I have found groundhogs in my car engine. They chewed up some wires in my girlfriends car and she couldn’t drive home. Is there anything I can do to make my car less attractive to groundhogs?
sprinkle hot peppers/seasonings around the engine bay. Sounds weird, but it does work. My stepfather had an issue with critters chewing on the wiring on his volvo. After some hot seasoning, they stopped.
FoDaddy’s advice should work, but are you sure it was groundhogs? They are not the type of critter that would normally do that. It is just not their style. There are lots of other animals that will do it however. The solution would be the same.
I would also suggest checking to make sure repairs are made to all possible damage and not miss something that might leave her stranded some dark and stormy night.
Let me tell you Groundhogs DO CHEW CAR WIRES!!!
Last year warning lights started lighting up on my 2005 Ford Focus Wagon. The brake lights came on too. I made an appointment for our mechanic and kept it parked until we could get it to him. I was supposed to be leaving for a trip to my hometown (an 8 hr drive away) to stay for a month to help out my sister with her kids. I was on the phone with her when I went to the front door to get better cell reception and what did I see… a tail hanging out from the backside of my car. I opened the door (talking loudly to my sister on the cell the whole time) squatted down and looked under the car, which was only 6-8 feet away from the front door. A groundhog was on his hind feet with his head up under my car so only his bottom half was showing. His body was moving back and forth as if he was chewing. I yelled at him and he finally peeked down to see what was going on. He put his head back up and kept chewing! I yelled more and stomped my feet. He looked out again. And reluctantly came out seeming annoyed that I was interrupting him! He heading back under the car like he was just going to return to his chewing when I stomped out toward him and he finally sauntered off as slowly into a nearby firewood pile! We had $600 damage from chewing!!! The mechanic said long 3’ sections of wires were completely gone. My husband killed 6 that spring near our house.
Almost a year to the date later (this pasted May 2009) lights started coming on again on my dash. Yep, more chewing damage…$200 worth! We caught on to the problem sooner this year. So yes it can be groundhogs! I used to love seeing the (so I thought) cute little guys running around the farm but now I have a very dire hate of the critters!
SO Car Talk brothers, what can be done to keep groundhogs from finding my car of interest for chewing? We shoot 'em when we can but more move in from, the adjacent to our farm, state game lands not long after. Is there some way to keep them from liking our car (5 other vehicles are parked not too far from mine (within 6 to 150 feet of mine) one is even another ford focus. Two are trucks (the one parked 6? from mine is my husband?s truck) and higher up, so it maybe that they don?t chew them since they are not easily reached to chew on them.
Go to your local garden center, and purchase a container of dehydrated fox/bobcat urine. Take a coffee can and punch holes around the top. Place a rock in the coffee can and pour in the dehydrated fox/bobcat urine. Attach a pie pan upside-down to the top of the coffee can and set the can near the vehicle. Critters can smell the urine, and when they do, they think these predators are in the area and leave.
Tester
“Critters can smell the urine, and when they do, they think these predators are in the area and leave.”
On a hot day, you might want to leave, too.
You’re right! I should have added: You don’t to set up a backyard party/barbeque around the can!
Tester