Rodents eating wiring in cars. Does Mazda have this problem?
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- 2017 CX3 AWD
I have two years of experience dealing with rodents out in the wild, more mice than rats. Peppermint oil is for posh ones living in highrises. I deal with the Mad Max kind in the desert. So far it seems that they have stayed away from the two vehicles (Chevy/Ford) that are mostly parked.
Inside the engine bay, I wrap every wire that I can see and touch, not with tape, but with sleeves. The wide diameter makes it difficult for those things to bite down on the wire. There is also one usb RGB sunset (projector) light. Those lights are too bright even for human eyes. One battery-powered trap will zap anyone that gets up there despite all the obstacles. I check weekly to make sure that the trap is available for new assignment. My daily-driver Mazda has wires protected and ground lights at night, no trap or sunset light.
Outside on the ground, I have three cold white led lights mounted on wood boards pointing at the undercarriage. I used to toss the ones that met their demise. Now I keep one or two in a box by the wheel. That smell is more of a deterrent than any essential oil. The ants usually take care of the mess in a week.
Inside the engine bay, I wrap every wire that I can see and touch, not with tape, but with sleeves. The wide diameter makes it difficult for those things to bite down on the wire. There is also one usb RGB sunset (projector) light. Those lights are too bright even for human eyes. One battery-powered trap will zap anyone that gets up there despite all the obstacles. I check weekly to make sure that the trap is available for new assignment. My daily-driver Mazda has wires protected and ground lights at night, no trap or sunset light.
Outside on the ground, I have three cold white led lights mounted on wood boards pointing at the undercarriage. I used to toss the ones that met their demise. Now I keep one or two in a box by the wheel. That smell is more of a deterrent than any essential oil. The ants usually take care of the mess in a week.
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- 2017 CX3 AWD
This is a problem with all wires. When they are desperate enough, non-soy is as good as soy. I read about the Honda tape but went with protective sleeves/tubing first due to availability.
There is a grid/mat (the grid guard) that can be placed under the car that will shock any offending critters. The cost is around $2K and requires AC power and a flat surface. The more economical alternative would be training mats that people lay on couches to keep pets off. If the device is strong enough to shock/startle cats/dogs, they should work on rodents as well. That would be my next step, if necessary. Some are on rechargeable batteries or powered by USB. I thought placing one strip on each end of the front wheels would deter the rodents from climbing up.
I have tried the ultrasonic devices as well. Units under $50 that you can connect to the car battery didn't help. There may be more expensive ones that work. I then found sound clips on YT, convert them into MP3s, and saved them on micro SD cards to play non-stop for days from a Bluetooth speaker. That worked for awhile. I experimented by removing one feature at a time to see what works best. As of now, the lights and trophy in a box are the first line of defense. Contraceptives sausages are placed away from the vehicles in hidden locations to hopefully have a long-term effect. The wifi cams will tell me if I need to do more.
In the off grid community, bucket traps are considered a very effective way to control rodent population.
There is a grid/mat (the grid guard) that can be placed under the car that will shock any offending critters. The cost is around $2K and requires AC power and a flat surface. The more economical alternative would be training mats that people lay on couches to keep pets off. If the device is strong enough to shock/startle cats/dogs, they should work on rodents as well. That would be my next step, if necessary. Some are on rechargeable batteries or powered by USB. I thought placing one strip on each end of the front wheels would deter the rodents from climbing up.
I have tried the ultrasonic devices as well. Units under $50 that you can connect to the car battery didn't help. There may be more expensive ones that work. I then found sound clips on YT, convert them into MP3s, and saved them on micro SD cards to play non-stop for days from a Bluetooth speaker. That worked for awhile. I experimented by removing one feature at a time to see what works best. As of now, the lights and trophy in a box are the first line of defense. Contraceptives sausages are placed away from the vehicles in hidden locations to hopefully have a long-term effect. The wifi cams will tell me if I need to do more.
In the off grid community, bucket traps are considered a very effective way to control rodent population.
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- 2017 CX3 AWD
Between the two types of split loom sleeves that I have used, only the plastic tubes (as pictured) have sustained damage. The woven type has not. I believe it is because the plastic tubes are more rigid, whereas the woven kind would just collapse when force is applied. I might do a human bite test later, on clean sections, of course.
This is the second time that I found bite marks on the plastic tubes, and both times they covered USB-C cords that were "live," i.e., the Bluetooth speaker playing ultrasonic clips, and this time the sunset light. Those mice are smart enough to find the cords from the offensive devices. They didn't mess with the tubes/wires connecting the solar panels, charge controllers, and battery terminals. Damaged sections are still usable, I just wrap it with tape, most tapes except painter's tape.
It is the season to be on high alert again.
This is the second time that I found bite marks on the plastic tubes, and both times they covered USB-C cords that were "live," i.e., the Bluetooth speaker playing ultrasonic clips, and this time the sunset light. Those mice are smart enough to find the cords from the offensive devices. They didn't mess with the tubes/wires connecting the solar panels, charge controllers, and battery terminals. Damaged sections are still usable, I just wrap it with tape, most tapes except painter's tape.
It is the season to be on high alert again.
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