# How to keep critters from nesting on top of my engine?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-keep-critters-from-nesting-on-top-of-my-engine/20726>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [October 14, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-keep-critters-from-nesting-on-top-of-my-engine/20726 "2008-10-14T18:37:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kdkrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@kdkrone](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kdkrone)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-keep-critters-from-nesting-on-top-of-my-engine/20726/1 "2008-10-14T18:37:31Z")

</div>

Well, we have been living in a relatively remote area for the past year. For the last couple of months I have been smelling raw gas through my ventilation system. I took the car in to a mechanic who has discovered some chewed hoses and a nest on top of the engine below the intake plenum.  
  
  
  
 Does anyone have any ideas how to keep this from happening in the future? I can understand that the car provides a warm place to rest for the little creature, whatever it is, but I am the one who pays the bills!  
  
  
  
 Any country folk out there who know how to deal with this???  
  
  
  
 Thanks  
  
 Ken K

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-keep-critters-from-nesting-on-top-of-my-engine/20726/2 "2008-10-14T18:49:17Z")

</div>

sprinkle moth crystals around the car.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![irlandes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5e925/32.png) [@irlandes](https://community.cartalk.com/u/irlandes)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-keep-critters-from-nesting-on-top-of-my-engine/20726/3 "2008-10-15T15:00:26Z")

</div>

Good answer. I have a mobile home in a retirement park here in McAllen. We get possums under the house, and fleas work their way into the carpet above. The answer, we go to the China outlet store and buy a box of moth balls, and toss underneath. The possums hate the smell, and for a while they don’t come in.

I don’t know what will happen if you put mothballs under the hood when it gets hot. Are they flammable? Well, I guess you could use some fire and heat to test them. Not with your bare hands, nor in the house, please.