A Squirrel in My Car
by Éric Plamondon - FPAA, National Bank Insurance paid contributor
I’ll say it straight out: until this week, I’d never heard of squirrels chewing through wires, let alone squirrels chewing through cars. I came across the phenomenon while browsing on Forumquad, and decided to check it out.
This is not a joke
A quick web search brought up several references to the phenomenon, including this video of a mechanic taking apart a car fender to extract three baby squirrels! And this site, appropriately called “squirrels ate my wiring”, that contains more than a dozen testimonials on the subject: about replacing motor parts, body work, cleaning and disinfecting, maintenance costs, claims filed, unsalvageable vehicles... It’s also a question that comes up frequently on Yahoo! Answers, eHow, HubPages and ThriftyFun. In short, it appears that I’m the only one who had never heard of this happening.
What can you do about it?
Be aware that squirrels are particularly irritating rodents. In addition to rifling through your garbage, they can get into your car motor and build a nest or gnaw through your electrical wires – with all the associated risks.
The first step is admitting you have a problem. From there, it can only get better.
If you don’t want to drive yourself crazy, call an exterminator. Otherwise, try one of the suggestions provided by the Canadian Wildlife Federation, if they don’t seem too farfetched:
• Leave the hood of your car open during the day
• Leave open kitty litter bags (used, unfortunately) around your car
• Leave cotton cloths soaked in peppermint-scented essential oil around your car
If you keep your car in a garage, you can squirrel-proof it by making sure there are no tree branches within five feet, no accessible openings two inches wide or more, etc.
A simple solution
Pet stores sell all kinds of rodent repellents. All you need to do is buy one of these products, then ask your mechanic to put it wherever it can safely be put under your hood and in any potentially accessible part of the body of your car. He may scratch his head and give you a strange look though…
Too late, the squirrels are in. It’s time to call the insurance company.
Unlike home insurance, where damage caused by rodents is generally excluded, it’s possible that you could be covered for damage to your vehicle – if you have the right coverage. To be covered, you need protection under section B: either protection 1 – “all risks” or protection 3 – all perils other than collision and upset. If you have one of these protections, all you need to do to be compensated is pay the deductible, as long as it’s less than the amount of the damage.
Not sure what protection you have? Contact National Bank Insurance to find out and ease your mind.