Texas Living

Squirrel Away

By Rachel Elmalawany 7.25.14

Squirrels are pretty cute. Children light up when they see furry brown friends scampering up trees. But small critters often cause damage in some unexpected ways. Here are a few ways to keep your car’s electrical system safe and prevent squirrel damage.

Repellent 

You can pick up rodent repellant from any hardware store or plant nursery. Apply it to areas which don’t heat up, like the bumper or the front tires. Never spray repellant in the engine.

Hot Peppers

You can mix hot pepper sauce with pepper flakes to make a paste and apply it in the same places as the spray repellant, where rodents likely enter. Double up with both repellant and peppers for assurance that they’ll stay far away from getting cozy in your car.

Preventative Measures

Don’t let your vehicle look like a place a squirrel wants to hang out. Keep brush and piles of wood away from your car. You may also want to consider investing in a few life-like rubber snakes to scare them away, since snakes are a squirrel’s natural predator.

Be careful when inspecting under your hood. If a squirrel has decided to nest in your vehicle, it could bite and cause you more headaches. Don’t turn on the engine with an animal inside — it could damage your car and hurt the animal.

Living in nature may be peaceful and serene, but when nature invades it can be problematic. If small critters have caused damage to your vehicle before you could take preventative measures, be sure to call your Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Agent to discuss your coverage.