enemy, let’s deduce why they are getting into your engine compartment. There are 3 potential reasons:
- Nesting/Shelter: The engine compartment provides a legitimate place for either birthing or shelter in the winter months.
- Teeth Trimming: If the squirrel’s natural environment lacks the hard types of nuts and seeds (e.g. acorns, walnuts, etc.) that it typically used to trim its teeth, it will chew on anything else it can get its hands/dirty paws on including car wires.
- Food: As you may be aware many newer cars contain car wiring that has been coated in soy based bioplastics which attract rodents.
If you have read through the homepage, you will notice that the reasons above are pretty much the same as with rats. When dealing with squirrels though not all of the same solutions will work.
Solutions
Owl Box: Owls are a natural predator for squirrels. Putting up an owl box on your premises and scoring a couple hooters/clickers will go a long way in dealing with this squirrel problem. Not only will the owls munch down the squirrels but their very presence will scare them off.
Cat: Literally, cat’s hunt for fun and they will kill squirrels.
Leave Your Car Hood Up: If squirrels are using your car’s engine compartment as a nest you will see twigs, nuts, bark, moss, leaves, etc., all scattered about. Leaving the hood up on your car takes away the warmth and shelter that squirrels are looking for in this type of nest.
Rodent Tape: Honda makes a tape that contains capsaicin, which is the active ingredient in chili peppers that makes it “hot.” Essentially you would need to wrap every inch of your car wiring to completely protect your engine but one bite of this gives an unpleasant experience for any rodent chewing on it. This can be a bit laborsome to install though.
Hot Sauce/Pepper Spray: This can be used to get those wires which can’t be reached with the rodent tape or just as a solution by itself. If you are going to go this route be sure that you warn any future mechanic about this before they start working on your car.
Live Traps: Havahart makes live squirrel traps that can be extremely effective if placed correctly. Here are a few good websites for more information: Squirrel-Attic and DoYourOwnPestControl. Certain states may require a permit in order to trap squirrels (such as California). I would highly suggest you researching your state rules before purchasing a trap.
Electric Traps: These traps can actually work very well but again they need to be placed appropriately. The batteries will drain much more quickly on squirrels, so you will need to replace after every 8 or so kills. Be sure to clean the surface of the electric plate after every 3 kills to get the dust off. Please research your state rules on killing squirrels prior to using.
Remove Bird Feeders: Squirrels are notorious for stealing food from bird feeders. By having these around you are attracting the squirrels.
Hope this was helpful. Please drop a comment and let me know how the progress is going!
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Would screening in my carport keep the squirrels away? They’ve eaten the engine wires three times already and I’m ready to sell my home (FL) and move back to NY.
Hi Bob! I’m so sorry for my lack of response here. I took a sabbatical for a few years from my duties as Rat King, but I am now ready to retake the throne, and fulfill my destiny!
Dayum, I’m sorry to hear about the squirrel damage, and I hope you were able to find a resolution by now. To answer your question though, screening in your carport may or may not work and it ultimately depends on whether the squirrels have determined that your car’s engine compartment is one of their “middens” aka hiding spots. I suspect you are also finding nuts and leaves and twigs in your engine compartment as well and that would be a sign that they are using the engine compartment to store their food for later or setup a place for alternative shelter from their other “middens”. The best thing you could do is just leave your car’s hood up. This will make your engine compartment much less favorable to the squirrels as a potential hiding spot or shelter. Eventually they will just find a new spot and then leave your car alone. But back to your question, squirrels can chew through typical screen material, so I don’t think that putting a screen up will help too much as they will find a way to get in if they still have food stored in your car’s engine compartment. Anyways, I hope this helps and sorry again for the delay. Please feel free to let me know how the battle is going and if you have any further questions, happy to answer. Thank you! RKD
How do we find out which cars have wiring that squirrels don’t like? I just had to total my last car because of repeated squirrel damage and I’m car shopping now, but I need one Soon. I want a car by a manufacturer that has squirrel-proof options. I’m willing to pay extra for metal wrappings if that’s possible. Which cars are protected or protectable? This shouldn’t be so hard! Help! Thanks!
Hi Jane! I apologize for the delay in my response. I’ve taken a few years off from being Rat King, but now I am back!
I’m bummed to hear that your car was totaled due to the squirrels…ugh. Unfortunately, there is no car that is “safe” from squirrels or rodent damage. This types of issues have been happening for decades, but that is why we need to take matters into our own hands. Regardless of the car you got to replace the old one, it is very important to implement some precautionary methods. I would be checking under the hood multiple times a week to ensure there is no new signs of rodent damage. If you do find rodent damage or signs of rodents, then I would highly suggest leaving your hood up at night and going through the action plan in this article. I hope this is helpful, and please let me know if your new car has remained safe squirrel/rodent damage. Thank you! RKD
Man, oh man, do I have a story about stupid squirrels! I recently bought a 2017 Honda Civic and for the first 3 months (oct.-Dec.) it was great. Then January hit and so did the squirrels. At the beginning of January, they ate through wiring in several areas and cost about $300 in repairs. By the end of January they had hit again, this time much worse. They ate through a lot of the same wiring and then some as well as my headliner to make their nest, this caused $1700 in damages, luckily my car insurance helped cover this. By this time I was upset and ready to give up, the mechanic recommended Rodent Sheriff, a peppermint oil spray to deter them. For a while after it seemed fine, we parked it in the garage when we could and kept using the spray. However, they returned in March, eating through the headliner and the wiring again, I cried. This time we made the mechanic put on the rodent repelling tape that Honda specifically makes in order to stop this, as well as I now park in the garage, I thought I was in the clear. NOPE. My car was in the driveway rather than garage for 2 hours and they ate right through the tape causing another $400 in damages. I’m ready to sell my car unless I can find a definitive solution.
Hi Courtney! I am so sorry for the delay in my response. I took a few years off of being the Rat King, but now I am back to defend the kingdom!
Thank you for sharing your story. Hopefully this is a very distant memory for you, but 4 times!! Ayeayeaye… I think what happened is the squirrel made your car into one of their middens and once that happens you have to ensure they are aware that this is not a place for storage and shelter for them. Did you try leaving the hood up? That would be my first recommendation as it will expose their hiding spot.
I sincerely hope that you were able to resolve this issue. Please feel free to drop a note here (if you see this) and let us know how this all played out. I will be around now. Thank you for the comment. RKD
So I’d say about a month ago I found some type of poop(later googled squirrel poop definitely a squirrel) and I immediately googled what to buy to get rid of it. I poured red pepper the kind you cook with all in my floor boards had it so strong your eyes watered while driving. Set a giant trap in my trunk.. (where they had chewed and ate the plastic) hadn’t had any signs of them since. Today when vacuuming out my car to get rid of the pepper, my floor mat had a huge whole in it, my sons sunglasses were chewed up. I just JUST got in my car to leave and my sons baseball hat WAS SHREDDED to pieces as if the squirrel went nuts with it. I’ve sat and cried for a good 30 minutes cause I don’t know what else to do. It never set the trap off and I put it right beside the hole of the trunk it chewed up. So I don’t know how it or they are getting in. It also started to chew my sons car seat straps which is a huge safety issue so now I’m taking his car seat out so that way it doesn’t get ruined (a string was like unraveling and so I automatically assumed squirrels and freaked). I’m at my wits end and I’m literally so upset because this is my first car I bought back in February, didn’t have any trouble with anything until a mont ago, and their ruining it. I’m almost to the point of selling it so they can finish it off for someone else cause I don’t know what to do. We live in town but have tons of trees in our yard so it’s inevitable that there’s a million squirrels throughout the yard.
Hi Michelle, I’m so sorry I never responded to you and hope that you were able to find a resolution. Squirrels can be relentless when it comes to damaging cars and are one of the most difficult types of rodents to defend a car against. The squirrel must have determined that your car is going to act as one of their “middens” and they use these spots for hiding, storage and shelter. Since the Squirrel was getting into your trunk, I would have suggested to leave the trunk open and expose that area. Ultimately if there is a way you can block off the hole in your trunk with steel mesh or clog it up with steel wool, that may work to block their entrance. It would be a good idea to have your car and engine compartment professional cleaned to remove all squirrel droppings and scents that may be attracting it back. Hope this is helpful. Thank you! RKD
I have had a squirrel get into my 2015 Chevy Spark and chew on pecans but three days ago, I started smelling something dead and we haven’t been able to find the squirrel yet. It’s not too bad, but if you turn on the A/C, you cannot stay in the car. How do I get it out of my A/C and then keep them out?
Hi Lisa, oh man. That smell is the worst, ugh. I wrote an article that may help you: https://www.howtopreventratsfromeatingcarwires.com/2017/05/12/remove-dead-rodent-smell/
Ultimately, beat bourse of action is to identify the source of the smell and treat it, or take measures to cover up the smell. One option is to use an ozone generator to get rid of the smell. Hope this info helps! RKD
I’ve used Bounce, the dryer cloth softner, and wrapped it around tied it in a not on some of the wires under the hood of my Toyota P/U. It supposedly is the odor that keeps them away and it seemed to work with Fir Squirrels in Washington State. I put at least 4 pieces of Bounce on the four main wires in the engine compartment. You will at first get a little odor from the Bounce inside the passenger compartment but that goes away after a few times of driving the vehicle and heating up the engine compartment. I changed the Bounce out about every couple of months and it worked for me. A new wiring harness for my Toyota Truck is about $3000 so a few dollars on a box of Bounce dryer softner seemed like a good deal!
Hi Ed! That’s great to hear that bounce sheets are working for you! Keep checking under the hood though! What deters some rats doesn’t deter others. Thanks for the comment! RKD
We have a problem with squirrels putting pine cones under the hood of our cars. Does anyone know how we can put a stop to this?
Hi Chris! The reason squirrels are stashing away items in your car is that they are starting to use your engine compartment for shelter. I would suggest leaving the hood up at night. This should deter them from the engine compartment and force them to find another spot. Hope this helps! Thanks! RKD
I live in a Condo residence. I have been in this location now for 16 years and this is the first time I have ever had squirrels do as much damage to my car that I couldn’t believe it. They chewed through my wiper wires and battery cables. I went and had it fixed, purchased a spray to put on the engine and when I went out today they chewed through the battery cable again. I am at my wits end since its not covered by the dealer ship and I have a $500 deductible so it was all out of pocket. I even tried moving my car to different spots but they still find it. I am going for the moth balls and capsaicin tonight with more electrical tape. I don’t drive a lot, so my car tends to sit for a few days at a time without being moved. We also had a lot of our larger tree branches lost this year from storms which I am sure it where all their next were. I can’t afford to keep replacing the wires.
When I had a possum once the animal people told me to use amonia on a rag and place it near where they were hiding and that worked. Do you think that would work here as well?
Thanks so much
Hi Susan, eek squirrels are tough to defend against. How were you able to tell they were squirrels? Did you find nuts and leaves in the engine compartment? Those are tell tail signs. One of the main reasons the squirrels are going into your car is for shelter, so I would highly suggest Leaving your hood up at night. You could also spray some fox urine or predator urine granules around the car. Squirrels that detect that will think a predator is nearby and will avoid your car. I haven’t heard anything about ammonia, but worth a shot. Hope this helps resolve your issue! RKD
We have experienced car troubles due to squirrels chewing on wires. But then, we also have 2 farm dogs who try to go after the squirrels and the dogs started chewing up our cars also trying to get to the squirrels. We are currently using moth balls in little baggies with holes by placing them through out the engine. Although, I’m finding that moth balls are extremely toxic. Not only to humans but also to our dogs. What can I do to keep both dogs and squirrels away from our vehicles?
Hi Sheryll! Bummed to hear about your issue. You might want to try putting predator urine around the car. You can get red fox urine off Amazon. Alternatively, Havahart has traps that are live traps that are effective, but I fear though that your dogs might hurt themselves trying to get at the squirrel in a cage. Also, alternatively, have you thought about getting an outdoor cat? Cats can be very effective with controlling rodents, including squirrels and I wrote an article on this in the blog section. Any more questions, please ask! Hope this helps! https://www.howtopreventratsfromeatingcarwires.com/2017/06/06/which-cats-are-the-best-mousers/
A pellet gun and good aim is the only true solution.
Hi Kip! Before you pull the trigger, some states consider it illegal to kill squirrels. Hope this helps! RKD
I appreciate all the great suggestions for keeping pesky critters from damaging vehicles. My 2015 Jeep Patriot is in the shop right now for extensive wiring damage due to squirrels. I have only seen one post that mentions insurance coverage. I wanted to let people know that this type of damage may be covered under the “comprehensive” coverage section of their policy. I never would have thought about it being covered but my dealership suggested I check. It is the part of one’s coverage that covers glass breakage, natural disasters, or certain other non-collision damage. Mine is being covered with only my $500 deductible.
Hi Sandi! Thanks for your comment and for sharing! Bummed to see that the squirrels got to your car and I hope this is a one time event for you. Please be sure to take some preventative action once you get your car fixed.
On another note, I actually did write an article about insurance coverage. please see here: Will My Insurance Cover Rodent Damage.
Please let me know if you have any additional questions/comments. Thank you! RKD
Where can you purchase predator urine or what should I ask when I google?
Hi Mary, Here is a link to some Fox Urine that they sell on Amazon. Full and fair disclosure this is an affiliate link and I will receive a commission if you purchase it, though there will be no additional cost to you. Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you! RKD
Red Squirrels are wreaking havoc on my engine. I keep having to replace wires. last season I trapped over 20 of them, but I guess there are some. Doesn’t help we have 3 black walnut trees right by our garage. we have 3 cars and a two stall garage, so one has to go outside. I can’t live trap now because we keep getting snow every three days. HELP!
Hi Paul! Oh man. Yeah Squirrels can be relentless and can’t believe you trapped 20 of them! Do you mind me asking what you are doing with them after you trap them? If you are relocating them, be sure to drop them off at least 5 miles away from where you trapped them. Ugh, that snow makes things a little more tricky. I would suggest spraying some predator urine around the car or sprinkling the predator urine granules. Sounds like they are using the engine compartment for Shelter due to the cold weather, but need to make them feel unsafe so they will leave. Hope this helps! If you have any questions, please let me know! RKD
Hi! I have never heard of this squirrel in your car engine problem until a few days ago when it happened to me! I live at college and have an assigned parking spot about 5 feet from a wooded area. I left my car in my spot for 2 days and then next thing I know my car was not working properly and the mechanic said that squirrels chewed my wires to shreds! I park my car in a parking lot close to a wooded area, I don’t want to use traps because it is a busy parking lot . What kind of spray do you think would work the best or do you have a better best solution?
Hi Margaret! College/Busy Parking lot situation certainly adds a layer of complexity to the situation. Squirrels are smarter than rats and mice so the same sprays are not as effective. I would suggest using some predator urine granules or spray around the car (e.g. Fox urine). I would also let the landlord or parking lot lord (not sure what the term would be lol), that this has happened and that many more cars are prone to this. I would ask what they may do about this. From the most recent comment above, cats are a legit solution. Hope this helps! Please let me know if any other questions come up! RKD
The only way I got rid of the squirrel issue at my house was to get a cat. Nothing else worked.
Hi Mary! Appreciate you letting us know. I always forget to mention a cat as a means to defending against squirrels. Did you get an outdoor cat then? I wrote an article on how to choose the best cat for the job incase anyone is looking to go with this solution. See here: Which Cats are the Best Mousers Thanks again for sharing Mary! RKD
Hi all, We are having issues with squirrels as well. Frustrating not to mention the urine Oder coming in when we run the heater. Just wondering if anyone has ever tried putting rubber snakes around their cars to scare them off. I know that sounds ridiculous. But we had a real problem getting rid of raccoons of the roof of our house and was told to put rubber snake around the tree they where climbing to get on roof. and it actually worked. Have never had a racoon since. Who would of thought! LOL! So I am going to try it on the squirrel problem and will let you all know.
Hi Teri! Go for it! I have heard mixed reviews on using a “scarecrow” for squirrels as they are a bit more intelligent than rats or mice. Please let us know how if it is working! Thank you! RKD
My 2017 F 150 was only parked for appx 36 hours over Thanksgiving holiday. Left for work (night shift) Mon and truck ran rough. Diagnostic test said engine coil. Dealer told me today squirrel damage. I need help keeping out of engines.
Hi Janet! Ugh. Squirrels are the worst. Now that the weather is cooling down, squirrels are looking for more legitimate shelter. I would suggest leaving the hood up of your car as this would prevent them from starting a nest in the engine compartment. I have also heard good reviews on the Havahart traps. The only problem is that you really need to kill the sucker after you catch it and there are some states that have laws against killing squirrels. Alternatively you could drive the squirrel over 5 miles away from your house to release and they shouldn’t be able to find their way back. Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you! RKD
Squirrels at through the top of my fuel tank on my 2014 Dodge Ram pick up truck requiring the fuel tank to be completely replaced…. plus additional damage to straps and wiring in engine!! ALL because of SOY!!!!! This is the third vehicle that mice and squirrels have damaged of mine and I need resolution. Yes, I live in the country, but does that mean I deserve what I get? NO! I know this happens in cities too, so that reasoning is not going to fly. The manufacturers need to be held accountable! We’ve gone too far with being environmentally correct and it’s come to bite us in the ass. I don’t know what the answer is but something needs to be done because this last incident cost me over $3000.00 and 3.5 months without my truck!!!!
Hi Korinne! Wow…these rodents are showing no mercy eh. jeesh. Are you positive that both Squirrels and Mice have been doing the damage? Have you found their droppings? The strategies for either for a little different. See the Home Page for Mice. What preventative strategies have you tried thus far? Let me know and we can talk through it. Thank you! RKD
I drove to work one day about a year ago and backed my car into a parking space in a large multilevel parking garage. When I looked up, a small squirrel was setting on my windshield wiper, just starting at me. My commute involves a 30 minute ferry crossing, then an hour drive, so this little critter was far from home now. Thinking that it would certainly vacate, now that the car was no longer in motion, I went into my office for the day. After work I checked under the hood and didn’t see the critter, so I drove home. Just as I was approaching the ferry landing, two squirrels popped out as I was nearing the ferry landing (driving slow). This was very distracting, not to mention, distressing. I parked, but as you can imagine, it was impossible for me to get them out from under the hood in that moment. When I got home, I began my research. What I eventually did was a combination of using camphor and two sonic devices. I have reason to believe it was primarily the camphor. I crushed it up an used it liberally under the hood, putting it crushed in little zip lock bags so that I could replace them as often as needed. I had a couple in the cabin as well. Camphor is very strong, but not unpleasant. I smells like vicks.
Hi Paul! Wow, I’ve never heard of Camphor but I’m glad to hear that it worked in combination with the Sonic Sound Emitters. Thanks for Sharing! RKD
With this many comments, looks like something would stop with regard to the soy-based issue. I have a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee and as I sit here for 4 hours while waiting to pay the $1350 in repairs being done at this moment, I’m wondering my best defense. We live in the country so I’m doubtful that a trap or two or a spray will actually help for long. It will likely be ongoing. I’m just sick about this and the manufacturers are not taking responsibility! I did see recently where there is a class action lawsuit in place for Honda owners. By the way, the Jeep dealer did confirm the soy wiring on my vehicle. I’m stopping on the way home for some defense and see how it goes. If only we could invent the ultimate product, we’d all be rich!
Hi Lori, Ugh! I hear you, the manufacturers need to take some sort of responsibility and I’m surprised that the insurers aren’t fighting this battle for us! Have you confirmed that squirrels are doing the damage? Were there nuts and did it look like there was material being stored in the engine compartment? These would be some signs that squirrels are getting in there. Please feel free to let us know what traps/solutions you end up going with and how the defense is going! RKD
Are they using soy based wiring in all vehicles? Both my 2014 Jeeps (Wrangler & Grand Cherokee) have been hit. The wrangler had 6k miles on it sitting in our driveway, they ate almost all the firewall, and too many wires to count. It had to be taken to the shop on a flatbed. The entire wiring harness and more had to be replaced and cost my insurance company nearly $10k. (thankfully only $500 for me) Even tho repaired, it will never be the same. I cant believe this is allowed in this country! Insurance companies wont even let you have a tree growing next to your home but are they doing anything about this very expensive problem? Im glad we have a place to go to see what others are doing about it, love any and all advice. Thanks everyone for your input and comments… makes for some very interesting reading!
Hi Kathy! Thanks for the comment, but sorry to hear about your cars! Ugh. It is very common to use this type of wiring in cars, but not 100% sure if it is used in ALL cars. You can always ask a dealership and the car sales person should be able to disclose this to you. Now that your cars have been attacked the Squirrels are most likely to come back for another round. Please be sure to place some defenses up when your cars get back from the shop. If any questions pop up, let me know! RKD
Seems like I’m not the only one these furry tail bastards have affected. They chewed through an acceleration wire in October and just recently chewed through part of my main wiring harness. It may sound gross but I used to use my own urine and poured it around the car and that seemed to work, but didn’t want to be dumping pee every couple days. I was wondering if once in a while taking some of my cats used liter and putting it around it would be effective. I’ve seen online sprays that are made just for them but seem a bit pricey.
Hi Bobby! I have heard of cat urine/droppings as being effective as a rodent deterrent. I would say try it out, but be sure to still keep an eye under the hood to see if there are still any new signs of damage. I would also highly suggest just leaving your hood up at night. It is surprisingly effective and FREE! Hope this helps! RKD
Mouth balls smell as bad to humans as they do ( presumably) to rodents, and , not to be paranoid, they are little balls of toxins, just right size for kids and pets to nibble on.
My mechanic said ( anecdotal evidence here only!) that some of his customers had lucky with Bounce sheets for a quick and dirty maneuver while working on better solutions. Place under floor mats, in trunk and anywhere they can’t catch fire.
One insurance company web site recommended bitter apple spray ( available from your vet or from online retailers) to be sprayed on all parts of car that don’t heat up.
Could anyone advise this non mechanic what those areas are? Obviously trunk and bumpers, but what about underside of hood or undercarriage of car?
Hi Donovan! Yup, mothballs are actually pretty dangerous to humans, so proceed with caution. Bounce sheets are hit or miss and this is the first I’ve heard of bitter apple spray as a potential solution. If you are not supposed to spray the bitter apple spray on anything that gets hot then I would not suggest using it. Rodent Defense peppermint spray was designed to be sprayed inside the engine compartment which is where you want to be spraying any sort of scented deterrent. Hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions! Thank you!! RKD
I have been reading comment about the squirrel problem beeping under the hood of autos.iwas wandering I moth balls would have any effect on keeping them out
Hi Johnny! Moth Balls are hit or miss with squirrels (just as they are with other rodents). I would highly suggest using the Moth Balls in addition to some other solutions (i.e. high frequency sound emiter, bright lights, predator urine, etc.) for a higher probability of success. Hope this helps! RKD
I have a 2014 Nissan Rogue—-live in a development–condo assoc. My car was purchased used 12/17—I previously had a 2011 Toyota Camry– while living in the same development– with NO squirrel issues–Since Dec. the squirrels have nested, severely—i have tried rodent repellent, peppermint soaked maxi pads, mothballs— just purchased a high frequency ultrasound box—they have eaten through the wires, the wire covers, the housing for the battery, the plastic trim in front of the windshield, eaten the fabric on the hood itself– I have spent a fortune in repairs, rental cars–etc.. I leave my hood open, for an hour after working a 12 hour night shift– so I can finally get some rest– this squirrel BS is beyond OLD! ANY advice—-???????
Hi Cindy! “Peppermint soaked maxi pads” haha. Oh man, sound like you certainly have tried everything! Jeez, I’m sorry for the late reply here. You only leave your hood up for an hour? Try keeping it up as much as possible. I would also try some predator urine. They squirrels are smart to the effect that if they smell predator urine they will acknowledge that this might not be a safe place anymore. You could also try a squirrel trap. Havahart has some traps that will keep squirrel alive, but ultimately, if you release the squirrel within a 5 mile radius, it could certainly come back. Sounds harsh, but if you catch the squirrel in the trap, drowning is an option. Please let me know if this squirrel is still being a nuisance. Thank you for the comment!
Where do I start? We had key word here had a 2017 Toyota Rav 4 that we got in Feb of last year. Last Tuesday those dirty critters got us! Came home from the post office and 20 minutes later someone was ringing my door that my car was on fire! Not sure if it was squirrels but the insurance called us today with their findings that a rodent built a nest under the hood. We were devastated and shocked when the fire happened as 2 engines were called, street blocked off and in the end our poor car was burnt beyond recognition. I no longer like or want anything to do with squirrels or any other kind of animal anywhere near my place! Very scary experience for us. Still shell shocked!
Wow!!! That’s crazy! Those squirrels can’t be trusted! Death to the Vermin!
Hi, I had to look up solutions to a squirrel problem with cars because my dad just now tried to start his Ford Explorer and it wasn’t starting. He popped the hood and of course wires were chewed. This is the second time within a yr. First time was last fall and his car and my car both got hit, I have a hummer. Luckily they only messed up my lights, so I couldn’t drive at night but the bright side is that it still ran haha. When we got our cars fixed they told us they like the wires because the coating has soy in it.
Hi Christine! Yeah those squirrels can do a ton of damage if left unchecked. The soy based wiring is super common in cars today and is only exacerbating the issue. Be sure to put up some defenses on your hummer! The next time they might start chewing on some more important wires!
My 2016 Ford Edge has been attacked by squirrels several times. In January of 2017 they chewed through my wiring harness and caused me to break down with less than 5000 miles on my car. This January they destroyed my fuse box cover. Now I discovered yesterday they had chewed through my bumper from the inside out. I have a battery powered critter repellant box under the hood. It emits a high pitched sound they’re not supposed to like. Since it was installed they have left the engine area alone. Now they’ve moved down to bumper area. Is Ford using something in the plastic bumper which attracts squirrels? Help!
Hi Kitty! Oh man!! Dang squirrels won’t leave your car alone eh. The only good news is that they are leaving the engine compartment alone for the time being. In regards to the Ford bumper, I am not sure whether bioplastics are used. I do know that rodents need to continually be chewing on things in order to keep their teeth trimmed (so since the squirrels are chewing on the bumper doesn’t necessarily mean that biolplastics are used). I would say maybe get another electronic repeller if that is working. Other than that, maybe consider some predator urine. Other than that, I wish I could be of more help! Squirrels are tough to defend against! RKD
I search Google from time to time to see if anyone has solutions to squirrel chewing problems. This was a good hit! My problems, however, are less severe and significantly less expensive than car wiring problems. I have year-round holiday LED lights decorating my backyard. The squirrels chew through the wires at the base of the bulbs and steal the bulbs. I’ve read elsewhere that they really think the bulb is a nut. I never had this happen with the old style non-LED mini lights. Did the manufacturers of holiday lights switch to soy-based coatings too? I am going to experiment with the Honda Rodent Tape to see if that will help deter them. It will be subject to rain, so not sure if the capsaicin will last very long.
Hi Cat! Appreciate your comment! I have no idea about the type of wiring used in holiday lights. Rodents still need to chew on things regardless of the type of wiring to keep their teeth trimmed. I would say go for it and let me know how it works. In general I’ve heard mixed results from the rodent tape, but hope this works for you! RKD
We actually just had a car, van, small SUV, ram truck towed within the last 4 days between us and our next door neighbors. They had a large tree taken down in their back yard which nested a home of squirrels, running for cover from the cold in January in Ohio they decided to nest in our automobiles. Morale to the story, don’t take down a tree in the winter that is home to squirrels. My neighbors damage 3,000. Yikes
Hi Cathy! Oh man!! The squirrels probably had their winter-type Drey in that tree so they needed to find somewhere with more heavy duty shelter. Hopefully some of these prevention methodologies will work for you! Certainly need to put up some defenses now! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Thanks!! RKD
Interesting article about squirrels. My Ford Edge has had to be taken in for repairs to various parts of the engine compartment three times in the last few years. Once they chewed a spark plug wire and each time it was a mess with nuts and insulation everywhere. We tried everything to keep them out, including leaving the hood open, fake rubber snakes, pepper powder and spray, bitter apple spray, deer and fox urine powder, etc. My wife finally realized that what they were really after was the fiberglass insulation on the underside of the hood, and everything else was just random chewing since they were already there. She covered the hood insulation with foil, shiny side showing, and duct taped it to be secure. This was almost a year ago, and since then there has been no squirrel damage.
Hi Mark! Wow, thanks for sharing! Squirrels are a beast to defend a car against and this is really good to know! Thanks! RKD
My Hyundai sonata (2009) wires have been all chewed up, including fuel injectors and spark wires. It’s a mess. Car won’t run right and thank goodness for my boyfriend, a mechanic. I feel bad for someone that has to take auto into mechanic. Could cost a fortune. Ty for the advice on squirrel repellent. Going to go get coyote urine today and try after we replace all the wires.
Hi Cindy! My 2012 Sonata had over $9k in damage to it! You are certainly correct that this type of damage could cost a fortune and it’s mostly the cost of the labor. The mechanics had to literally take the entire engine apart and piece it back together. I am still surprised that they didn’t total it. Once you car is fixed please be sure to take some preventative action or follow some of the steps here. The last thing you want is more damage! Please let me know if I can be of more help! Thank you!