Are rats chewing your vehicle wires? Cars are one of the most important things in today's society. Without transportation, it can be extremely difficult to get to our jobs and take care of our families.

If you see a rat coming out from under your car it may not just be passing through. It is always best to pop the hood up and make sure the rats not been chewing on your vehicle wires. If you see any nesting material, food storage, or any signs of chewing you should take your car into a shop right away.

You could be driving down the road and the brake lines could go out, fluid could be leaking, lights not working, or any other dangerous situation that could cause a wreck or a fire. It could be something less sinister like a radio going out, but depending on who you are that could be just as bad. This is not that type of problem you want to wait to fix. It needs to be handled immediately for the safety of your family and other drivers.

Rats, mice, and even squirrels can get under the hood of your car and decide to nest there. Especially in the winter where it is warm.  One basic rule of wildlife is that wild animals will follow their food source.  If you do have rats, you will eventually have raccoons, snakes and other wildlife around.

If you think animals are possibly nesting in your vehicle, take it to your local mechanic to get the wiring checked out and then give Apex Wildlife Control a call. We can send a technician out to your property to perform an inspection. The technician can determine if rats have chewed any wiring or done any other damage to your home or property. If the technician finds that you have an outdoor rat, mice, or squirrel problem, there are several trapping methods he can utilize.

If you have squirrels causing problems in your vehicle or home, the technician can set out live cage squirrel traps to trap the squirrels.  Once trapped, the technician will remove and relocate the squirrels to a reserve over twenty miles away.  This is done to keep the squirrel from finding its way back to your home.  Since the reserve has many sources of food, water and shelter, the squirrels released there can live their best squirrel lives away from you and your vehicles.

If you continue to experience rats or squirrels chewing your wires in your vehicle, or even in your attic or walls, Apex Wildlife Control offers internal and external inspections for any wildlife problems you may be experiencing. One of our technicians will come out to your property and inspect your attic to check for droppings. That helps us to verify the species in your home and see if there are more than one species. They will also check for chewed wiring, HVAC, and duct work damage, and see if you're insulation is stained. We take pictures of our findings so you can see the damage to your property and what we need to fix.

Another way to keep your home a little less "rat-friendly" is to keep your trash cans tightly sealed so that rats and other wildlife cannot access your garbage.  If you feed pets outside, do not leave left over food out.  Rats are also attracted to bird feeders.  Keeping your trees and bushes trimmed back will also make it harder for rats to access your home.

Rodents can carry several types of bacteria and germs that can make you and your family very ill.

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a severe illness caused from exposure to the droppings or urine of deer mice that carry the virus. About 1- 5 hantavirus cases are reported each year in Washington State and about one third of the cases have been fatal. It is important to take precautions when cleaning up an enclosed space such as a shed, cabin or trailer where mice have nested or rodent droppings are present.  

Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria called Leptospira that infects both humans and a wide range of animals. It occurs worldwide but is more common in temperate and tropical areas of the world. Some people infected with leptospirosis will have no symptoms at all, and some people will become severely ill. Some wild and domestic animals, such as cattle, pigs, dogs, raccoons, and rodents, carry the Leptospira bacteria and pass them in their urine. Soil or water contaminated with infected urine are the most common causes of human infection.



Plague is a serious infection of humans caused by a germ called Yersinia pestis. It is usually caused by the bite of a flea that has fed on an infected wild animal, such as a rat, chipmunk or prairie dog. It usually causes large sores and abscesses in the glands of the arms and legs. Dogs, and especially cats, can also become infected and can spread the disease to their human companions. People and domestic animals like dogs and cats could be bitten by infected fleas while traveling to other areas of the country. Plague is treatable with antibiotics.



Tularemia is a bacterial disease caused by Francisella tularensis and is most commonly found in wild animals (e.g., wild rodents, squirrels, rabbits, hares and beavers). People and their pets can become ill from tularemia by coming into contact with infected dead or ill animals through animal bites and exposure to contaminated blood or raw meat. Tularemia can also be transmitted by the bite of an infected arthropod (e.g. ticks, biting flies), exposure to contaminated water or soil, and inhalation of bacteria. One to 10 cases of tularemia in people are reported every year. To prevent exposures to tularemia, don't handle dead or ill animals; avoid animal bites, tick and deer fly bites; and avoid direct bare-hand contact with blood and raw meat from wild animals. Don't drink untreated water in areas where tularemia is known to occur in wild animals.

If we completely seal the property we can guarantee against re-entry. The way we seal and trap together we can guarantee the removal of the wildlife. Once we seal your home the animals must go to our traps for a food source.

We would love to hear from you and help you out with all your wildlife problems. All of our staff are very knowledgeable and can answer any of your questions. Knowledge is power and we never want our customers to feel powerless. We want to give you all the information necessary to make an informed decision. We appreciate your consideration and we hope to hear from you soon!

 So if you have some sneaky little creatures chewing your vehicle wires, call a mechanic first, then call Apex Wildlife Control.  We're here to help!