[Shubz]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

How does one store dried tobacco leaves in the engine bay? What does one wrap it with and where are the best places to store it?

And how often does one change the leaves out? Once a month?

And what are these leaves called in Hindi? Lol!

These leaves come as long strands. you can roll them up and tie it in the engine bay where there are potential rat entry points.

You can buy packets of Hans/Chaini Khaini and spread the contents under the engine area, around the wheels etc.

Yeah and you can change them once in 2 months or so.

In hindi it's called Tambaaku

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

What does one wrap it with and where are the best places to store it?

They come as partly dried full leaves, like shown in the pictures. They are the cheapest form of chewing tobacco, used by people from very low income groups. Comes wrapped and tied with a string like this, in a plastic wrapper. Cost is Rs 20 each. I just remove the plastic wrapper from two such rolls and place them whole in a couple of convenient places inside the engine bay, and once the bonnet is closed the aroma will permeate throughout the engine bay. I replace with fresh rolls once a month. If you wish you can open the roll fully, cut into pieces and distribute at various spots.

We should keep it in once the engine bay has cooled down, and remove before using the car. It may not cause a fire hazard, but the engine heat will roast the tobacco and it will quickly become useless.

In addition to this, place an Odonil lavender flavour room freshener pack inside your glove box. Lavender smell is sopposedly repulsive to rats.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Gansan

They come as partly dried full leaves, like shown in the pictures.

In addition to this, place an Odonil lavender flavour room freshener pack inside your glove box. Lavender smell is sopposedly repulsive to rats.

Omg, I had no idea it has to be removed everytime one uses the car! Is there no way around it? Zip lock bags with holes punched in them or maybe even aluminium bags with holes punched in? And then keep them in places where the engine heats the least?

On it with the odonil lol!

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

And then keep them in places where the engine heats the least?

I haven't tried it, but the engine heat being less will only be relative. Heat dries up the leaves pretty quickly and they lose flavour.

Also about replacing the leaves once a month, I do it because my car is used only during weekends. If your car is in regular use replace every ten days.

Keeping the parking spot brightly illuminated will also help to control the rats.

[zandot]

Originally Posted by manim

Noticed rats moving around my house recently and bought the 'Black Cat Rat Trap' from Amazon for Rs.399. In the sixth day, caught the first one!

I was facing serious rodent issues with my vehicles and have tried every possible option in the market from Napthelene balls in pouch/tobacco/rat cakes/poison granules/sprays/sound wave emitters etc. It even got to the extent that when I took my previous vehicle in for service they asked me why I had hidden so many cakes inside my engine bay area (which obviously I had not - the rats were taking it there for a snack)

Finally the only thing that seems to have gotten the issue in control are these Black cat rat traps. During the first week we had about 7-8 extremely large rats caught and thankfully the issues seem to be in control for now with usually 1-2 a week being caught.

For anyone not wanting to deal with the mess, I pay our gardener 500-1000 every few weeks to clean up the traps whenever he sees one and usually bait it myself with either coconut or a small piece of left over chapati.

[Neomobile]

Originally Posted by Guna

I make it a point to drive or at least start the cars EVERY DAY. I have bough some anti rat spray from Amazon which I use once or twice a month but I don't want to just rely on it.

When you don’t drive but just start the cars, how long do you keep the engines on? And do you do it in the evening, before the rat time starts?

Which anti rodent spray did you buy? 3M? I find the price on Amazon too less compared to what the 3M shop quoted me, almost 3.75 times that of Amazon. Will I face any quality issues at such price difference? And also does effectiveness reduce with older manufacturing dates?

[Guna]

Originally Posted by Neomobile

When you don’t drive but just start the cars, how long do you keep the engines on? And do you do it in the evening, before the rat time starts?

Which anti rodent spray did you buy? 3M? I find the price on Amazon too less compared to what the 3M shop quoted me, almost 3.75 times that of Amazon. Will I face any quality issues at such price difference? And also does effectiveness reduce with older manufacturing dates?

I keep the engine on for about 3-4 minutes. I also move the vehicle by few feets and put it back. I start the car in the night.

This is what I bought (3M): https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B07...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I am not sure if the effectiveness reduces with age but I think it should be fine for 2-3 years from the date of manufacture (just like any medicine)

[sumeethaldankar]

If anyone is thinking of using glue board a new ban has been introduced by the government. Seems it is considered cruelty against animals (rats in this case). If one is using poison in my experience adding Ratol paste on top of Roban cake was an effective way of killing rats in max 2-3 days. The fumes of the Ratol paste are not to be inhaled and one should wear gloves/masks while handling the poison.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

If anyone is thinking of using glue board a new ban has been introduced by the government.

Good! It really is a horrible way to kill a creature.

When pest controllers used some here, against my wife's explicit instructions, a crow got caught. It was freed, but it was a bad experience for everyone.

[Gansan]

Good. Next they should ban killing of rats.

In what way is the glue pad different from a mousetrap? It is very very effective. People immerse the mousetrap in a bucket of water once a rat is caught. Some release the creature in front of their cat or terrier. Some mousetraps smash the rat's head. What about the rat kill cakes? They contain a blood thinner and induce internal bleeding.

What is this humane angle to getting rid of a pest? It is going to be killed anyway, they are not livestock after all.

[Red Liner]

I did a little more gnawing (pun intended lol) at this whole Lavender business.

Lavender has very a strong aromatic scent and is quite effective at repelling rats, mosquitoes, and moths. Alternatively, to growing this herb, you could sprinkle a few stalks around the base of plants in your garden creating a barrier and keeping rats at bay.

https://www.perth-pest-control.net.a...ats%20at%20bay.

To maximize the effectiveness of lavender oil in keeping mice at bay, consider the following techniques:

Using a lavender oil spray.
Place a few drops of lavender oil on cotton balls and distribute them near mouse entry points.
Use Lavender Sachets – and get this – research done by the American College of Healthcare Studies actually suggest the use of lavender sachets as a repellent! So, it’s definitely a must-try!

https://pestpointers.com/how-to-use-...-why-it-works/

How to Mix Lavender Oil for Rodent Repellent

https://www.hunker.com/12602611/how-...dent-repellent

I think Odonil sells lavender room freshener spray. What if we spray the engine bay with it? I do not think it is inflammable.

The essential oil will be a billion times more effective than all of this but might also be more difficult to place soaked in a rag or something within the bay. Carrying and buying odonil spray and using it liberally even while traveling might just be the ticket.

Thoughts?

Lastly, rats are considered pests only by Humans. Much like Humans are probably considered pests by the rest of the planet. Nature intended the prevalence of rats to complete the natural cycle of life and ecology. I try as much as possible not to disturb this. Deterrence is always more valuable than outright killing.

Note I am not a vegan or activist

[Iyencar]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

The essential oil will be a billion times more effective than all of this but might also be more difficult to place soaked in a rag or something within the bay. Carrying and buying odonil spray and using it liberally even while traveling might just be the ticket.
Thoughts?

Both the oil and spray are terrible ideas. The spray itself has a propellant which is LPG in most cases. The oil has a flash point of approx 70 deg C while ICE engines operate just over that range. Way too close for comfort.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Both the oil and spray are terrible ideas. The spray itself has a propellant which is LPG in most cases. The oil has a flash point of approx 70 deg C while ICE engines operate just over that range. Way too close for comfort.

Then I guess good old Odonil sachets are the way to go.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

I think Odonil sells lavender room freshener spray. What if we spray the engine bay with it? I do not think it is inflammable.

I don't know if it is flammable or not. But most probably any spray containing a propellant will be. Moreover I was unsure whether it will harm rubber. So I settled for the sachets.

I have read balls of cotton soaked in mint oil will also work well, but haven't tried it yet.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Gansan

I don't know if it is flammable or not. But most probably any spray containing a propellant will be. Moreover I was unsure whether it will harm rubber. So I settled for the sachets.

I have read balls of cotton soaked in mint oil will also work well, but haven't tried it yet.

Peppermint oil. Get the essential oils only.