preventing rat damage - is it possible?

mlts22 wrote:
Here is my experience:

Peppermint oil and dryer sheets -- just makes the rodents smell better, and does nothing.
Poison -- works, but can kill other animals (owls, cats, dogs, etc.) Use with caution.
Ultrasonic devices (Riddex Sonic) -- they work somewhat. Definitely worth trying.
Sticky pads -- they work, but trap a lot of unintended stuff (pets).
Snap traps -- if you get the wide-trigger snap traps (Jawz brand), you can place these where the mice run along walls, and they will do their job, no bait needed.
Cats -- so far, the best way.
A light in the engine compartment -- for chipmunks and other items, may be useful.
Stainless steel wool (regular steel wool will rust into useless powder + expanding foam) -- effective for plugging gaps.
Fresh Cab, Rat Away, and other stuff -- never tried it.

I agree with this I'd add fresh cab to the top of doing absolutely nothing but making things smell good.

Mothballs are toxic and haven't been mentioned yet but they do nothing also.

Borax or dry laundry detergent. again nothing but smelling good.
peppermint extract didn't work either.

Sealing cracks is very effective in keeping populations down. some are impossible to do.

like the easiest way for mice to get in is through the airbox where your HVAC opens and closes thats a mouse highway. try to keep it in recirculated air mode if possible. if your heater fan won't work you'll know why there is a nest. happened to me twice!

I had a massive infestation in a car that I had to strip top to bottom to clean the nests. most disguting smell I have ever dealt with and was near impossible to get rid of.

there is a recipe that did work. vinegar, baking soda, drop of soap and water. Can add hydrogen peroxide to the mix but be careful or it can bleach carpeted areas. this is for neturalizing the smell and cleanup only.

don't waste money on enzymes and other products trust me it took me 6 months to clean the disaster that happened in this newer car. Literally cleaning the PEE, poop and trails was the only thing that worked along with removing nests and scrubbing the pee trails. uggh getting sick thinking about it.

I tried everything from frebreeze to all the above mentioned solutions and decided prevention is far better then the aftermath.

Once they are in they will have babies and take on a life of their own destroying everything in their path.

I had them eat a O2 sensor its braided steel and shielded with thick metal no problem for the mice ate right through it and gave me driveablity problems and check engine light on. NEVER underestimate these rodents.

I've been at war with mice for 20 years.