How to Rodent Proof Your Engine - The Easy Way

[@GlennC789]

Rodent actually had a pretty good life. Several homes; some heated. Wife and kids. A pretty good job, mostly electrical work. Then along comes Greg the Rodent Devil and BAM. Rodent apocalypse.

[@rightlanehog3151]

:)

[@user-ys6pk7tw9h]

Great comment just make me laugh, love the sense of humor.

[@stargate5685]

Haha😂

[@garybrinker4522]

And looks like it rolled a joint..?

[@happysawfish]

"Mostly electrical work" lmao

[@BlueDroneBlues]

Biggest lesson is keep your engine and battery terminals clean. Wonder why people are giving this man a thumbs down? He does a great job explaining this and is offering very helpful advice.

[@jjano2320]

takes too long to get to the point

[@rebeccahenderson7761]

That's because he's a goof. NEVER EVER touch or pick up a rat or mouse nest with your bare hands or have any dry dusty feces, urine or other debris get into your lungs or eyes. Wear a mask! Rodents, especially rats and mice, carry serious diseases. Thumbs down!

[@daleburnfart6845]

Well he sort of left out the part about how some asain manufacturers in an effort to save money wrapped wires in a soy based plastic which to a rodent smells like food. That is kind of worth a thumbs down because you cant watch this, follow the steps and consider yourself educated or protected. I know I had rats eat wires in my 2004 4runner.

[@Garywhitetrumphobgobbler]

New ford f 150s have soy wires they cheaper out during the pandemic have a new 2021 f150 squirrels ate the master under the engine then had a rat come into my garage to eat the wires I'm getting rid of it with less than 10k miles don't buy new fords.

[@glennhansel9411]

@@daleburnfart6845 Same happened to us on a 1990s Buick LeSabre

[@elrobo3568]

I live in Tucson Az. and have had tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage done by packrats to my vehicles. I have tried the different lights, sonar, radar , nuclear and everything else to no avail. I started the peppermint spray and I have so far (three months) had no damage. I also use Hondas rat proof tape available now on line, it's expensive but so was all three of my computers that fried ($10,000 bill for that one) I bought a large 16 oz bottle from amazon and mix in a spray bottle and once a week spray all 4 of my vehicles, under hood and under the engine. I also spray in and around my tack shed and as I said so far all is good. Cheap and easy, no gimmicks. Thanks for the video.

[@jordanj7590]

The Peppermint didn't work for us. Where did you get the tape? We can't find it 😢

[@davemi00]

Mammals hate hot pepper oils, predator hunting oils, peppermint Oils. Peppers Keeps them out of my bird feeders.

[@bobwallace9814]

Thanks and great timing. As the weather will cool, they look for the warm spots and your engine is one of them. Most folks never do it, but checking under the hood regularly is smart.

[@itzelfavela3660]

I checked this morning my engine and I saw a rat o was freaking out this is the first time I ever saw something like that happen

[@alaineb2643]

I learned that the hard way. I just today had to buy a new horn for my car and get some other things cleaned up ($600) from an industrious rat. I'm going to forward this info on to everyone I know! Thanks!

[@aeroearth]

Thanks Greg! I shall try that. As rats can carry Weil's disease may I suggest it would be a good idea to use rubber gloves when handling their nests etc. When re baiting rodent traps etc. I am always careful to wash hands thoroughly when done. Trust this helps.

[@fortinbras47]

Exactly! There's ALL KINDS of nasty diseases that can be present in rodent feces/urine or carried by fleas/tickets that also infest a rodent nest. (Nastiest I'm aware of is hantavirus out west.) Some basic precautions are also so easy to do. www.cdc.gov/rodents/prevent_infestations/clean_up.html

[@tommak6516]

@@user-xx7lf9vp7c Bubonic Plague, rabies, C-19?

[@byronofcascadia153]

Also when it’s mice they can carry Hantavirus

[@stephanie1860]

I was like, “DUDE, WHERE IS YOUR PPE?”

[@carle5538]

You are a Godsend. Thank you for this video. I have had terrible experiences with rodents in my car. They have chewed my wires and like you mentioned they have made the inside of my intake manifold their second home because it is nice and toasty for them there. I recently had to change it and I saw nests in there. They are a real headache and dangerous too because they can even cause an electrical fire in your car is they keep chewing all the wires.

[@vipahman]

Also clip a mesh wire grid on your engine air filter intake and cabin air filter intake to prevent rodents camping inside.

[@crackerjack4790]

Shawn Wood, the Mouse Trap Man, did an experiment with different repellents and only peppermint oil worked. Thanks Greg! well done.

[@ftby59mikeD]

That looks like one of my wife's holiday wreaths!! Your mechanic will appreciate the sweet peppermint smell each & every time too!👍

[@navigator1383]

Interesting take: Some foam sealing products have a bitterent chemical added so rodents wont chew. Also many plastic pipes have bitterant added to deter rodent chewing. Maybe auto manufacturers should incorporate these solutions into their products.

[@robertthomas4329]

The dealership makes $$ off of repairs etc.

[@onthehill3381]

@@robertthomas4329mines at the Toyota dealer now. $5,452. The lifting of the engine is expensive. To replace the firewall and engine cover. Diagnostic check says wires are functioning but once they pull the engine they may find wire covering damaged but not enough to trigger an error on the diagnostic check.

[@michaelarthur4764]

Ya might wanna wear gloves when you are handling a rat’s nest!

[@deliveryguyrx]

I was thinking the same thing.Gloves!!!!!

[@deere3321]

@THE ORIGINAL PROFESSOR CHAOS hahaha. Good one. I

[@M21L35]

Yo!...ever heard of hantavirus?!

[@takumifujiwara9072]

@Gus Goose recipes? Puff.. WE EAT THEM RAW

[@garyenwards1608]

ah naw mate i just cleaned the dertyest rats nest you ever seen out my cabin air filters. bare hands the only whay you get to know the rats nest really well

[@wesleyburns4566]

Wow i go camping a lot and rodents always get under the tearing into insulation thanks to you i can put my mind at ease. Thanks for the tip.

[@williambranham6249]

Interesting. I've been car camping for 30 years and have had only one rodent event. Left my car in the Georgia woods for a week or two while backpacking. Mice got in the trunk, ate our extra food stores as well as some clothing for their nest. What a mess. I count myself lucky considering how much time I've spent out. My advice is to keep food, clothes etc in sealed containers and spray peppermint everywhere. The blue or orange 5 gal. buckets work great because they have a tight fitting lid.

[@helenbailey1124]

W

[@salvatorecosenza727]

It worked!! I had a Chipmunk problem all around the insulated battery enclosure in my VW Golf Sportwagen. I put quite a few drops directly on the battery enclosure material. They haven't been packing pine needles and cones around it anymore. Thank You

[@elultimo102]

I previously used ground hot red pepper, sprinkled heavily under the hood. It seemed to work. I have since discovered a liquid rat repellent, containing a pepper spray of 8500 Scovill units. Reportedly this is 8-1/2 times as potent as police spray. It has no smell, but just a slight over spray makes you choke. I sprayed heavily on wires, hoses, and atop the battery. It also seems to keep the bunnies out, when they try to find a warm spot and start eating the insulation from the inner hood and firewall.

[@jasonhutson8584]

Name?

[@georgeleong1572]

you could google rat repellent and several brands come up.@@jasonhutson8584

[@DB-ym6tw]

Where can we buy that

[@andyhobbs2812]

Would Tobasco do it,??? I've heard they don't like vinegar also!!!! Tobasco has both.😊😊😊😊😊🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧👍🍀

[@Carols-hu8vo]

Where did you purchase it ?

[@bradhernandez8834]

I live in the woods, where squirrels do the same thing. I have found that just leaving the hood propped open has eliminated the problem, doesn't give them a dark place to nest

[@mandograssable]

Squirrels just don't nest, they get in there and chew wires because they use to use soybean oil to make wiring. I live in the woods and can't even tell you how many squirrels I have killed. I see them coming from underneath my car, front and back all the time. I have an ABS light on right now because they chewed the wires. They have cost me thousands of dollars in damage. I would have to get up under the rear of my car and spray all wiring for this to work. I don't like killing them but there is no other option.

[@Retiredmco]

@@mandograssable Have you considered using rodent bait stations with peanut butter blocks of rat poison??? Works effectively on my situation.

[@mandograssable]

@@Retiredmco No but I have now sold all my outside cars and don't have to worry anymore except when they are chewing on my car home. Thanks, I will keep it in mind for the future

[@Retiredmco]

@@mandograssable You are welcome! My suggestion also works wonders around the perimeter of a home! I placed the stations as previously mentioned 1 on each side of the house. Problem solved after about 20 plus blocks of rat poison squares eaten! Lol

[@robertbernstein4488]

Good tips, thanks, personally, I would be VERY careful about pressure washing in the engine compartment without covering key intakes and sensors as well ‼️

[@riverraisin1]

"Be very careful spraying around the mass airflow sensor". After he just pressure washed the whole engine.

[@renzo4296]

Yeah I'd never pressure wash my engine, I could care less what it looks like, I've used degreaser before but it's in a squirt bottle but the only reason I've even done that is because I was replacing parts.

[@williambranham6249]

Yes, I had to call AAA after washing the engine. The fella laughed and asked why I did that. I had soaked the air intake filter.

[@YourCarAngel]

That’s all covered in the how to clean an engine video that was linked.

[@jiritriska5130]

@@riverraisin1 That part made me doubt the rest of the stuff in the video.

[@tamsmd1]

I have had my Audi in for service 2 times the last 3 weeks. The second time the rodent chewed much more than the first time. I have asked the dealer servicing how to stop this from happening again. Of course no mention of peppermint to help me. One wonders if they just don’t tell me that so it does happen again to make more money. Thank you for this video. I will for sure trying your method as soon as I get my car back from the latest rodent damage.

[@liddlemountain7245]

Thanks so much for this. We have a 20 year old car in rural Vermont and the mice just made a new complex in her. Short of burning my car to the ground, I'm trying all these tips!

[@athompson3729]

I just took my car in for some sensor failures, turns out rodents had chewed my engine wiring harness.They informed me if would be $9,000 to replace so I was a bit shocked to say the least. Luckily my insurance will cover it after my deductible. Thanks so much for this. I will definitely be doing this in the future.

[@anthonyz7023]

Did your insurance premium increased?

[@rockingguitar2050]

Mine cost $676 to fix the wiring harness.

[@martinep6293]

9k seems...like a high number. Care to ellaborate??😂

[@stephanie1860]

😮 9k😢

[@notwrkn2mch]

We are out in the Sonoran Desert and i use your formula except i do 50% water and 50% White vinegar along with the peppermint oil. If car is not used often prop the hood up about 12 inches to eliminate that cozy warm spot

[@charlesprince1435]

I use peppermint oil extract. Have been for many years. I soak cotton balls with it and place them in various locations around the vehicle. Never a problem. Works for the house also.

[@marianelatorres7146]

I tried that and I was so happy thinking it worked but the other day I decided to check under my engine and sure enough rat shit all over my battery 😥

[@russellstephan6844]

Was out of town for a few months. My full-size pickup truck, which only gets used occasionally anyway, became a hangout for squirrels. They did a number on the windshield washer hose along with a bunch of wiring and the underhood insulation. It was a mess. Thankfully, I'm capable of repairing such issues myself. To prevent the problem going forward, I bought rat traps and screwed them to longer pieces of 1/4" plywood. The planks of plywood allow me to set and place the traps without risk to fingers. The traps aren't baited. But, if a squirrel was to disturb one, at the very least it would a highly startling event. The three traps sit on the upper A arms and upper fender of the driver's side of the engine bay. Since the truck isn't used all that often, removing the traps along with the in-engine-bay battery maintainer isn't all that much of an inconvenience.

[@carle5538]

I have had that experience too. They have jumped on my face when I opened the hood. They look cute, but they are a menace too.

[@isabellind1292]

@@carle5538 Yikes! I wonder who was more shocked, lol! I hope I'm not screwed. My car's been parked outside over the winter and something made a big huge mess under the hood. I fear it's eaten all my wiring as well. I think my auto insurance company covers damage caused under the hood by animals chewing up the wiring otherwise I shudder to think what it could cost to repair.

[@grantp4022]

@@isabellind1292 where I live, damage is only covered 1 time.l

[@isabellind1292]

@@grantp4022 The Insurance Corp. of British Columbia covers these damages if you have "comprehensive" coverage (and pay the deductible) but they do not stipulate how many claims they'll cover. One insured motorist who submitted two such claims in one year was covered for the damages. When he submitted another claim within the same year, ICBC withheld the cheddar, claiming he hadn't done his due diligence to try and prevent it but in the end, covered the $7,000 repair bill.💰🐭💰

[@scottgorman7166]

Instead of oils I use Dr Bronner's, Hemp pure Castile soap (Peppermint) mix about a shot glass of it in 32oz spray bottle, shake up spray it on 2 rags. One goes on battery area other by the air box. Additionally I use one of the blinking LEDs with a shop light. So far so good, knock on wood it's been 4.5 years

[@MikeNaples]

Recently had $1800 worth of repair work on my F150 thanks to rodents chewing up engine wires. I knew they had been visiting because of rat dung on the engine. I had been using a cloth soaked in peppermint oil wedged in between the battery and the frame to no avail. My truck is garage kept and now I leave the hood up all the time (of course when not driving.) I also have a light under the engine and another shining from above into the engine (not attached to the truck) which I keep on at night. Also at night I have a radio next to the vehicle playing (talk radio, not music). One last thing I keep mothballs on the garage floor under the engine. So far so good. I think the most effective thing I'm doing is keeping the hood up. Rats don't like light.

[@isabellind1292]

Wow! What a drag to have had so much damage. You've gone the extra mile in trying to keep it from happening again. Good advice. But whatever happened to rat traps or those sticky sheets where they can't get unstuck? Good luck w/your inventive solution.🚗💡📻🦋🏐 🐁

[@rodgraff1782]

Why not figure out how they are getting into your garage in the first place?

[@MikeNaples]

The garage has two car doors and one walk thru door, all of which are open in the day though shut at night. No way to control entrances at least during the day. @@rodgraff1782

[@questioneverything1123]

Awesome! Thanks so much... I will no longer worry about my vehicles... Peppermint oil is something that I already have. A great use...

[@karynd2368]

That’s probably why my AC is history, I found a nest. God bless you for this info ❤️

[@nicholeknows3773]

The entire video is INFORMATIVE because a female as myself might not know where the engine is and his description to detail engine FIRST AND MOST OF ALL NOT TO SPRAY PARTS OF THE VEHICLE THAT COULD BREAK.. I live out in the country and this has happened sooo many times, I'm super excited to try out this method because it's INEXPENSIVE...my husband and i just got brand new vehicles and DO NOT WANT THIS HAPPENING AGAIN! I HOPE IT WORKS, I'LL LET YOU KNOW..

[@rhythmsectionguy]

Thanks so much for this! The Volvo dealer was fixing a recall and mentioned they tape the wiring harness under the plastic cover on top of the motor. I said, no thanks. My wife saw a small dead mouse like a year later when putting in washer fluid. A few weeks after, the engine caught fire on the highway. The whole car was in massive flames minutes after she got out of the car. The guy at the junk yard mentioned that it might have been mice. I believe it was an electrical fire due to this problem. Now that's an essential oil!

[@ricktanega472]

Dave,,, I had a '85 240DL Wagon. Bought used in '99. 2yrs later entire wiring harness insulation was disintegrating. Rubbing wire between fingers instantly caused crumbling. Master mechanic told me Notorious Volvo problem. Also said interior plastic very CHEAP, ALWAYS cracked or broken.

[@kirkdemadaler7041]

one of the more interesting reasons that rodents love car these days is that the wire insulation is now soy based...basically they make it out of rodent food... they love the new lawnmower gas caps and plastic fuel tanks...also soy based. I don't know who decided this but it sticks of an EPA deal that has just gone really bad for people. Car makers love it because it's not covered by you warranty and can destroy the car or at least cost thousands of dollars to fix....big time money for the stealerships. Another case of the consumer getting bent over in the tall corn!

[@hammer-r]

Kirk Demadaler I’m guessing from what I have heard, that it’s all about the $$$. Manufacturers trying to save a penny hear and there. And the byproduct is more dealer repairs for more $$$ in their pockets. Yup we are getting bent over.

[@kkoch666]

Yeah some big conspiracy! LoL...

[@dzerres]

@@hammer-r nope, wrong, the idea behind it was to make those plastic parts recyclable by being able to turn all that plastic into mulch. Obviously a very good goal but it needs more work. No conspiracy except for the tin foil hat people out there.

[@dzerres]

@@hammer-r you heard wrong

[@hammer-r]

d dzerres not from what I have read and heard from mechanics. But what ever, the damage is done.

[@dukeman7595]

Peppermint does work well. I haven't tried the diluted spray peppermint, however, I use it full strength out of the bottle. I take a small tin, like a tobacco chew can, punch some holes in the top and place cotton saturated with peppermint. Glue a magnet on the bottom and place wherever you want it. I have a Corvette that sits in my garage, and since I have used this method for the past few years I haven't any rodents. All I do is refresh the tins with new peppermint every few months. It really does the trick. Good luck.

[@carpenterfamily6198]

Thank you for the tip. I have two mouse traps wired in place under my hood. I regularly remove dead mice and reset the traps.

[@kenfreeman6417]

I’d love to se a picture of your setup

[@williambranham6249]

Great idea.

[@roguewave1060]

I live on the ground floor of an apartment building near a field and I've had some issues with mice entering my apartment during the summer when doors and windows are open. Placing some cotton balls, soaked in peppermint oil, also did the trick and they haven't appeared since many years.

[@joek468]

Never knew this was an issue and now the vehicle I drive at work is presently at the dealer being fixed from rodent damage from one living in there.

[@mrpricklypear22]

I like the video. The peppermint sounds like good advice. A few others have touched on it, but as manufacturers continue to add more and more safety and convenience features to vehicles, those features require the addition of additional electronic sensor modules. I realize a vehicle should be designed to take on some moisture; however, isn't one risking performance & operational failure by forcing high pressure water into places with a POWER WASHER that may not ordinarily get there on its own? There's a reason why people are warned NOT to buy flooded vehicles. When power washing your engine bay, if you're lucky, you may not experience immediate failure, but as the electronics and senor modules corrode over time, the error codes begin to rear their ugly heads resulting in headaches, downtime, and unnecessary costs.

[@daveybernard1056]

High pressure spray on delicate electronics. What could go wrong :D

[@mrpricklypear22]

@@daveybernard1056 , IKR?!?😜

[@daveybernard1056]

@@GlennC789 RUN, I hear Scotty Kilmer coming!

[@bella-bee]

He actually warned about that sensor not liking too much moisture! I thought it was bad news to wash your engine. We had an engine fire in a car that someone ‘helpfully’ did that to

[@TheOzthewiz]

@@daveybernard1056 Scotty says: DONT!!!!

[@azspotfree]

I live out in the Arizona desert and have had thousands of dollars in damage to cars from rodents over the years. The one thing I've found that works better than anything else I've tried, is just leaving the hood open when the car is parked. For some reason, I've never had them touch a car with the hood open.

[@willstaxx0730]

All the way open?

[@razorraysolarsavings72]

I spray peppermint oil on rags then I place throughout the engine compartment and I also place glue traps. Lol no more problems. Also keep the car and surroundings clean. Rodents love anything they can use for nesting and thrash. Remove old tires, bags, leaves etc. no food whatsoever, bird seed, dog food, nothing.

[@lrich8181]

@@starquant Rats don't like feeling exposed.They like dark places.

[@loveeveryone8057]

@@willstaxx0730 Excellent .....what I too discovered as the result of an wise old man telling me. If you take a stick about 8 - 10 inches and prop open the hood a bit, the rodents wont build a nest there because they fear that when they are asleep the raccoons will get them.

[@woodybear8298]

He sprayed down the whole engine with a power washer, then told you not to spray near your MAS with a hand sprayer.

[@jasonchoi315]

Ha Ha

[@lisamanrique1770]

Difference between water and oil. Water will dry completely, oil will stay on for long period of time.

[@Coopdundee]

Well done sir just dabbed drops all around motor and interior been camping 6 weeks , I start my car but I only use it to leave the campsite to go get ice and supplies well done video straight to the point and nice detail job dude I’ve been hearing the pitter patter of a mouse somewhere in my car while I’m sleeping in it here in the desert some notes to look at the stars and now hopefully I won’t hear any pitter patter’s because my car smells like peppermint and eucalyptus mixed together thank you keith cooper

[@Oceansta]

Me in 2020: struggling to make rent Rats: Hopping around between several "pads"

[@trickdawg5521]

Love your sense of humor. Although sad.

[@Sudz28]

I can only speak for the grey squirrels around here; I've tried this method of spraying peppermint oil all around the engine compartment, and within 2 weeks they were back in there doing more damage so at best it only keeps them away for a VERY short while, at worst it's completely useless.

[@boutrosboutrosboutrosboutros]

Squirrels are not really adverse to peppermint oil, rats and mice more so. (sorry late to the party)

[@anthonymorrison2167]

try mothballs

[@steveblankenship5474]

I’m retired from doing commercial pest control and I used to use this as well as castor oil. I would carry a little bottle of castor oil and it was one of my tricks I used.

[@cookiegriffith7556]

Did castor oil work by itself, or did you have to mix it with the peppermint oil??

[@steveblankenship5474]

@@cookiegriffith7556 only castor oil

[@cookiegriffith7556]

@@steveblankenship5474 wow!!! Thank you for this information. How/where did you apply it?

[@steveblankenship5474]

@@cookiegriffith7556 very lightly don’t overuse

[@geraldryan8562]

You can also buy a 3 in 1 treatment from Crystal Opus which deters, spider insects and rodents, it consists of peppermint, lavender and citronella. Car washing your engine bay is not recommended for obvious reasons, handling a rats nest without protective PPE also not recommended. I apply the diluted solution to my tyres, boot, sound proofing felt in the engine bay and visible rubber hoses and wirings ensuring nothing goes near wire connections. Especially recommended if you leave your car in a garage for long periods of time, over one month, plus other precautions with tyres, fuel and battery etc! Hope this helps, not a criticism to you personally. 👍😁🇬🇧

[@anniepibbles443]

I did this 3 x in a week and doesnt work i have more droppings now than i did before i sprayed the peppermint oil . I think the little squatters are bathing in it or drinking it or maybe doing yoga up in there now that it smells so good

[@mmsheow]

Thank you. Rodents just destroyed my 07 Ford Explorer's wires. I am going to pick it up from the shop today.

[@mveax]

Yes, this happened to me. I was at an empty late season campground in the middle of nowhere Oregon. I was going to warm up the truck while we packed up. It wouldn't start. I looked under the hood and a vole leaped out. It was obvious he/she had started a nest on my engine and had chewed though a ignition wire. I was freaking because we were miles from any help. Thanks be I still had the old wire from a pretrip tuneup. Note: when I got home 3 weeks later I opened up the camp and out pops a vole. It had made a little nest under a seat where I kept emergency food. Little guy was eating high on the hog.

[@ms.rickie]

What is a vole? Is that a mouse or a rat?

[@mveax]

@@ms.rickie a vole is a mouse. It lives mostly out west. It looks like a mouse with big rounded ears.

[@liudxdx]

How long were you camping for

[@warholscircus]

I've seen experiments on KZbin testing peppermint as a mouse or rat deterrent. It definitely works! Not true of moth balls by the way. They don't work at all.

[@jeffkelly636]

Great tips! One time I lifted my hood and a mouse looked out from behind the insulation at me, as if to say "get out of my house!" 😂

[@suemarie6032]

That is my fear after finding a nest being build near my chewed up wiring.

[@MisterMister5893]

Oh god my experience this morning Morris that. I had bought a new car and parked my old one for over a month. Decided to try and boost it and take it for a drive to recharge the battery and fhe first thing I see is this huge ass body and long squirrels tail on my cover. Thankfully it was retreating so I was spared the horrific eye contact. I spotted a lot of rat droppings around the car though. Cleaning it up is going to be fun!

[@69dodgecharger440]

I use Q-tip with full strength peppermint oil dab it all over engine and compartment! Do it almost everyday at first then weekly! It works!

[@Mr.Mister001]

I'll save you 5 minutes... peppermint oil.

[@Bjulian263]

Thanx

[@bubbles8491]

Thank you....

[@jasonreynolds1939]

This is a myth I've tried several times

[@onthehill3381]

Yep. My Toyota dealer said they could hook me up with a rodent spray every three months at $140. each time. I just looked at him and said I can do that myself for pennies.

[@richardmugridge4142]

Peppermint oil does not work on mice, its an urban myth.

Thanks I needed this. Bought a brand new vehicle and rodents had chewed up the insulation blanket on the inside of the hood within two days.

[@WENG4898]

I sprinkle cayenne pepper powder in the engine compartment. It works well.

[@brightmanfan]

For those that missed the dilution. 20 drops in a half spay bottle that means in this case with 18 oz of water, or 40 drops into 36 oz full spray bottle of water.

[@getoutofthetimetrap5435]

I’ve discovered that at my local Home Depot they sell peppermint sachets you can place all over without the need to spray anything on the engine components ....you could do both I guess and make it a double whammy of peppermint.

[@MajorWeakness]

You know I bought those and the rodents tore those little bags to shreds and ate the stuff!

[@getoutofthetimetrap5435]

Major Weakness ........no way ! .....holy crap.

[@MajorWeakness]

@@getoutofthetimetrap5435 oh yes, I tried some from tractor supply, extremely strong peppermint smell also, they tore into it and ate it also

[@germanboy5392]

Stinks up car...I tried them..my eyes were burning

[@getoutofthetimetrap5435]

Jeff polara ewww that’s agony bruh ...thanks for letting me know

[@shakirabells6955]

im very busy this month i have tire problem changing oil and opining the hood of my car there was a nest of rodents i live in country of wv im glad this is helpful and informative video im gonna check now every month its so expensive to fix if their ruined the car

[@davewolf8869]

Careful with that pressure washer, not many connectors are designed to withstand 3,000 PSI... More like 3 PSI at best, same with engine vents and etc. But good advice, thank you for the tip!

[@gpowerdragon9852]

he is specialist he did it 100 of times trouble-free

[@jimmysapien9961]

Exactly - and lots of Electronics !!! Some wires exposed due to mice 🐁 watt away plastic coating !!!!!!!

[@wholeNwon]

@@gpowerdragon9852 Yeah, right. Little extra moisture in an obscure connector and months later gremlins start appearing intermittently then more frequently. Never wash any modern car engine compartment.

[@mikemoore9757]

I read somewhere that Honda developed a rodent tape to wrap around a wire harness. It is coated with capsaitcia. The chemical that puts the fire in a pepper. It is supposed to be available at your Honda dealer. This fix look like it may be a lot cheaper.

[@8spokewheel]

Thanks, I appreciate you taking the time to make this video. I cleaned and sprayed as stated, hope it helps.

[@christinamoneyhan5688]

If your car or truck especially campers that do not get used very often you can put lights under the hood and the vehicle because rats run around mostly at night they will not appreciate the light and stay away for the most part. This is a must if you live in the South West desert area.

[@donready119]

Thanks for the tip. I would not use a pressure washer under the hood and drive soapy water into all those expensive electronics.

[@deddie4645]

I had a weird problem moisture got in on the coil wire on one end and caused all sorts of weird problems hundreds of dollars later I found out it was a corroded coil wire

[@earth2wendy]

#1 Use the widget at upper right to change listening speed-I like to use 1.75 to 2X speed for this type of vid. #2 The point re: electrolysis was new to me and helpful. #3 A deep cleaning/detailing job is smart as rodents leave scent trails that attract more rodents. #4 Peppermint oil may work for awhile where rodents are not abundant. In our rural setting however, for our RV, we did not find scented peppermint or other strongly-scented oils to be foolproof. A more powerful scent oil to try in any case is Tap-a-Drop, formerly sold as NilOdor. Be sure to get the tiny dropper bottle as I’ve read their larger containers hold a different, milder formulation. #4 Reading comments is where i often where I find the best pro tips. A commenter somewhere above mentions bright lighting-something we’ve not tried. We now plan to hang an LED bar above our parked truck’s engine out in the shop where the rodent problem is worst. We use various traps as well to keep populations down, and check them daily. #5 Finally, for our RV, the only thing that fixed the problem for us was physical barriers, something not possible in a vehicle engine. Mentioning it here anyway, as removing every potential food source and making your parking area (e.g. garage) rodent proof if possible is the only sure bet. Plug holes with 1/4” hardware cloth and/or tape over gaps Gorilla Tape, then check barriers frequently. We install traps inside our RV and on top of our truck’s opened hood, and check them daily. No rodent problems in the RV now for months. Our garage, much further from chicken coops than our shop, is kept as clean as possible and traps are in permanent use near the bottom of the overhead door and around the refrigerator where mice are attracted by warmth from the compressor. No rodent problems in our cars there.

[@tacticoolgent1784]

We just moved to a place that backs up to a creek. Scared a rat out in the garage and he ran into my engine. Checked by wife's car and sure enough, paw prints all over the manifold. FYI, if you become a Amazon partner (easy to do), you can post links to products you recommend and make some more money. The peppermint oil is a great example. Thanks for your help sir!

[@boutrosboutrosboutrosboutros]

They have chewed through coolant lines and washer fluid. I read they like the sweet taste of the glycol as well in coolent - Thanks for the video, found it from your ND post! Subbed!

[@JesusGonzalez-mf4hk]

Thanks for the video. Rats are eating ac cable . im going to try this . hopefully il work

[@harshabiliangady3211]

This is superb. Specially when we go out of the country for a long time this will work very well. Probably good to spray the bottom the car too.

[@philb5]

Would also suggest putting wire screen In front of your air breather

[@riverraisin1]

I did that. it does work.

[@gizmobrain]

I did it

[@Farmer-bh3cg]

I've used mothballs and dryer sheets for winter storage of my summer car. It seems to have worked so far.

[@sdluedtke3368]

Thank you -- thank you -- thank you. My car is a field mouse magnet. I will do all of this and heavily spray my car with your oil of peppermint mixture. 🙆🙋🙌🙏👍

[@ABfromWindsor]

I had a Rat going into my engine compartment in a 2017 Ford Explorer and always found Rat dropping and urine on my Battery and noticed that it was chewing on the engine calling. I setup a trail cam in side my engine compartment and put the Claw Rat Trap with peanut butter and at about 4:30 AM in the morning I heard my car alarm going off and knew what it was, so I shut the alarm off and went back to bed. After I got up and ate I went to check under my hood and found the trap sprun but no rat and seen it breifly on the trail cam but never seen it in there again but some times I would get a funny smell in the car while driving for a while, might of been the rodent s carcass cooking. Thanks for your tip with the peppermint.

[@bipedalbob]

At around 4:00 he finally tells what you came to hear.

[@billygildark4565]

Thank you

[@bipedalbob]

@Vladimir_Bone Spur_tRump I pay for my Internet by how much I use, I don't like to waste my money listening to someone babble for 4 minutes.

[@stevendouglas3860]

Thanks can't be arsed listening to thar shit GET TO THE POINT 😆😄😂

[@da324]

@@bipedalbob But you'll use your minutes to leave useless comments. Sometimes there's pertinent information leading up to the solution.

[@bipedalbob]

@@da324 of course there are. But in this case there wasn't

[@my2centz196]

Awesome I hope this works. I have peppermint oil so gonna try this. I just had to order a new blower motor because they got into ventilation system ruined my air filter which was close to time of replacing anyway but the fan cage got ruined because the mouse got caught in the fan as he was building his next. I hope this works because I don't wanna continue to do repairs over rodents. I've had this happen once before years ago on another vehicle but luckily it didn't ruin anything just clogged up the fan which made a loud noise so I turned it off and cleaned it out immediately but newer vehicles allow remote start with climate control so by time I caught this one fan had been running for nearly 10min.

[@outbackeddie]

That's a fantastic tip. I'm going to give it a try when I store my RV at the end of the season.

[@Louisianna321]

Use dryer sheets in your RV. I've been using them for over 20 years and they work. Put them in cabinets, under bed, under sink. I also put them in the engine. Just lay a few on top and close the hood.

[@coloradofotomatt]

I live in the San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado now. This is a new thing to learn after 30+ years in Colorado! Sure enough they got into my Hyundai Santa Fe, my Sienna and my gal's Hyundai. I had an experienced friend help me shape hardware cloth to cover any air intakes - especially to the air cabin filter, install cachets of stinky stuff and ultrasonic devices. I don't know that these work but figure a false sense of security is better than no sense at all! 🤣 I just picked up a '98 Ford Ranger XLT and heading to watch your engine detailing video. Thanks. One last thing...DO NOT do this bare handed as you demonstrate. Wear protective gloves and a mask since hantaviruses are a true potential risk while mitigating.

[@willwillis2381]

Excellent. Yes it works. I use it in my house as a spider deterrent also. Great vid, but yeah use gloves duse👍

[@susannesheffer1848]

Nice clean nest you got there. Out here in the desert, pack rats nests typically contain cholla cactus spines and coyote turds. :O

[@WingChunBoyz]

You are definitely my car angel! Saved the day! 😀

[@shelliwelch6228]

THANKS, GREG!!!!!! You're an Angel! Shelli Welch, Prescott, AZ

[@MrLuckytrucker21]

My grandfather would put mothballs in the cabs of his combine and tractors when they were put away for winter storage!

[@beckywatt5048]

mgtowfish73 That's what we always did, worked well for us , that and cats.

[@carmichaelmoritz8662]

@@beckywatt5048 both produce a bad odor . cats pee and mothballs . ewwww .

[@memirandawong]

Nice video. Very helpful. Thank you. We had rats infesting our engine compartments and one chewed thru a critical electronic sensor that, if damaged, could cause control issues with the car. On the Mercedes website the code was such that it was a 'drop what you're doing and bring the car in NOW!'. So rats on your engine compartment are a nuisance but also very dangerous. We did by a peppermint product designed for this purpose from Amazon and it has worked well. But your application method seems better (and less expensive!) and I am going to try that if/when the problem returns.

[@ctsfiddler]

put a hawk under the hood, no more rats. Seriously, thanks Greg a good idea.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Agreed.

[@user-gu1hl2kx2k]

i put a shredded cat in the engine compartment

[@j.d.schultzsr.9215]

I like to make my engine bay into a colony of snakes. Diamond Backs are great, but I have to wear body armour whenever I check my oil or fluid levels.

[@kolleenwynn3842]

I wish that worked my dam Snowy Owls have to go look for the slow poisoned mice so they can get sick! Actually to be honest the number of preditors that are falling down on the job is rediculous! Yes $400 for new wiring on my new car! Guess maybe I need a feral cat colony!

[@renzo4296]

@@kolleenwynn3842 that's terrible, $400 for wiring on your new car, this morning my truck wouldn't start, opened the hood and wires chewed up. Absolute furious but gotta find a solution cause this cannot continue, we've had problems out here in the country before but something big and savage was in my truck just porking out on my coil wire, temperature sending unit wire, and my computer control module wires.

[@RechtundGerechtigkeit]

Ich liebe Ihren Kanal und ich habe es gleich mal ausprobiert! Danke für die guten Tipps und viele liebe Grüße aus Kappeln an der Schlei in Deutschland.

[@pssst3]

Naphalene crystals (mothballs) work just as well and unlike peppermint oil, it doesn't need to be sprayed. A cloth bag of them tied in place within the in the engine compartment before the car is parked will work. The vapor will coat surfaces and linger. Peppermint will quickly wear away.

[@ShashankD137]

Hello. Have you tried this personally ? I've got a serious rat issue costing me a fortune :(

[@cynthiacooper1368]

@@ShashankD137 moth balls or dryer sheets do not work...peppermint works mint!!!

[@GaryQuiring]

It just cost me $288 bucks at to fix my wiring harness that was going to the O2 sensors, not covered under warranty. A rodent ate through some of the wires. Luckily they were able to solder them back together instead of replacing the whole harness which would cost thousands. I was able to find the peppermint oil at my local Walgreens. I got the best smelling engine cabin in the neighborhood right now!

[@nathanjantz7099]

The reason rodents (mainly mice and rats) chew wires is because in the “natural” world their main source of food is plant stalks... wires and the stalk of a common weed look and potentially feel the same to a rodent. You will notice in most cases of wire damage from rodents eating the insulator of the wire that they only chew a small portion (usually about 1 cm of bite marks along the wire) this is the most common situation because that’s about how much eating the rodent has done before identifying that this is not proper food, however if they aren’t deterred by an electrical sensation or bad tasting insulator then they will have their fill and create a significant amount of damage. This is also the main reason why the newer vehicles are more often found with larger area of damages when rodents have chewed the wires considering they have turned to synthetic alternatives for wire insulation (soy-based insulators) I’m no expert but I would assume if I placed a piece of petroleum made rubber beside a piece of soy made rubber the rodent would go strait for the soy piece. All that aside if you have a rat problem or just want to prevent a rat problem the most important factor involved is heat if the engine compartment isn’t left warm for extended periods of time then the critters will look for a home somewhere else, if you have an insulator on the underside of your hood the engine bay will keep its heat for quite a while after you park. Place a decent sized fan a few feet from the front of your parked vehicle and prop the hood open a couple of inches with the fan on after parking to force the warmth out of its well-insulated compartment much quicker.

[@JoeSmith-vs5sy]

The best way I have found and it has worked for years. LEAVE THE HOOD UP. PUT A SPOT LIGHT ON THE ENGINE. LEAVE A RADIO ON PLAYING COUNTRY MUSIC.

[@KeitelDOG]

I was hoping some trap, because those rats need to be caught and judged for what they've done to me.

[@jeremyrussell4177]

😩🤣🤣

[@rupe53]

Keitel Jovin ... always set a trap or two, either before or after you clean the car. That way you can keep them from finding a new home near by. BTW, rats seem to travel alone but mice travel in groups. Always reset mousetraps daily till you catch no more.

[@renzo4296]

I saw another video of this guy who parks his car on an electric platform, it's basically a fence lying on the ground in his carport and it's electrified and extremely high voltage, if they touch this fencing it sends devestaing voltage out, he said it works well.

[@rupe53]

@@renzo4296 ... I don't see any reason you couldn't use normal "electric fence" items similar to keeping deer out of your veggie garden. It would just have to be VERY close to the floor.

[@outbackeddie]

They deserve a trial before you snap their necks in a trap. Unfortunately, I think you are going to have a hard time getting a conviction if other rats are on the jury.

[@spasticmuse4262]

Ohhhhh.... how I wish I'd seen this maybe six months ago. A few moons ago I popped the hood on the '09 Taco I'm now the care taker of, and noticed some little footy prints in the dirt and dust on the engine cover. It's parked outside; "Ok, that's gonna happen, whatever..." Today I started it up to go to work and now have a check engine light and a "Bank 2 Knock Engine Sensor High" code! Coming to find out that it's a rather common - and almost always due to rodent damage... Well ok, the last engine I dealt with knock sensors they were right on top and easy to access. This time? NOPE!!! They're buried in the valley UNDER the Intake plenum! Bare minimum parts required for the job? Knock sensor connectors, upper & lower intake manifold gasket, coolant pipe 0-ring, water inlet gasket, coolant. And traps. Sorry to those who are kind-hearted enough to not wish harm to any animal - I'm really with ya most of the time - but destructive Dark Stuart Little and his cohorts gotta go! I only use traps that are effective, quick and "humane". No poisons, glue boards, or any of that horrific stuff where the animal suffers - and I'll now be adding peppermint oil to my arsenal so that hopefully the traps are never used or needed!

[@timbarnett3898]

I tested your peppermint theory, covering table top, mice numbers didn't decline or move to another area?

[@fixtritephil7712]

In my area (SE Michigan ) Red squirrels and mice are the enemy of your out door equipment and vehicles. Red Squirrels will build massive nests in the engine compartment and it is usually spruce cones and needles from white pines and Red pines along with nuts and seeds.Lawn tractor wiring is a favorite of Mice as they relish the Soy Bean based wiring and so do Red Squirrels and they will chew through the wires. I am in the outdoor power equipment business and see it a lot.Peppermint oil used full strength on cotton balls will be the best deterrent or as Greg used in a spray ....

[@billyjack5612]

Wires are also manufactured using peanut oil... which also attracts rats, mice, etc.

[@anniepibbles443]

So they make wiring with peanut oil ? Damn corporate jerks I bet they did that on purpose so you have to keep replacing wiring all the time . They just dont make things to last like they used to in the good ol days

[@exploringsydneyandbeyond9059]

Your video would have saved many many cars and expensive problems - Thankyou .

[@chadhaire1711]

no it wont..wont last....use police grade mace..last 6 months

[@exploringsydneyandbeyond9059]

@@chadhaire1711 don’t know if I want the smell of mace in my brand new car , I’m happy to reapply peppermint once a week if I have too.

[@chadhaire1711]

@@exploringsydneyandbeyond9059 No mace smell....any mist evaporates after half hour if hood is up--after that the spray stream oil lingers on wires and bottom body panels for a long time...you will not smell it. It doesn't take much. About 10 seconds...I use it in a house....didn't have an issue. Peppermint only works indoors, and not for long....outdoors and under a car hood it wont last a week--if that. Waste of money.

[@exploringsydneyandbeyond9059]

@@chadhaire1711 thanks for the information

[@MrPepper312]

Peppermint oil is also good in your home to repel mice. Leaves a nice fresh smell too.

[@Colorado4x4]

This video is 10 years too late! 2004 Toyota Tacoma. My wife and I just climbed Wetterhorn Peak and were driving down the dusty road back to Creede, Colorado. I turned on the AC and heard the most horrible noise and shaking and the entire dash. A rat/mouse nest in the AC system and they animals were in the nest and got ground up and the most horrific smell made us almost vomit. I can’t remember how much we spent to have it cleaned, maybe $500-800? And then it happened again a few months later. Great tips and thanks for the video!!!

[@a.m.v.6938]

Leaving the hood open or putting a light (shop light) in engine compartment will also help as rats and mice don't like well lit places.

[@Kayer22]

I heard that too and have been doing it for the last two years but, lately, I look out the window and see a squirrel with his head down, chewing on something under the hood.

[@maryblair1986]

@@Kayer22 🤭😲

[@N1BNfilms]

Well said.

[@gloriamoline678]

RODENT SHERIFF. Easy to use spray bottle. Used it in sheds etc.

[@delightfulsunny]

@1:12 Did the mouse drag in a brand new joint to the car?

[@rightlanehog3151]

Hey man, it's California.

[@1DJDeeZe]

Stoner rodents, man......... :-)

[@scottcroce5277]

delightfulsunny good catch, those rats had the munchies

[@mrcoz1764]

He just rolled it and the engine started,figured he`d enjoy it later when you got back

[@buckjohnson1119]

delightfulsunny 😂

[@susannesheffer1848]

Question. Watched it twice and didn't hear what ELSE you mix with the 20-40 drops of pep oil. Is it 36 oz of water?

[@madik3875]

Mine loooove peppermint oil. I used a whole bottle (no water) to no avail. I was the one that suffocate on that smell ...

[@jazpanoz4996]

Madi K @ thats y you mix it with water so they taste it & run......ll

[@rodgraff1782]

My engine compartment is cleaner than it was when it was new. I’ve used tons of essential oil, including pure peppermint oil. Neither worked for mice. On both my truck and my wife’s bmw. The only thing that works is traps. I’ve caught two on glue traps under the hood, and several with snap traps. I’ve tried cotton balls soaked with peppermint oil, cloves paprika Irish spring, you name it. They keep coming.

[@ortafunk]

good video thanks for the Information, I residence at hell valley Oklahoma I know about pest, maybe this will work In My kitchen also look for mud dauber nest especially on the radiator and throttle linkage

[@walterjunovich6180]

I was having a big problem with Chipmunks ( or , Shitmunks as I like to call them ). Found a video that suggested peeling 2 cloves of garlic and wrapping them in 2 dryer sheets, tying it up with a string and putting it into the engine compartment. Since I've been using this method, no more Shitmunks !!

[@howtodoitdude1662]

30 seconds of information in a 5 minute video, thanks for sharing!

[@60sMark909]

A regular "Hank Kimble" ala "Green Acres". kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3vRZGWFeLZqpNU

[@jaymoraski]

Is cleaning our a rats nest with bare hands/no gloves a good recommendation ?