Beware: Underhood Electrical Center nest

The other night I was running an engine off battery current draw test on my '02 Silverado when something out of sorts caught my eye. A wad of grass and insulation was sticking out of one corner of the electrical center's plastic cover. When I removed the cover and swiveled the fuse block up, I found it packed full of insulation, grass and.....mouse poop. I filled a small coffee can with what I could pull out then used a shop vac to get the rest. The critters chewed the wiring insulation from a half dozen wires bundled together under the fuse panel. It looked like a few of the wires could be making contact with each other. I used a brush on insulation (Brush On Electrical Tape) to reinsulate the damaged portions. Apparently there was no other damage than the insulation but finding this now might just have saved my truck from a future problem. Guess the critters like the (yellow) insulation from the firewall area. I'd have never noticed the grass and insulation sticking out from under the plastic cover if not for using a trouble light at night as it wasn't visible in daylight. Next time you're under the hood, check it out.....just in case.

Definitely very good advice.
I've had mouse damage on an older truck. They ate parts of the plastic covers on the clutch and brake master cyinders on a 72 Datsun pick up.
Bob B

It doesn't hurt to leave a couple mose traps in the vehicle and a few around it if it's going to sit for a while.

You got lucky that they didn't chew through the wires. Getting a soldering iron up there for dozens of connections is about as much fun as it sounds.

I had a mouse chew up my air filter. I think it got in because I parked with the nose touching bushes. I'm careful not to park so far forward any more.
The funny thing was the truck was driven every day.

I used to park under an oak tree, and about a year ago, I had a damn squirrel get under my hood, chew up the firewall insulation panel, and build a nest between the driver's side head and the plenum on the intake.

Pissed me off. I started a thread on that here somewhere.

I found a nest in my electrical one time also. They started to chew a couple wires, no damage.
I had a Fxxx pick-up, back in the 80's and mice nested in the clutch housing over the weekend. When I used it for work on Monday morning it messed up my clutch, cost me a few bucks. dem sons a b******.

My problems are a bit bigger, every winter when I get a fair amount of road salts all over the side of the truck I have found all over the truck these huge tongue marks from of all things, MOOSE!

i have never had the moose problem. but i have had cat problems. we have a very large stray cat problem. in the winter thay will climb up in the motor area and peel back the insulation from under the hood.

pulled a trailblazer into the shop one time with electrical complaints. wipers wouldn't work. as i was looking under hood with flashlight, a squirrel head came into veiw, still alive mind you. he was behind the motor on that little lip where the trans bolts up. freaked me out. the little bugger chewed through a couple grounds.

I had mouse problems many years ago when my vehicle sat outside every night and they were developing homes in the neighborhood. Turns out the bugger ate through the plastic covering causing a few wires to short. The truck would turn over but, not stay running. Few traps strategically placed and he never walked again!

-The Moose story wins hands down though... good morning laugh!