Pests are the bane of existence for many car owners. Situations such as having rats nesting in and invading your vehicle can cost you thousands in upholstery repair and electrical damage. Not only that, rat problems can completely destroy the interior of your car and may even mean you have to written it off altogether. But what are the top things you can do to repell rats and keep them out of your garage and car?

What many people don’t realise, is that rats can be enormously destructive to cars, explains Mickala from Best Pest Control, a rat control specialist in London. This is usually because they gnaw on absolutely everything. This can include the infrastructure of your vehicle and also your engine. Rats are one of the the biggest pest problems faced by car owners. Whether you own a classic car, a van or a family station wagon, rats are likely to affect your garage at one time or another.

Every year rats cause millions and millions of pounds of damage to motor vehicles. This can become a huge problem if you run a garage or have a fleet. The best way to handle this issue is with rat repellent for cars. In this article we’ll discuss the various options for this.


The best types of rat repellent for cars


There are dozens of varieties of rat repellent for cars. These include things like:

Sprays and coatings


The easiest way to keep rats away from your cars is with rat sprays and coatings. These are essentially poisons which can be sprayed on various areas of your car. This can be in places such as the wheels or under the bonnet. Also, if you have a particularly bad problem with rats, there are coatings made to cover the entire car.

WD-40 and pepper spay


According to some people WD-40 makes a terrific rat repellent for cars. It’s also said that pepper spray can be used for the same purpose. Simply spray either one of these around the base of your cars.

Natural repellents


There are also dozens of natural substances which can be used as rat repellent for cars. This includes things like cayenne pepper, peppermint oil, mothballs, and bay leaves. All of these can help to drive away rats and should be placed around your vehicle.

Electronic repellents


Many people swear by electronic pest repellents. Whether or not these are effective is up for debate. That being said, if you want to give them a go there are many to choose from. To start with you have ultrasonic devices. These emit sound waves which drive away rats. Then you have devices which buzz when rats are detected. You also have devices which are basically strobe lights. These plug into your cars cigarette lighter and flash when rats trigger a sensor.

Use rat mats

Another interesting electronic device is something called the, “rat mat.” This is a special anti-rat device developed here in the UK. The rat mat is basically a type of electric fence which deters rats. It’s made up of interlocking mats which have an electric current passed through them.

Whenever a rat steps onto one of these mats it delivers an electric shock. Over time the rats learn to stay away from the areas where these mats are placed. The mats can be configured anyway you like, and be placed around the perimeter of cars. According to the manufacturers of this product, these mats are 100% effective when it comes to deterring rats.

Rats are a problem for car owners due to the amount of damage they cause. As well as destruction, they can simply make a mess. This can be an enormous challenge to clean up. Making use of an effective rat repellant in your garae or vehicle can make a huge amount of difference.