As the temperatures start to drop, wild animals are busy searching for any type of shelter they can find that is safe and warm. To them, your car seems like the perfect home for the winter.
There are many different hiding places that animals can crawl in to. Many animals find solace in the warm engine or undercarriage of a car. Smaller critters such as rats, squirrels, and mice love to make a home in a car’s engine bay, especially the heating and air ducts. While they're getting warm and cozy, they’ll chew on anything plastic including the wrapping of the electrical wires. The plastic is then used with whatever other materials they can find to make a nest. Chewing through the wires can lead to major electrical problems and a high repair cost for the car’s owner.
Here are some tips to keep animals out of your car:
Clean your driveway regularly.
Keep your driveway free of anything that can be used as nesting materials. This includes leaves, feathers, and any paper or trash. This will deter them from building a home inside your car.Fix any damaged car parts.
If you have any holes in your undercarriage or body work, small animals can crawl into these holes to get warm. Patch up any holes and head to your local auto repair shop to get it sealed properly.Deter animals with peppermint oil.
Animals like these don’t like the smell of peppermint oil. Take cotton balls soaked in pure peppermint extract and put them in cans in your engine bay or inside your car. Keep the critters out and keep your car smelling good.Knock on your hood.
Lastly, before you start your car, give your hood a couple of taps. This will awaken whatever may be sleeping inside and help get them out before you start the engine.Learn more about keeping animals out of your car from our owner Brian Bowersock in his #AskTheAutoman video! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more car tips!
