InВ his years of studying rodents captured from the wild,В Dantzer is certain of one thing: TheyВ haveВ great smiles.

HeВ studies mice, squirrels and rats to learn how they make decisions. 'All rodents have these ever-growing teeth and they need to chew on things to keep them from getting long,' said Ben Dantzer, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan. Polish the pearly whitesД«ut even in those vehicles that useВ petroleum-based wiring, cars attractВ rodents simply because they are dark, provide shelterВ and offer the chance forВ dental hygiene, said a rat expert at University of Michigan. Sirgany gently shut the hood and called wildlife experts to safely remove the woodchuck, also calledВ a groundhog. It was a woodchuck staring right at me and he wasnвЂ™t even interested in leaving.' 'Every now and then, you find the critter still living in the car,' Sirgany said. The creatures crawl in the engine to keep warm and chew on the car's wiring while in there, wrecking havoc on the electrical system. That's usually the time of year when SirganyВ sees the most engine damage. More: Judge tosses lawsuit against Toyota over rats gnawing on car wiringДЄlso, in cold weather, aВ car is a source of heat for mice, rats, squirrels,В woodchucks and opossums. More: Rats can't resist wiring in newer cars: Here's why Some car brands, such as Toyota, use soy-coated wiring, which can beВ a delicious treatВ to a rodent. Now the varmintsВ areВ searching elsewhere for food andВ your engine could be it. Rodents depend a lot on the tossed-outВ food scrapsВ from restaurants. Last month, theВ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warnedВ of unusual or aggressive rat behavior caused, in part, byВ many restaurants shutting down during the pandemic. An employee at the couple's service center saidВ such incidents have become вЂњall of a sudden super commonвЂќ within вЂњthe past two or three weeks,' the Times reported.

Stick of truth get past rats