Modern manufacturers are forever looking to implement environmentally-friendly materials into their latest products, but the new biodegradable car wiring which several car brands are now using in their vehicles has had an unexpected consequence.

Unfortunately, pests such as mice, rats and squirrels can’t get enough of the soy-based insulation. Car owners are discovering that their automobiles are suddenly ceasing to start, and opening the hood to find chewed wiring and unforeseen lodgers.

This is mainly a problem for cars that are being stored in garages over the cold months, as rodents are being attracted to the tubing’s scent and subsequently using the car engines as a nest.

But before you call pest control, know that there are several simpler (and cheaper) solutions you should try first. Some automakers, such as Honda, now sell anti-rodent tape, and some car owners are apparently finding that bags of mothballs or a product called Rodent Repellent are effective deterrents.

But as ever, it’s a matter of making your home unattractive to unwanted guests from the offset, and in a home (or attached garage) that already has a rodent problem, pest control might be the only viable resort.