# How do I stop critter from chewing wires in my truck? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 30, 2021, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-critter-from-chewing-wires-in-my-truck/947653 "2021-07-30T17:54:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-critter-from-chewing-wires-in-my-truck/947653/21 "2021-08-01T07:40:19Z")
Coat the wires/cables with Vicks VapoRub? Just a guess, and I don’t know if it will deteriorate the insulation on the wires/cables. The company’s [website](https://vicks.com/en-us/safety-and-faqs/faqs/vicks-vaporub-faq) has this information: Q: What ingredients are in Vicks VapoRub? A: The active ingredients in Vicks VapoRub are camphor (a cough suppressant and topical analgesic), eucalyptus oil (a cough suppressant) and menthol (a cough suppressant and topical analgesic). The inactive ingredients in Vicks VapoRub include cedarleaf oil, nutmeg oil, petrolatum, thymol and turpentine oil. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-critter-from-chewing-wires-in-my-truck/947653/22 "2021-08-01T08:48:27Z")
> [@sunstone](#): > > Recently I was at a government facility, and noticed that all of the trucks in the paring area had their hoods open. I asked the guide why, and was told that it was to keep pack rats from nesting in and damaging stuff in the engine compartment. Note that the parking area was a covered strip out in the desert, surrounded by native shrubland. > > We have a lot of pack rats… Pack rats got my odometer wires. Also my speedometer wires. I solved it by parking away from the wooded area next to the parking lot at work. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2021, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-critter-from-chewing-wires-in-my-truck/947653/23 "2021-08-01T10:21:19Z")
If I left the hood open, I’d end up with an engine covered in leaves. Our mechanic said he doesn’t have this problem because he’s got a resident hawk that keeps rodents, etc, under control. _Hmmmmm_, how do I persuade a hawk to live in the tree next to the parking pad?? ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-critter-from-chewing-wires-in-my-truck/947653/24 "2021-08-03T16:30:27Z")
We had a horrible spring a couple of years back. Mice were building nests under the hoods in both of our cars and in the spare tire compartment in the way back (Subaru Crosstrek & Forester). They were peeing and pooping like crazy. Our cars stunk to high-heaven. The mice were even riding around with us. One came out from under my car when I had it parked at the grocery store and one came out from under my husband’s car after he exited a car wash. He stopped to flip the rear window wiper back down and saw a mouse scurry away. We put Bounce sheets (original scent) everywhere in our cars. It seemed to help a little but they were still around. My husband set traps and would catch one every once in a while. The only other thing we had to try was an ultrasonic device. Since I plugged it in over a year ago, we’ve not had one bit of trouble. 🤞🏽 ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-critter-from-chewing-wires-in-my-truck/947653/25 "2021-08-03T16:43:18Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > _Hmmmmm_ , how do I persuade a hawk to live in the tree next to the parking pad?? Or you could get an outdoor/barn cat ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-critter-from-chewing-wires-in-my-truck/947653/26 "2021-08-03T16:44:27Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > The only other thing we had to try was an ultrasonic device. Since I plugged it in over a year ago, we’ve not had one bit of trouble. That’s a lucky result as testing shows those devices don’t work. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-critter-from-chewing-wires-in-my-truck/947653/27 "2021-08-03T17:22:26Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > We put Bounce sheets (original scent) everywhere in our cars. That would have kept me out of the cars! ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-critter-from-chewing-wires-in-my-truck/947653/28 "2021-08-04T00:47:15Z")
I’ve had problems with rats nesting on the engine on two cars, and putting a [trouble light](https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-75-Watt-Metal-Shield-Incandescent-Trouble-Work-Light-with-6-ft-Cord-HD-408PDQ/204222074) with an led lamp under the hood seems to keep them away. It’s a pain as you have to take it out every time you want to use the car, but I am used to it now. You’ll drive off with it a few times when you forget to remove it, so make sure you keep the cord away from the fan and belts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-critter-from-chewing-wires-in-my-truck/947653.md?page=1)