One eyed pack rat in engine

[Paddler]

Kokanee Park is where I learned the hard to way to use a wire skirt. My worst was camping on a Kootenay lake beach, and having a squad of packrats galloping through camp at 1am. We had to collect everything chewable and pile it in the tent to protect it from damage. They still put 20 holes in a lightweight towel, and dragged a quick dry t shirt off a hammock line, and chewed it beyond use. I felt him do that. They tried to drag it away, but couldn’t manage it because of the rough rocks, so just chewed it right there. We found a spoon 50 yards away that they abandoned.
I look for, and smell check every beach we think of camping on, and choose less “ratty” locations. Packrats have a skunk like stink, because they make nests out of forest debris, and cement the whole thing together with their piss. They like rock piles and scree slopes particularly. I think most people out in the bush will catch this scent from time to time. I have learned not to underestimate how much trouble they can cause.

[Treed]

Packrats have ‘broken’ into our cabin a few times. The first time I thought we’d been burgled. Shit was knocked off all the counters and stuff was strewn everywhere. Looking more closely, the little shits had left little shits and we figured out it was packrats. They died shortly thereafter.

[Spy]

12g open hood bam lol lol probably won’t be going very far but atleast you can say you killed something.l had one thank goodness I opened the hood to check the oil at the gas station, it had built a huge nest, definitely a fire hazard.

[tigrr]

https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/para-ze.../6000194854901

[Deer_Slayer]

I know guys around Golden would put a fence of chicken wire around their vehicles when away to ward off porcupines from getting in and chewing wires. Maybe same thing using a finer screen? 1/4 to 1/2" screen? or bring a one eyed Surrey alley cat along

[ElectricDyck]

We parked at the wokkapash last year for 5 days, not a pack rat but something smaller, they chewed the all the tanks evap stuff, the tank fill sensor, the rear lights, back up camera...fuses popping when it started raining, barely limped home. Toyota had the truck for 2 weeks, replaced the gas tank all the hoses, the whole wiring harness front to back...it sucked.

[longwalk]

Had a pack rat get under my hood once while camping. Bugger went through the vents into the cab and died under the centre console in the middle of a hot summer… took about a week to find it and months of using everything under the sun to get rid of the smell. Bugger also chewed the wiring on the anti knock sensor.

[TheObserver]

Their scum for sure, got a bottle or coyote piss going to put some around the truck hopefully it works and keep the hood propped open

[Bugle M In]

The EK hunts and pack rats….. grrrrr.
Running the truck to either dry out gear or recharge batteries, and thus having a warm compartment is a great invitation for those buggers.
So yes, lifting the hood while running and allow to cool engine afterwards does help, but no guarantee.
The colder the weather, the worse the issue I find.
We have put rat traps in the engine compartment but hasn’t helped.
They are a frustrating creature for sure

[Redthies]

I use a wire mesh “skirt” around the truck, weighed down with rocks. For packrats, smaller mesh is needed, smaller than chicken wire. Mine is half inch, and it works so far. Chicken wire works for porcupines, where the *******s have learned to chew rubber.

This is what we do when mountaineering in the Bugaboos. There are always extra rolls of mesh at the trailhead as lots of people leave theirs behind for others to use.