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In Tiburon and Belvedere, Rodents Are Chewing Up Pricey Automobiles
Marin Independent Journal ^ | 08/04/17 | Phoebe Wall Howard

Posted on 08/09/2017 12:57:24 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Residents on the peninsula have begun comparing repair bills and horror stories about mice and rats devouring car wiring and insulation. In recent days, social media forums have reignited an issue that worsens with temperature shifts.

One Tiburon driver said she racked up thousands in costs after her BMW i3 had wires eaten on every side of the car and underneath it. Many vehicles are built now with organic materials using soy, rice husks, wood, sugars and sweet-smelling substances such as vanilla and peanut oil.

Marcel Etcheverry, owner of Marin Auto Works in Mill Valley, said chewed car parts have been an issue for years.

“Rodents look for a warm place to sleep,” he said. “Once they’re in those areas, they see plastic wiring and tubing that they find appetizing.” Etcheverry sees the problem mostly in BMW, Mercedes and Volvo.

“We find wire damage and rodent droppings,” with nests under the hood. One of his customers saw $8,000 in damage covered by homeowners insurance. He said placing scented dryer sheets in corners under the hood deters pests. “Animals don’t like the smell.”

A Tiburon woman said BMW told her to put Ivory soap under the hood after rats chewed wires on her BMW X5. A Sausalito woman advised Irish Spring soap.

Use of poison outdoors is discouraged. A lot of owls, hawks and other animals are admitted to WildCare’s wildlife hospital in San Rafael dying from anticoagulant rat poison from having eaten poisoned rodents. Mothballs, Pine-sol and ammonia are also toxic.

(Excerpt) Read more at marinij.com ...


TOPICS: Local News; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS:
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1 posted on 08/09/2017 12:57:24 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Okay, who’s got the Rid-O-Rat?


2 posted on 08/09/2017 12:59:16 PM PDT by mewzilla (Was Obama surveilling John Roberts? Might explain a lot.)
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To: nickcarraway

don’t leave food in your car or leave it a filthy mess


3 posted on 08/09/2017 1:00:08 PM PDT by Mr. K (***THERE IS NO CONSEQUENCE OF REPEALING OBAMACARE THAT IS WORSE THAN OBAMACARE ITSELF***)
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To: nickcarraway

Cats may leave paw prints on the exterior but they will stop that problem.


4 posted on 08/09/2017 1:00:36 PM PDT by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again,")
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To: nickcarraway

I used to have a ‘68 Plymouth Belvedere. Had a really nice 318 in it.


5 posted on 08/09/2017 1:01:39 PM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts ("Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment." - Will Rogers)
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To: mewzilla

I left my rider mower in the lawn one night so I could finish mowing in the morning when it was light. When I got to it, it was out of gas. I added gas to no avail.

A bunny had chewed through my rubber fuel line. I had a dead spot in my lawn for a year.


6 posted on 08/09/2017 1:03:15 PM PDT by robroys woman
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To: nickcarraway

A Scottsdale friend of mine lost her BMW to rodents. The problem was so bad she ended up trading in the car for a newer one. She didn’t mention trying to get her home insurance to pay for it. By now I’m sure it it’s too late.


7 posted on 08/09/2017 1:03:47 PM PDT by AZLiberty (A is now A once again.)
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To: nickcarraway

Michael Savage: Alert!


8 posted on 08/09/2017 1:05:58 PM PDT by faithhopecharity ("Politicans are not born, they're excreted." -- Marcus Tillius Cicero)
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

LOL


9 posted on 08/09/2017 1:06:03 PM PDT by easternsky
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To: nickcarraway

Easy fix—Park in the garage!


10 posted on 08/09/2017 1:06:34 PM PDT by notaliberal (St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle,)
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To: nickcarraway
He said placing scented dryer sheets in corners under the hood deters pests. “Animals don’t like the smell.”

I don't like the smell either. Going on a neighborhood walk on laundry day, I hold my breath to get past the worst offenders.

11 posted on 08/09/2017 1:06:51 PM PDT by AZLiberty (A is now A once again.)
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To: nickcarraway

Get a bad ass cat or a blacksnake. Both have worked well so far in the shop, barn and garage for parked vehicles.


12 posted on 08/09/2017 1:07:52 PM PDT by Sequoyah101 (It feels like we have exchanged our dreams for survival. We just have a few days that don't suck.)
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To: nickcarraway

From what I understand rat teeth grow continuously. They have to chew on things to keep them trimmed. They’ve always chewed on car wiring.


13 posted on 08/09/2017 1:09:16 PM PDT by Moonman62 (Make America Great Again!)
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To: AZLiberty

Desert packrats are the worst.


14 posted on 08/09/2017 1:09:19 PM PDT by Sequoyah101 (It feels like we have exchanged our dreams for survival. We just have a few days that don't suck.)
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To: fella

Non-venomous Rat Snakes were literally named for their proficiency at this very job. Non-venomous King Snakes will do the job AND take out any rattlesnake as well.


15 posted on 08/09/2017 1:10:41 PM PDT by LeonardFMason (426)
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To: nickcarraway

A guy here had a wiring problem with his motorcycle, or so he thought.

Took it to a local motorcycle shop for repairs and they found a live rat living inside the bike’s tool kit space!...................


16 posted on 08/09/2017 1:12:07 PM PDT by Red Badger (Road Rage lasts 5 minutes. Road Rash lasts 5 months!.....................)
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To: Moonman62

Squirrels, too.......................they eat house wiring and pole wires..............


17 posted on 08/09/2017 1:12:57 PM PDT by Red Badger (Road Rage lasts 5 minutes. Road Rash lasts 5 months!.....................)
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To: nickcarraway

Notice how these rats go for the expensive cars?

They’re trying to hot wire them.

They heard about Rat Rods, and wanted one.

Get a job and buy a car you thieving rats!


18 posted on 08/09/2017 1:15:22 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: nickcarraway
They need to get one of these:


19 posted on 08/09/2017 1:17:09 PM PDT by Slyfox (Where's Reagan when we need him? Look in the mirror - the spirit of The Gipper lives within you.)
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To: AZLiberty

Dryer softener sheets don’t work, rodents have been observed using them for nesting material.

The automotive OEM used to use mice and rats in controlled experiments to determine wiring insulation palatability. This is not a new issue, it goes back 70 years at least. Whatever they are using in the insulation is the problem, they should dust off the work that was done long ago.

Using soy or any food based material will not help anything. Some kind of bittering agent is probably needed. I’ll bet that’s what GM and Ford discovered too. It’s really sad to watch everyone make the same mistakes over and over.


20 posted on 08/09/2017 1:17:33 PM PDT by Freedom4US
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