Beware of Rodents!
The advantage of living in Orinda is the beautifull scenary and woodsey environment. The disadvantage of the county living is the invasion of rodents and critters that cause damage to your vehicles. We see several cases every year here at Orinda Motors that involve rodent damage to vehicles. Some cases include vehicles that get towed in because they wont start . Other cases include vehicles that have noises and odors coming from the heater area.
These little rodents like small warm areas for shelter. They like to take chunks of insulation and other materials from your vehicle to make their nests. Sometimes they even take natural nesting materials from your yard or other unnatural materials from your carport. They also like to feed on wiring insulation and other rubberized components in the engine compartment. When they eat through the wiring it often causes a short circuit in whatever engine part those wires control. This could also cause damage to the very expensive on board computer modules that are the heart of car electronics these days. This simple act of rodent vandalism causes thousands, maybe millions, of dollars in damage every year.
When your car has issues due to rodent damage it can be inconveinent and expensive. When rats invade your heater system it brings up a whole new batch of issues. The main concern is health issues. These little buggers like to make there nets in your heater ducts or heater blower area. The problem for them is when you turn on the heater it will often cause fatal damage leaving rodent blood and guts thoughout your heater. The problem for you is the blower will push air through the heater ducts that are coated with rat guts, fices and urine..yuck!
The worst problem from contact with rodents or rodent debris is potential health risks. Rodents are known to be able to carry over 200 disease organisms, many of which can be transmitted to humans. Native rats and mice can carry plague, tularemia, leptospirosis, and endemic relapsing fever to name a few. Humans can become ill after inhaling air from rodent infested heater ducts.
When performing repairs to the heater system after rodent infestation we often find the heater core and heater casing poluted with rodent “debris”. We must replace all contaiminated parts as well as completely clean and sanitizing the whole system. Due to the labor involved this kind of repair can be costly. In most cases your car’s insurance policy will cover this kind of work under your comprehensive coverage. I have heard that some insurance companies may not cover rodent damage in the future. It is a good idea to check with your insurance agent to find out if you are covered. I also recommend researching doing research on how to keep these critters away. This is a problem that nobody wants to have.
These little rodents like small warm areas for shelter. They like to take chunks of insulation and other materials from your vehicle to make their nests. Sometimes they even take natural nesting materials from your yard or other unnatural materials from your carport. They also like to feed on wiring insulation and other rubberized components in the engine compartment. When they eat through the wiring it often causes a short circuit in whatever engine part those wires control. This could also cause damage to the very expensive on board computer modules that are the heart of car electronics these days. This simple act of rodent vandalism causes thousands, maybe millions, of dollars in damage every year.
When your car has issues due to rodent damage it can be inconveinent and expensive. When rats invade your heater system it brings up a whole new batch of issues. The main concern is health issues. These little buggers like to make there nets in your heater ducts or heater blower area. The problem for them is when you turn on the heater it will often cause fatal damage leaving rodent blood and guts thoughout your heater. The problem for you is the blower will push air through the heater ducts that are coated with rat guts, fices and urine..yuck!
The worst problem from contact with rodents or rodent debris is potential health risks. Rodents are known to be able to carry over 200 disease organisms, many of which can be transmitted to humans. Native rats and mice can carry plague, tularemia, leptospirosis, and endemic relapsing fever to name a few. Humans can become ill after inhaling air from rodent infested heater ducts.
When performing repairs to the heater system after rodent infestation we often find the heater core and heater casing poluted with rodent “debris”. We must replace all contaiminated parts as well as completely clean and sanitizing the whole system. Due to the labor involved this kind of repair can be costly. In most cases your car’s insurance policy will cover this kind of work under your comprehensive coverage. I have heard that some insurance companies may not cover rodent damage in the future. It is a good idea to check with your insurance agent to find out if you are covered. I also recommend researching doing research on how to keep these critters away. This is a problem that nobody wants to have.
Labels: Orinda, Orinda Motors, rodent damage
posted by Orinda Motors | 3:30 PM
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