Confused in the desert

A

alano

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We recently completed a three week trip to Carlsbad Caverns through AZ and NM. We stopped at Gilbert Ray CG outside Tucson while we visited Saguaro NP. There were a lot of snowbirds there and we noticed something odd: many left the hoods of their vehicles open while parked - even overnight. Some had wood spacers to keep the hood open a foot or so. I didn't get a chance to ask anyone since it rained (we are rain gods) our last night there and people were inside for the most part. Can anyone explain this behavior? I didn't notice it at other places we stayed this trip.

Alan
 
RicoV said:
One word: Packrats...
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Yep, that's what I heard when I was in southern AZ. Supposedly, rodents prefer to chew on car-engine stuff if they can do it out of sight...so opening the hood takes away their cover. Something like that...
 
It's to cool down the engine compartment so that packrats don't seek out the warmth in the cool desert night and use your electrical system as their nest.
 
That explains it then, thanks. I suppose if you're staying there for an extended time it makes a lot of sense. Maybe some enterprising animal rescue place will team up with an automotive accessory company and market a line of coyote pee products to spray around one's engine compartment.

Alan
 
BILL98388 said:
Marmots in Olympic National Park do the nesting thing (and eating your exposed wiring) at remote trailheads, ask me how I know. :)
Bill
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I was at a trailhead in the central Sierra and most of the cars had chicken wire wrapped around them.

Marmots...
 
Friend of mine in Orange County saturates cotton balls with pure peppermint oil and leaves on top of engine and also tosses mothballs under her SUV to keep critters at bay.

Me? I just snap my fingers periodically to keep the elephants away. It works. No elephants within 8 miles of home.:p

Paul
 
PaulT said:
Friend of mine in Orange County saturates cotton balls with pure peppermint oil and leaves on top of engine and also tosses mothballs under her SUV to keep critters at bay.

Me? I just snap my fingers periodically to keep the elephants away. It works. No elephants within 8 miles of home. :p

Paul
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I think your friend is into aroma therapy and using packrats as an excuse :)
 
We started doing the raise-the-hood thing after having our van's wiring damaged at Lost Dutchman State Park (east of Phoenix) in April, 2010.

The damage happened in a single overnight stay. We had arrived at the park just before sunset and when I started the van the next morning, it ran rough.

We used the GPS to find a garage in Apache Junction. After the mechanic pulled the air-cleaner ductwork he called me over to point out the damaged wires and connectors around the fuel injection system. He happened to have a junker with the right wires behind the garage and I went along as he salvaged what he needed.

While we were back there among the junked cars, he told me to lift the hood on one of the cars. The engine compartment was absolutely jammed full of debris the packrats had brought in--- I couldn't even see the engine.

That packrat incident cost me $150.


.
 
And here I was only worried about alien abduction as we drove near Roswell, NM. There's a whole world of insulation-craving rodents out there to keep me up at night.

I am dismayed to hear Old Crow's story about damage happening on a single overnight stay. I will look into one of those rodent repellent products for next time out in pack rat or marmot territory. After all, I use bug stuff to keep bugs away and bear spray to keep bears away. :D

Alan
 
alano said:
That explains it then, thanks. I suppose if you're staying there for an extended time it makes a lot of sense. Maybe some enterprising animal rescue place will team up with an automotive accessory company and market a line of coyote pee products to spray around one's engine compartment.

Alan
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Believe it or not, that is available! I ordered some once and sprayed it around the vehicle at high country trailheads - not sure if it helped or not, but it sure stank! What I use not after hearing it be successful from some old timers - is to put moth balls in cotton socks - fill the sock half way up or so, and put in the engine compartment, by the spare time in the back, and by the rear tires up in the suspension somewhere. I have about 8 of these "socks" in a tupperwear type container so they don't stink up things, and place them in the vehicle when I am worried about marmots when I leave the vehicle and hike at isolated trailheads. The socks make it easy to place the moth balls and retrieve them. So far so good :)
 
alano said:
. . . Maybe some enterprising animal rescue place will team up with an automotive accessory company and market a line of coyote pee products to spray around one's engine compartment.
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Any plant nursery will have a number of products for repelling deer, rabbits, mice . . . Some of them contain fox or wolf urine. Hadn't thought about taking it along to repel varmints. Stinks though. Another idea is cover scents hunter use, although that stuff is quite a bit more expensive. Maybe I should let the beagle pee on my tires :p

jim
 
JaSAn said:
Any plant nursery will have a number of products for repelling deer, rabbits, mice . . . Some of them contain fox or wolf urine. Hadn't thought about taking it along to repel varmints. Stinks though. Another idea is cover scents hunter use, although that stuff is quite a bit more expensive. Maybe I should let the beagle pee on my tires :p

jim
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Well, many of us are predators by diet... and the front left tire may be closer than the head at 02:00, if you get my drift

Paul
 
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