The autumn nip in the air has rodents on the run looking for a ride to hide. New statistics show reports of rodents crawling into Manitoba vehicles are on the rise.
A month ago, a squirrel got into Trevor Kornago's Mitsubishi and chewed his transmission line.
He had no idea the squirrel had crawled in until one day after work he turned the car on and fluid poured everywhere, leaving $1,000 in damage.
"Good four or five litres came out in the span of maybe a minutes, tops, so I wouldn't have got very far away with it."
Brian Ugrin discovered an infestation of mice in his GMC Canyon truck five years ago. “All of a sudden, I heard a thump, and saw pieces of grass were shooting out of the vent,” he said.
Ugrin brought it to the dealership where they found a nest. He said mice chewed through a plastic tube near the heater box.
“The most shocking thing was learning the process to clean it,” he said.
Albert Thomas with Thomas Restoration in St. Boniface repairs vehicles infested with squirrels and mice. He said once mice get inside, they can quickly render a vehicle unsafe to drive.
"They chew on the components. They chew on wires, on baby car seats. They make the car seats unsafe,” he said.
Rodents infestations have become so common any new clients at Thomas' garage could face up to a six-week wait for repairs.
New numbers
According to Manitoba Public Insurance, 1546 rodent claims were opened in 2012, with 679 vehicles written off, at a cost of $6.5 million.
In 2013, there were 1,975 rodent claims opened, with 864 vehicles written off, at a cost of $8.9 million.
In 2014, there were 2,600 rodent claims opened, with 973 vehicles written off, at a cost of $10.6 million.
So far, in 2015 there have been 2,400 rodent claims opened, with 1,067 vehicles written off, at a cost of $9.5 million.
Entomologist Taz Stuart said if a vehicle has a deer mouse infestation, hanta virus could be lingering in your vehicle, an added health concern.
“You’ve got urine and feces which is your problem, “said Stuart. “If you disturb it and they aerosol it, you can potentially die from it,”
Mice can squeeze in through a hole as tiny as your finger. Once inside, they leave droppings, make nests and reproduce.
What’s causing the increase?
Albert Thomas blames motorists eating habits for the high number of cases.
"It's food, inside on the carpets, inside the baby car seats. That's what attracting mice," said Thomas.
Taz Stuart said motorists in new developments are also increasingly falling victim.
"If you're going into their environment, they’re going to come into yours, if you don't have a baiting or trapping plan," he said
There are products to deter rodents. Steel and copper wire, odour deterrents and traps will help.
MPI response on the rise in numbers
Manitoba Public Insurance issued a statement about the statistics showing a rise in numbers.
“The increase in rodent claims over the years could be attributed to heightened customer awareness of coverage provided by MPI. If a vehicle owner believes their vehicle has rodent infestation, they are encouraged to open a claim so the vehicle can be inspected,” said MPI.
“A valid, Autopac policy covers rodent infestation, subject to deductible. Restoration services for rodent claims is a specialized service. There are a total of 14 restoration outlets in the province with three locations in Winnipeg. “
“Based on customer demand, some restoration outlets have high demand for their services. Customers are encouraged to call restoration outlets, regarding approximate length of waiting time,” said MPI.
