70olds455

Something has chewed off a chunk of the top post on my battery. I noticed this when I opened the hood on my car. What kind of animal could have done this, a mouse?

lshlsh2

Some flavor of rodent mouse or rat. Was sharpening or filing down its teeth. They are always looking for something to chew on. I hope the battery was the only thing he found in your car.

Larry

ah64pilot

Too bad he didn't chew the + terminal and ground himself out somehow lol! Sticky traps and poison trays work well

70olds455

A few months ago it found a gas tank line and chewed a hole through it. This was another car and not my cutlass.

OLDSMORAT

I'm sure he has an extreme case of lead poisoning by now.

72 cutlass455

They like the sweet taste of lead. Don't ask me how I know it taste sweet.

DeltaPace77

Sure looks like a mouse to me, and if that thing's still running around, gotta be pretty goofy from brain damage. I've actually repaired posts like that, with a large soldering iron, and a wood block with a hole drilled in it. You're really wanting to do something about the mice, as this is not not a good combination for storing cars. Check the "bugspray.com" site, and click on "M" for mice. This place will tell you all about the critters habbits.

MaxDog

Chupacabra????

Ozzie

I'm assuming that the terminal wasn't on the post at the time. On a friends house, a squirrel once ate the lead flashing on his chimney where it came through the roof. Whatever it was, it's got a great set of choppers. Try not to let them get into your body.

67KS442ORIG

In my area there are wood rats. Big, destructive and hard to eliminate. They have been in car wiring, insulation, and rubber parts on several vehicles. Large rat traps work best. Skip the mouse traps. They just play with them.

ah64pilot

Put some poison trays out...you won't see any more signs of mice infestation after that.

Rickman48

Just get a couple of big f'n cats!!

ah64pilot

Yeah but then they walk on the cars and sharpen their claws on it...then you have to set out a bowl of anti-freeze for them. Just skip that step and poison the mice.

DeltaPace77

Actually, cats are a bad idea, as usually involves availible food and water, out in the open. This just tends to attract more of the varments for an easy meal. Cats like to sleep a lot, so quite easy for food theives. The mentioned Bug Spray site, tells about this. Me, I always keep a couple peanut butter baited traps in my garage, and get my share of the little buggers, during climate changes. Also, don't throw the dead ones in the garage trash can, or you'll get stunk out of the place. I toss them outside, behind the shrubs. Worms gotta eat too.

a64olz

OP is in Maryland, too far north and east that is out of the Goatsucker beast's territory.

Nilsson

Most likely tree rats (squirrels)

m371961

I used mothballs once upon a time to keep rodents out of cabinets, toolboxes, project vehicles etc. But on a vehicle that gets used, the smell is unbearable. Now I have 4 fixed cats that live in my garage. I don't have any completed vehicles in there. No rodent trouble inside or around the garage in my vehicles parked outside. Their food does attract larger pests, coons and possums, so I have to trap and dispose of them from time to time. Spreading mothballs around the outside of buildings will discourage most rodents.