Following the complaints of residents of a Dartmouth neighbourhood that a growing rat population is creating big headaches for them, a vehicle consumer advocate says damage to vehicles by rodents is a worsening problem.

Rodents in the parking lots of apartment buildings in Highfield Park are chewing the wires in vehicles, leaving owners with mechanic bills costing thousands of dollars.

George Iny, director of the Automobile Protection Association, spoke with Information Morning’s Jerry West about why the problem has become more widespread and what owners can do to protect their vehicles.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Why would rats want to chew on the wires in vehicles?

We’ve been told that the problem of animals — because it’s not only rats, it’s rodents in general — chewing on car wiring has gotten worse with the switch to more environmentally friendly insulation for the wiring. It’s silk soy-based. Some brands seem to come up more than others as well in our complaints.

What vehicle brands come up more often than others?

Toyota, Audi, Honda are the brands that we have more complaints on. General Motors as well. Most of the complaints we have are not really related to rats. It’s the kind of rodents that you would encounter who live in the outdoors. It’s typically vehicles that are parked outside and perhaps not used for periods of time that are most vulnerable. Typically the thinking is when you’re indoors or in a built-up area that it would probably be less likely to happen. Rodents need to chew. They also like warm places to hide and the underhood of a vehicle offers them that opportunity for both warmth and a nook to nest.

What do you mean when you say other kinds of rodents? Like squirrels?

Yeah, chipmunks, things that might come out of an uncleared area next to your parking lot or your outdoor parking area. Those are the situations typically that are reported to the [association].

What can be done to prevent rats from chewing on your vehicle’s wires?

One thing that many people will do after they have an event is to use a tape over the wiring harness that is coated with a hot pepper-type product. Apparently that’s unappealing to animals. We’ve also been told peppermint oil, although I don’t know if that’s really a permanent solution. 

How expensive is it to repair damage caused by rats?

Well, typically these are insurance claims for people who have the coverage. The repairs can be in the low thousands [of dollars] to even more in some cases. When a complete wiring harness has to be replaced, that’s a huge job.

Will claims for rat damage result in increased insurance rates?

Typically after one claim, I would say probably not. After more than one claim, absolutely it will go up even if this is a not-at-fault claim, for sure, it’ll have an impact on your premium. The rules vary by province and by policy. What your insurance company does. How they apply it. But it’s not a claim you want to have too often. I mean, if it’s happened once and you’re keeping the same vehicle and parking in the same place, then you really need to consider countermeasures.

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