Don’t even leave your dust masks in the ute or the rodents use them for nesting.
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Don’t let the rodents get comfortable: That’s the message from Rick McMurray, A1 Auto Electrical and Air Conditioning.
In the current plague, vehicles can provide warm refuge for mice and rats – and they can be incredibly destructive and wreak havoc.
Mr McMurray says his team saw some tractors and vehicles damaged after rodents gnawed away at insulation and cables – although he largely believes that in the country where the mice are most common, the people in the country where the mice are most abundant put their risks pretty much cope well.
His number 1 tip is to open the bonnet when you come home in the afternoon and the vehicle is warm, “so that you can’t make yourself comfortable in there”.
It is also important to remove absolutely anything from the cubicle that they could use as nesting material.
He has seen an instruction manual transformed by a rat into something resembling a cocoon or an igloo, he has also seen rags, face masks and other soft objects being used for nesting.
It should go without saying that keeping food in the cubicle is a no-go at this point.
“Just take it all out, clean the cab,” said Mr McMurray.
He advises people, especially rural residents, to closely monitor their vehicles and their surroundings for signs of rodent activity.
“They’ll chew through cables and insulation, everything,” said Mr. McMurray.
The first thing you might know is when the truck won’t start, warning lights come on on the dash, or the GPS in the tractor isn’t working.
“In the worst case, you can see smoke under the hood,” warns the car electrician.
His advice is to consult a professional, either NRMA or an auto electrician, with experience in auto electrics.
One of the fairly common problems is snails, in which the mice pick up residual grain.
“They eat through the air filters and if they eat through those your engines will get dust in,” warns McMurray.
“Check mouse activity and be careful.”
Headlines across the state were a rat that inflicted nearly $ 20,000 in damage to a LandRover, and a mechanic on Molong went viral with an impressive nest in a vehicle.
