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Four door compact aka rat condo

I'm told it's a common problem on the Coast - rats getting into your car's engine compartment and doing a little renovating. I could use some advice. It happened to me.

I'm told it's a common problem on the Coast - rats getting into your car's engine compartment and doing a little renovating.

I could use some advice.

It happened to me. The little critters decided to make quick work of the air intake, to the tune of a few hundred dollars worth of repairs.

My worry is that next up will be the wiring harness, or something more crucial, like the onboard supercomputer or jet engine, standard on most Korean makes, I hear.

But the other side of the equation is that a rural lifestyle means rats aren't the only little creatures wandering around my home. As a matter of fact, I'm quite shocked the critters have managed to survive as long as they have.

A wayward cat likes hunting around the property, but its attention seems dead set on catching the small snakes zipping through the retaining wall along the beach.

Two bald eagles that also call the area home have yet to dispel the threat. They seem to like the fish more. I can't really blame them, especially when the rats are fed on car parts.

I've heard many recommendations for dealing with such an issue and I'm hoping our readers might have more.

First off, rat poison and traps are things I don't find particularly appealing. Leaving poison pellets indiscriminately around an area frequented by rare birds and other wildlife seems recklessly irresponsible.

Some more creative solutions I've heard appear at first to be less intrusive, but I worry about their effectiveness.

Leaving mothballs in the engine compartment, for example. I think the jury's still out on their effectiveness against small rodents. I also imagine rigging up something that would withstand regular driving might be a bit of a challenge.

Another rather artistic idea I've heard is mixing cayenne pepper with water, and spraying it throughout the engine compartment, particularly on the troublesome spots.

I'm sure most small creatures would not particularly enjoy getting a mouthful of Guinea spice after biting into the air hose, but I'm stuck wondering if it would really serve as a deterrent. Also, it seems it might require frequent spraying to keep it up to snuff.

The garbage bin is on full lock down. Not quite bear-proof or anything, but definitely beyond the abilities of a pesky rat to conquer. Honestly, it seems like there are more predators than food sources around the area where I live.

I could, of course, armour the car's rubber components in a metal mesh, but I tend to think the simpler solutions are usually the best. And the cheapest. Cheap is good.

So, I wonder, are there any solutions out there? I'd certainly like to hear yours if it worked.

Send suggestions and perhaps a picture or two my way: ben@coastreporter.net or on Twitter, @ingramben.

Subsequently, I shall do my best to share the various ideas generated by our handy Coasters, perhaps in a future column, or through social media. I imagine there are some head-turning ideas out there, and I'm all about sharing.

Also, if you see any small woodland creatures hanging off my car in the future, please maintain a reasonably safe distance. It's only a matter of time until the plot thickens.