What to Do About Animals Seeking Shelter from the Cold in Your Vehicle

What to Do About Animals Seeking Shelter from the Cold in Your Vehicle

December 12, 2018

While some animals may thrive in the cold weather, others need to find places where they can hide away from the harshness of winter. They’ll take whatever they can get, and that includes finding ways to get inside your vehicle.

Of course, any time you have an animal attempting to get into your spaces, there are problems that can occur, especially if they get in the way of some important vehicle components. Here are some issues to consider from a mechanic in Everett, WA.

Dealing with rodents

This issue most commonly occurs in the winter with rodents, which are much more capable than other types of animals of getting into smaller nooks and crannies. Rodents are unfortunately capable of causing some extensive damage to your vehicle. They’ll be especially likely to try to get into vehicles that aren’t frequently used during the winter months. Their burrowing and nesting could result in problems with the heating, air conditioning or electrical components of the vehicle, not to mention the sanitary risks they pose.

Specific types of damage include electrical shorts, nests blocking air vents, chewed-up interior seats and carpets and the buildup of feces and urine.

Here are some tips to prevent rodent damage from occurring to your vehicle in the winter:

  • Try as much as possible to park inside a rodent-proof garage. If this is not possible, park away from areas that have brush and anywhere else rodents may like to hang out.
  • Make sure you store bird food, pet food and grass seeds in locations away from your vehicle. These items could serve as food sources to rodents, and they’re going to do everything they can during the winter months to get at foods they can easily scavenge.
  • Use wire mesh to block off small entrances to your engine compartment. If the rodent is unable to get into these areas, they will just move on and try to find somewhere else to inhabit when the weather gets cold.
  • Make use of traps around your vehicle and on top of the wheels if you’re keeping your vehicle in storage for long periods of time during the winter. These traps will eventually begin to act as deterrents once the rodents realize what’s happening.
  • Always keep the interior of your vehicle clean. Get rid of leftover food or snacks—these will only serve to entice rodents into your vehicle.
  • Drive your vehicles regularly, or at least turn them on several times a week. Not only can this act as a deterrent for rodents, but it will also give you a chance to see if there’s any damage that’s been done to any electrical or mechanical components of your vehicle.

For more tips about how you can keep rodents away from your vehicles during the winter and what other steps you can take to protect your vehicles throughout the harsh winter months, we encourage you to contact a mechanic in Everett, WA at Auto Truck Service Inc. today. We look forward to assisting you soon.

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