So I'm checking the oil level on my '19 TRD Off Road this evening (I do it every time I gas up. Used to own a Subaru) and I noticed rodent droppings on the engine cover.

I checked under the engine cover, inside the air cleaner assembly, behind the door for the cabin filter, and anywhere else I could think of. No signs of any nesting or wire chewing.

So my question is; what are some products or strategies I can use to prevent this from happening again?

The truck is daily driven, but it is not garaged. So far I have taped a couple of dryer sheets under the hood and I'm leaving a bag of used cat litter on the ground under the motor.

Anyone ever used this? https://www.rataway.com/

Any other ideas?

We use this stuff called Bar Bait. We live in farm country and get it at our local co-op. We haven't seen it anywhere else. It looks like a big bar of soap that you can break up and place the pieces where you think best. Make no mistake - this is a poison so you will have to be careful other animals don't get into it. I works well. I don't know what year Toyota and other manufacturers started using soy based wire insulation that mice seem to love; but it can get expensive. A garage doesn't totally eliminate the problem; but I'm sure it helps.

wait a few months. most of them will be dead. there is a HUGE rodent population in new england this fall. fortunately, there is a tiny mast crop this year, meaning millions of rodents will die of starvation this fall and winter.

This looks like the beginning of a sticky Have-A-Heart Live Trap mod....

Same thing happened to me this fall and I do park in a garage. I caught a mouse in a trap in the garage and I’m hoping he was the only one. I need to check under the hood again to make sure they haven’t come back. Thanks for the reminder.

Yikes. My old 4runner had a mice problem, they chewed through the wiring to the coil packs and I needed to get new harnesses.

I know the feeling. Found this while checking under the hood.

The used cat litter is a clever idea. Last time I had a mouse in the car I left it in my mothers garage with the doors open and let the cat spend the night in it. I didn't see the mouse after that. I would hesitate to use any poison for fear that the mouse will die inside the truck and stink it up.

On a slight tangent... that particular mouse made himself known by hopping out of the dashboard while I was driving about 50 MPH merging onto the interstate in a construction zone with semi's front, back, and to the left. I'm not usually delicate but when an animal jumped out of my dashboard unexpectedly... I about lost it... literally. I nearly lost control of the car. I'm sure the mouse was equally terrified of the screaming primate it encountered. The people at the Starbucks were no less perplexed when I pulled off the highway and promptly started pulling the dashboard out of the car. It was a weird day for all mammals involved.

Some old threads on this.

Ideas to prevent rodents from eating our wiring


Rodent chewed injector wire

Appreciate all the suggestions!

Mothballs?

A rat nestled under the hood of my 4runner in 2013, chewed through the power steering hose and made its way into the air box.. There was mouse poop all over the strut mount on the passenger side. I put one of those sonic mouse repellent systems in the garage and haven’t had the problem since.

Outside truck, I use Little Trees "Royal Pine", one on each side of the engine bay. Actually use the plastic wrap the way it is intended and get a few months out of them.

Just FYI fk using poisons, especially if you have cats (that incidentally take care of rodents as a side job) and owls/raptors in you area. IT is just fking irresponsible. Rodents eat poison, slowly die, non-target animal snacks on dying rodents, gets sick.

there's hundreds of thouasnds of 4runner wiring for them to feed off... they'll continue to flourish!!!!!

would totally love to see some more owls and raptors!!!!! those birds can take care of the cat problem too