Your car is your companion. It is your ride for all seasons and emotions. So, you have to ensure it is maintained well, and safe from all threats. One of the most common threats to your car is the damage from rodents like mice and rats. These rodents usually take shelter in the engine or the air duct of the vehicle, especially during the colder nights. These spaces act a perfect ground for this breeding, assuring them safety, dry and comfortable environment. But their presence is extremely harmful to your car. The rodents can do considerable damage, which could cause you to shelve out a large sum of money unless you have good car insurance.

Here are some effective ways that can help prevent rodents:

  • Clear the parking area: Be cautious about where you park your car. Clean all the nearby hiding and breeding grounds for rats and mice.Avoid parking your car near the bushes, in a dark area, or nearby a trash can or litter area. These places are more vulnerable to rodents. Always check if the area near your car is clean, litter-free and non-cluttered. Keeping your car in hygienic surroundings will prevent rodents from chewing up the wires of your engine or tearing away the seat covers.
  • Remove all food: Rodents thrive on food and particularly in areas where there is an opportunity to find food like dustbins, etc. Moreover, leaving any kind of food in the car is also a welcoming sign for the rats and mice, who would smell the food and come to litter it away. Be sure to never leave any food in the car and neither park your vehicle in an area near the dustbins or waste cans. Clean your car every night and ensure there are no food crumbs, or even livestock fodder, seeds or bird food. Any edible items in the car could become an entrance opportunity for the rodents. So, make your precious companion is strictly a ‘no food zone’.
  • Make your car unappealing:You do not need to spoil your car to make it unattractive instead use smart tricks to make it unappealing for the rodents. You could install strobe light, put on ultrasound alarms, spray disturbing rodent smells, etc. to create an unpleasant environment for the rodents. You can also use peppermint oil, cat litter, dog hair, etc. Rats are scared for cats and dogs and hate the smell of peppermint. So, this might work to make them go away. These activities will disturb the peace of the rats and mice, who are less likely to thrive and cause damage in such areas.
  • Close all entrances:A good way to keep the rodents away is to close all possible entrances of your car. Close all gaping holes with a wire screen and watch out for any such possible entry holes. Remember rodents can escape in through tiny places so check minutely. You could also take help from a mechanic to find the potential areas. Alternatively, you can also place a mousetrap on the wheels or near the car to catch them before they get inside the car.
  • Keep the engine hood open: Even though this option is practically less feasible, it does work to keep rats and mice away. Rodents are less likely to live in open areas since they prefer closed and dark areas for security.However, be sure to close the engine hood during bad weather times and especially, if you are leaving the car for a long-time.
  • Do not leave your car idle for long: An unusedcar is an attractive prospect for rodents. So, even if you do not drive your car frequently, ensure to start the engine frequently to make it less appealing for rodents. Remember to let the engine roar for some time so that activity disturbs any rats and mice who would have taken shelter inside.
  • Try offensive methods: Rodents are stubborn animals. And in some cases, they might not be repelled by any of the non-offensive steps. Hence, the last resort in such situations is to go offensive. If you fear rodents to have taken entry in your car, place a rat trap to catch and eliminate them. You can use toxic traps or multiple other similar techniques. Just make sure they are luring for the rodents. Alternatively, you could use rodent poison to kill any potential rats and mice. However, a big drawback of using poison in your car is that the rats might die inside the vehicle, creating a foul odour. So, beware when using this method.

It is best to take preventive steps to keep the rodents at bay from your prized possession. However, if you fear the rats and mice have taken over already, choose any of the above methods and take immediate action to minimise loss.

Further, it is always advisable to purchase a comprehensive insurance policy for a car that also covers loss and damage caused by rodents. When you weigh car insurance premium vs the cost incurred for repairs, you will always choose to pay the premiums. So, foresight and cautious planning when you purchase car insurance online could help save you a lot of money.