Rats ate my car?

[DirectorMan]

On two separate occasions I have seen a white spongy material on the ground under my car near the left and right front tires. I'm wondering if rats are climbing up under my car and pulling out insulation material or something similar and taking it back to their nests. Does anybody have any idea what this white material might be? Is it important to the proper functioning of my car? Is it time to break out the rat traps?

[hybridbear]

Pictures? Can you see where the material is coming from on the car?

[SteveB_TX]

It is never a good idea to let those nasty rodents run free!

[Texasota]

Is your parking location known to have rats running around?

[jeffo65]

Mice or Rats?

[Easy Rider]

Is it time to break out the rat traps?

If you live in an area where rodents run wild in any significant quantity, there is no good reason NOT to have some "safety" bait stations around the perimeter of the house.

They need to be anchored down somehow so they don't blow away and the larger varmints don't carry them away into the woods.

 

That fluffy material might be coming from your car or going INTO it.

A careful inspection would definitely be in order.

[ceilidhdog]

Might also be rabbits. They're known for climbing into the bowels of vehicles and eating wiring, etc.

[DirectorMan]

Pictures? Can you see where the material is coming from on the car?

The evidence has been swept away. I'll have to wait for it to happen again to get some pictures. If the material is coming from the car, I'll have to stick my smartphone under the chassis and see if I can take a decent picture, since there's no way I can fit under it myself. All I know right now is that it collects under the chassis just in back of and a little to the right of the left front tire and a little to the right of the right front tire.

[DirectorMan]

Is your parking location known to have rats running around?

It's probably mice, but "Rats ate my car" sounded better. :)

[DirectorMan]

That fluffy material might be coming from your car or going INTO it.

A careful inspection would definitely be in order.

Anything's possible, but if I were a betting man, I'd go with coming OUT of.

[DirectorMan]

Might also be rabbits. They're known for climbing into the bowels of vehicles and eating wiring, etc.

We've seen squirrels, mice, and very rarely a racoon or opossum. Can't recall for sure if we've seen rats.

[jeff_h]

The evidence has been swept away. I'll have to wait for it to happen again to get some pictures. If the material is coming from the car, I'll have to stick my smartphone under the chassis and see if I can take a decent picture, since there's no way I can fit under it myself. All I know right now is that it collects under the chassis just in back of and a little to the right of the left front tire and a little to the right of the right front tire.

 

Here is a pic of a riding mower from a few years ago, I started it up in the Spring and started mowing, 5 minutes later it started smoking and I smelled something burning. I stopped and removed the sheet metal shroud that goes over top of the engine, found a mice nest made of leaves and also mixed with a lot of white foam (which was the air filter element) down underneath of all of the leaves. Thinking of the underside of the FFH, that fiberglass composite stuff is generally black (at least the parts I have seen, could be in white elsewhere), whereas the air filter and cabin air filter is made of white paper type material. Does the material you saw on the ground look like it could have been shredded white paper? If so, maybe it's worth the time to pull out the cabin air filter (yeah I know it's a PITA) and see if something has been chewing on it? The engine air filter may also be a possibility but thinking of how that is routed I don't know if it might be harder for critters to get in there -- however removing the cover and checking the air filter takes a ratchet and 30 seconds.

 

 

Edited February 13, 2015 by jeff_h

[DirectorMan]

Does the material you saw on the ground look like it could have been shredded white paper?

The material I saw looks like the spongy material used as packing material for things like computers, etc.

 

My uneducated guess is that it started out as a solid piece and the critters got in there and started chewing/scratching on it to get it out from where they found it. What I saw was a dozen or so little chunks in roughly a 2" to 3" circle.

[acdii]

And people think I'm nuts having barn cats in my garage. Have not had any mice or other critters get into anything.

[GrySql]

Do you have garage cats in your barn?

[SteveB_TX]

We have Tree Rats in our yard all the time. Thankfully, none of those evil nut hoarders get into our garage! :)

[Texasota]

We have Tree Rats in our yard all the time. Thankfully, none of those evil nut hoarders get into our garage! :)

Those are the worst kind of rats. A 22 caliber air rifle dispatches them very nicely.

[acdii]

They switch, one will be a barn cat the other a garage cat. Depends on their mood I guess. They love to sleep on the car by the cowl, its warmest spot I guess. Dont have to worry about rodents, but they do leave their pawprints on everything.

[tr7driver]

My cat used to craw into the engine compartment of my car and sleep. Until one day my wife came home and said the ALT light had been on all day. That was #9 for that kitty.

[DirectorMan]

Here are photos of the material. The first photo is of the right front tire area of the car. The second is a closeup of the material.

[hybridbear]

Hmmmmmmm.... No idea what that could be...

[Easy Rider]

You really need to get this checked out......immediately if not sooner.

It is Styrofoam type insulating material, probably coming OUT of your car and it indicates a LOT of rodent activity of some kind.

This can be dangerous for several reasons, to the car and to YOU.