Does your prius attract rats?

Sometimes the rodents are attracted to the plasticizers in the wiring, causing them to chew things up, in addition to the attraction of heat. So screening over entry points is not always a complete solution. I am in a similar situation with near infinite rat population year round, so I use: a light on the ground under the engine compartment (even a small 2w led is a blinding deterrent to a nocturnal creature), bad smells (moth balls) and baited traps. I have also heard of ultrasonic deterrents, but I think that would also discourage the cats which are part of the overall strategy here.

So far so good. Other vehicles locally have had severe problems from rat chewed wiring, so it is not just Prii.

 

I would screen also the two vents in the hatch area.

 

I just spent $1800 for a dealer to clean out rodent leavings and deodorize the inside of the dash area in the interior cabin area of my 2011 Gen3.

On my Gen 3, the rodents can and did enter the cowl area through several openings around the back and sides of the water collector pan and pushed/ chewed through plastic baffles and foam rubber gaskets on the cowl grille and water collector pan to gain access to the "freeway" 5"by 10" cabin air inlet opening through the firewall. Once inside the fan air box the rodents chewed through the rubber flapper on the air box and got into and fowled the dash interior which was inaccessible to me.

After studying the Gen 3 cabin openings I determined that the only feasible effective way to prevent rodent cabin entry from the front is to screen the 5" by 10" cabin air inlet opening through the firewall. The prevent reoccurence I designed and installed one cabin air inlet opening screen and two rear cargo area flapper vent screens(1/4"mesh, 23 guage, galvanized steel) on my 2011 Gen 3.

Here in WA State we have low rodent pressure so I am hoping to address potential engine compartment infestation by using sticky pad traps and frequently inspecting the engine area and clearing out any rodents found there.

Are the access openings to the cabin the same on the Gen 2?

I can provide you with a set of 3 screens for the cabin area and 1 screen for the engine air inlet if the Gen 2 openings are the same as Gen 3. These screens are designed for non invasive (no screws) installation to avoid warranty problems.

Let me know if I can help.
Bill Serres

 

I have the same problem and I solve it by raising the hood overnight. they don't like it when there is no security above them. now I just have to work on gettign them out of the house roof.