Squirrels repeatedly target man's Jeep, cause $700 worth of damage

Jan. 9 (UPI) -- A Colorado man said squirrels have squeezed into the inner workings of his vehicle three times and caused about $700 worth of damage.

Gary Seago of Windsor said the trouble began in late November, when his Jeep was making unusual noises and mechanics discovered an animal, likely a squirrel, had chewed a fuel injector plug in half.

Mechanics said squirrels and other animals are sometimes drawn to the engine compartments of vehicles because they consider the soy-based tubes and wires to be a food source.

Seago said repairs were made, but the same part was again destroyed by a suspected squirrel the next day.

He said the squirrels returned for a third time a few weeks later and destroyed another, more expensive part in the engine compartment.

Seago said he is now trying to keep the squirrels away with deterrents including moth balls, strobe lights and high-pitched noises.

A Pittsburgh woman encountered a different sort of squirrel-related car trouble in October when one of the animals stashed grass and more than 200 walnuts under her hood. Holly Persic said the squirrel had apparently been using her vehicle as walnut storage for weeks.