For the past few days, a squirrel has been trying to make a nest in my engine. I first noticed when my car was not running properly after sitting in the driveway for a couple of days. My husband found parts of a nest along with some chewed up wires. He retaped the wires and the care ran fine.
The nest was made of insulation from the engine and bits of landscaping bark. My husband thinks it’s a squirrel because he saw one running from under the car one day–before we knew about the nest building.
I parked the car in the garage for a few days, but as soon as I put it in the car port, the nest appeared again. Any way to repel the squirrel without trapping or killing her?
Mrs. G.
I wonder if the warmth of the engine has anything to do with it. Maybe make a nice inviting nesting place for it nearby so it will choose that instead of your engine compartment.
Rodents love to chew on the insulation on the wires. If this continues it can cause damage to the car. Very expensive damage.
Get rid of the squirrel any way you can before the situation gets worse.
Borrow a dog or a cat. Set a trap. I know everyone finds squirrels attractive, but they really are rats with bushy tails. You will have to decide who wins here, and, to me, it is NOT the squirrel.
If you have any Tabasco sauce, or any other spicy flavorings, dab a little on the wires and around the engine compartment. This should help get rid of it.