While it’s common to worry about a rat getting into your home or your shed, many people don’t think about their car as a safe haven for rats or other wildlife. However, having a rat enter (or even get trapped in) your car is more common than you think, and it’s dangerous. So hear us out.
Before we move on to why this happens, we’d like to point out that the only solution to this is to reach a wildlife removal professional in your area and have them handle the rodent infestation for you. Do not attempt to remove the rodent yourself, as you might scare it, and cause it to get trapped. It’s generally not recommended to try and handle rodent infestations yourself, wherever they may be.
So first things first, why do rats enter cars?
This is typically a problem during the winter since the temperatures drop quite heavily around that time. For rodents, as well as much other wildlife, this poses some serious challenges, since they need to find a safe, warm shelter for themselves and their families.
And some of them find that shelter under the hood of your car, largely because they’re attracted to your still warm engine.
It’s also possible to “invite” a rat into your car by leaving it unattended for long periods of time. For instance, if you were out of town, or haven’t moved the car in a few months, it’s possible that a rat may have picked up on that, and taken it as its chance to strike. To a rat, your car is largely accessible, but also provides shelter against larger predators, who couldn’t get under the hood of the car. Not only that, but since cars tend to be parked near a house, they also provide easy access to food.
Maybe it’s an exposed trash can, or a pet food bowl left out in the yard, chances are a small rodent will find readily available food sources on your property, and dig in. and if it’s got a nice, homely shelter somewhere nearby, then what’s to stop it from moving in?
What are the signs of a rat infestation?
Most commonly, a rat or a mouse will leave a trail of urine near, or even inside your car. So if there’s a strong odor that you can’t seem to get rid of, it may be a sign of an infestation. Similarly, if you notice damage under the hood of your car, it might be a sign something got in.
What are the dangers of a rat living in your car?
While the image of a tiny rodent nestling against your warm engine isn’t all that frightening, rats under the hood of your car can create quite a few problems. For one thing, rodents are notorious chewers, and they will get through the wiring inside your car. A compromised wire could cause a serious, and even fatal accident, hence is no joke.
A rat’s presence may also be damaging the various components under the hood of your car by exposing them to corrosive urine.
A rat living in your car can also be a danger to itself since it can get trapped under the hood and die when you start up the car. That’s not good news for you, either, since a dead rat under the hood of your car won’t exactly give off pleasant smells, and will most likely attract other wild animals.
It’s wise to research the subject and learn about rat damages, to know what to expect, and what you need to protect your car against.
