OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

So I took my car in for servicing today to the dealership (i'm not a fish, I just have free service until the warranty is up). I got a call a little while later from the service manager saying that I have a rodent problem.

Me:"A what?!?!?"
Them:"Rodents. They made a nest in your engine compartment"
...
Me:"um, what?"
Them:"It appears whatever the rodent was is chewing up your engine air filter and making a nest around the cabin air filter. You should definitely change the engine air filter, and probably both"
Me:"Cost, etc?"
Them:"About $80 total for both filters including labor"
Me: "Give me chewed up filters"
Them: "Of course, we'll leave them in the car"

So.... what the hell do I do? Do I leave traps in my garage under the car? What do I bait them with? Any chance these thing/s are still living in my engine compartment or something?

This is about as confused as I have ever been about a problem. I didn't even know this kind of stuff happens.

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

So the cost to fix this problem was $80 (including labor), and you aren't jumping for joy why?

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

[ QUOTE ]
So the cost to fix this problem was $80 (including labor), and you aren't jumping for joy why?

[/ QUOTE ]

because he could have done it himself for about 30$?


but thats besides the point




you need to find the source, usually it is acorns, or an acorn tree, eliminate that, and then yes, spread mouse traps aroudn the car, perhaps some in the car. A friend of my dad had this problem with an old vette he had stored, he littered the interior with traps, but since you are using it and not storing it, it might be easier.

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

This is a really common problem in Arizona. Pack-rats get into engine compartments, chew up wires, make nests, etc.

You should be thankful that they haven't set up shop in your heater vents and made a cozy little "Casa de Raton" in there. First hint of winter, you hit the heat and WHAM! Rodent/feces smell that will never, ever go away.

Ridding your car of these isn't all that easy. They will just move to another area of your yard or garage until they get the chance to once again become filthy little un-wanted wrench monkeys.

Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get some of those ultra-sonic pest repellant devices. Put a couple of them bad boys in your engine compartment (be sure to secure them really, really well), and a couple in your garage.

They may work for a while, but will also probably freak out your dog, cat, feral neighbors and wife. Not that that would be a bad thing....

Poisons won't really work and will probably kill your dog, cat, feral.... n/m.

They won't go away. They will come back. They will haunt you forever. Sleep tight!

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

"This is a really common problem in Arizona."

OP lives in Seattle.

It might be 90 tomorrow and one of my tardo employees just left talking about a "heat wave".

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

this is really freaking me out...

I'm tired of these mother [censored] rats in my mother [censored] engine compartment!

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

This is common.

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

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This is common.

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i hate you. you made me doubt my rat-free existence...

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

get back to work

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

freakin, its not as bad as you think, they arent rats, they are just mice. Is your garage AC? how about heated in teh winter?

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

[ QUOTE ]
OP lives in Seattle.


[/ QUOTE ]
I lived in Seattle for 5 years. I moved back to Arizona to escape the rodents. But they followed me here. Doomed!

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

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freakin, its not as bad as you think, they arent rats, they are just mice. Is your garage AC? how about heated in teh winter?

[/ QUOTE ]

neither. single paned windows also.

is this good?

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
freakin, its not as bad as you think, they arent rats, they are just mice. Is your garage AC? how about heated in teh winter?

[/ QUOTE ]

neither. single paned windows also.

is this good?

[/ QUOTE ]

99% of the time its field mice, or "outdoor" mice looking to get out of the cold or the heat (usually cold). I would have suggested turning the AC off. Id suggest getting a cat, but then you car will get scratched up.

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

Definitely a common problem. You really think he wanted to lie to you and made up a rodent problem instead of blaming some mechanic-babble you wouldn't really be able to translate?

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
freakin, its not as bad as you think, they arent rats, they are just mice. Is your garage AC? how about heated in teh winter?

[/ QUOTE ]

neither. single paned windows also.

is this good?

[/ QUOTE ]

99% of the time its field mice, or "outdoor" mice looking to get out of the cold or the heat (usually cold). I would have suggested turning the AC off. Id suggest getting a cat, but then you car will get scratched up.

[/ QUOTE ]

it may be worth it. can i rent cats for a few weeks or something and keep them in the garage? Any chance this spread to a home infestation?

If I plan for rats and get rat traps then small things like field mice will steal my bait and make me look like a fool, right? Should I get some of both?

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

if your garage is infested, your home is most likely too, if it is mice that is (which Im assuming thats what they are and not rats). Id just get both, see what happens. or maybe just hire an exterminator.

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

[ QUOTE ]
or maybe just hire an exterminator.

[/ QUOTE ]

i think i'm going to do this one.

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

guys,

freakin is actually going nuts about this in the office; everytime i bring up the possibility that he has rats in his house he doesn't want to hear it.

it's really funny

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

is there a drain in the garage? if so, it might be rats.

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

every single one of these suggestions makes him freak out; please keep it coming

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

[ QUOTE ]
every single one of these suggestions makes him freak out; please keep it coming

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kyleb,

rats arent really even funny to joke about, they are seriously disgusting




and can come out of your toilet seat when you go to take a poop....

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

[ QUOTE ]


and can come out of your toilet seat when you go to take a poop....

[/ QUOTE ]

OH [censored] YOU!!!!!

No drains in the garage

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
every single one of these suggestions makes him freak out; please keep it coming

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kyleb,

rats arent really even funny to joke about, they are seriously disgusting

and can come out of your toilet seat when you go to take a poop....

[/ QUOTE ]

lol

yeah i know it's disgusting but it's funny to see him go nuts

and that toilet thing happened at my gf's house

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

[ QUOTE ]
is there a drain in the garage? if so, it might be rats.


[/ QUOTE ]
Drain or no drain, he definitely has rats. Giant sewer rats love to eat engine dwelling rodents. It's their favorite food. Where there is one, the other isn't far away.

Good news: Once the huge sewer rats eat all of the engine-mice, they will probably move out of the attic and you won't hear that strange noise from above when it's dark and quiet at night.

Bad news: They obviously haven't eaten all the furry little bastards yet.

Sleep tight!

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

my grandparents had it happen about 10 years ago after a long trip in japan. I dont think they sat though, they heard the scratching before they opened the lid


freakin, I suggest buying some bricks too keep on top of your toilet seats too.

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

can we get this thread deleted? I don't like it anymore....

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

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can we get this thread deleted? I don't like it anymore....

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http://www.makezine.com/blog/fullvert.jpg

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

[ QUOTE ]
every single one of these suggestions makes him freak out; please keep it coming

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On a more serious note, in high school my brother drove a Camery, and it sat around for something like a week and a half once without being driven. After that, he was maybe 20 minutes on the road when there was a horrible, horrible stench. Mice had built a nest in his engine, and as it heated up it burned the nest all to [censored]. Couldn't tell if any mice were actually in there at the time, but that car reeked for weeks.

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

I heard rats attract camel spiders so you'd better get a handle on this infestation stat.

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

What if it's the rats at work that are getting into his car? They could be ANYWHERE.





Seriously.

Re: OOT Auto Shop/Home & Garden - Call I got from my mechanic
 

Thank you everyone for the laughs, my cat kills mice and squirrels, and bunnys by the dozen, but even he is afraid of rats.

Sewer rats are big mean, and ugly. plus the grease and dirt in the engine compartment makes them feel right at home. whatever you do, don't open your hood, those bastards will attack.