I believe in treating all creatures with respect. My mission is to ensure everyone understands how to protect their home from rodents without using cruel methods.
Start your engine regularly because it will disturb any rats already in there!
Rats do not like to be disturbed, and a car that is not used often is a perfect place for a rat to set up a home.
You must make your car as uncomfortable as possible for a rat, and starting the engine every day will let them know that it is not a good place for them to set up a nest.
Leave the car engine running until it heats up. If the rat has set up a nest in the engine bay, it will soon get the message and disappear to find another nesting spot. Ensure you have secured your home from rats to reduce the chances of finding a way in.
As rats usually sleep during the day, being woken up and forced to move will be an excellent deterrent.
Set traps in the local area
Setting traps where your car is parked will reduce the chances of a rat entering it!
Your car is likely to be parked outside, making it difficult to set regular rat traps up to catch them. Other wildlife could stray into the traps, such as a local cat.
Use the ‘crawl in’ rat traps that secure the rat alive. There are a few ways of dealing with the rat when one is caught. For example, you can either add poison to the trap, release them, or buy rat traps that electrocute them as soon as they enter.
Cut down hiding places.
If the route to your car is clear, rats will not want to risk the journey!
Rats like to travel undercover. They will only venture into wide-open spaces if they need to. Bushes, plants, and trees offer some excellent cover that rats will use to travel and keep out of the way of predators.
Cut down any bushes, trees, or plants close to where your car is parked. Alternatively, you could park the car in a more open space. If you want to know how to stop rats from getting in your car, then the rat is less likely to travel through it by having a clear space around it.
It is also worth remembering that clearing any sizeable bushy area near your home is a good idea.
Get a cat
A cat stalking your car will prevent rats from getting anywhere near it!
Cats are an awesome rat and mouse deterrent! Not only will their scent warn rodents away from your property, but those who are still brave enough to enter will also be chased away by your cat.
When you have a cat, it is an excellent idea to let them out during the night because this is when your car is likely to be infiltrated by a rat. Setting up a comfortable place for the cat to settle near the car will keep rodents away.
Remove food from your car.
Food is a huge draw for rats, remove food, and you will help prevent rats from getting in your car!
Remove all food from your car to remove the temptation for a rat to enter. Rats have poor eyesight but an excellent sense of smell. They will be tempted to investigate further if they get a whiff of any food stored in your car.
Cleaning your car regularly will pick up any crumbs and other small food substances that could be hiding away.
Regularly check the engine compartment.
By regularly checking the car engine bay, you disturb the rats, and they are less likely to build a nest!
This is similar to the first tip and is about disturbing the rat. So if you are lifting the hood to check the engine compartment regularly, you are letting the rat know that this is not a place to set up home.
The engine bay is not the only place a rat will want to set up a home. Therefore, ensure that you check all areas of the car.
If you want to know how to keep rats out of your engine… then you can address this by starting your engine up regularly, and by lifting the hood up regularly too.
How to stop rats from getting in your car
Sure, there are 6 tips above that will help prevent rats from getting in your car, but what can you do if they get close?
If you want to know how to keep rats out of your car, you need to seal up the points of entry into your car!
Perform a regular check around your car to identify any entry points a rat can use to gain entry. For example, you can’t stop them from climbing into the engine bay because the whole underside of your car is an entry point! You can stop them from getting into the area where you sit. Thoroughly check the entire area to see if any holes are small enough for a rat to gain entry.
Conclusion
If you want to know how to prevent rats from getting in your car, then the 6 tips above will help you in your quest.
It is important to remember that rats like a quiet, secluded spot to set up a home. So your job is to make it less comfortable and secure than the rat thinks. That is a sure way to scare them away, but there will always be more, so look upon it as a constant battle.
Rats can cause a lot of damage wherever they set up a nest, and your car is no exception. As rats have ever-growing teeth, they must constantly gnaw on things to keep them at a decent length. Your car has many things that a rat can chew, including wires, plastic, cloth, and even metal. The damage that rats can cause may end up costing you thousands!
Also, remember that rats will urinate and defecate on pretty much anything! Coming into contact may pose health risks for you and anyone else who uses your car regularly.
It is best to stop them in their tracks and reduce the chances of a rat getting in your car.
I’m an expert in do-it-yourself rodent control. For more than 20 years, I’ve dedicated my life to helping people live harmoniously alongside these critters by sharing rodent control solutions that are effective and kind.
I believe in treating all creatures with respect. My mission is to ensure everyone understands how to protect their home from rodents without using cruel methods.
