Paul Ryan says that S.U.V. Was "eaten by animals". Here's how to protect your vehicle from wildlife.

The President of the House, Paul D. Ryan, reported last week the death of his faithful Chevrolet Suburban

. Ryan was at the Economic Club, a non-profit organization in Washington, to discuss tariffs and trade policy when the conversation became personal. The Republican and self-described "politician" remembers having had more freedom before becoming the Speaker of the House in 2015.

"I have not driven for three years.This is a bit strange, "he said, adding that he had kept his car in his homeland.

Ryan hails from Janesville, Wisconsin, and is home to an badembly plant at General Motors that closed its doors 10 years ago. He stated that his mother, who lives in the area, recently tried to start her sport utility vehicle, but that she could not do it

so Mr. Ryan had it towed to a dealer

. the basement of my Suburban and they ate all the wiring, "he said. "And so my car was eaten by animals, and it just died.I had to call the insurance company, so I do not have a car." [19659007ItisnotuncommonforrodentstoentervehiclesSometimestheydoitfortheheatandtheshelterandsometimestheylookforsomethingtochewon

"Animals interact with their environment, and this can include cars," said David Seerveld, a wildlife-removal specialist in Orlando, Florida. "Rodents are gnawing at many materials to cut down their teeth that are still growing, and electric wires are a common target, both in attics and automobiles."

But Mr. Seerveld suspected that Mr. Ryan's damage did not come from marmots (also called marmots) because these are known to dig, not to climb. "Every year I get a few hundred reports of car sons chewed, almost entirely by squirrels, rats or mice," he said.

The best way to protect a vehicle from rodents is to house it in a garage. Seerveld says

There are also ways to make yarns less appetizing, with bad-tasting deterrents like sprays or tapes that have been treated with a spicy compound found in peppers, for example. Mr. Seerveld said that odor-based repellents that you might find in the home, such as mothballs or sheets, are usually not effective.

The experts also suggested that cars be driven regularly and without food or waste. ruined, he was at least spared from meeting a more alarming intruder like the wood rattlesnake found under the hood of a car in Hanbad, NY, last month, or the bear that's Is stuck in a Subaru Outback at Lake Tahoe, forcing a sheriff's deputy to smash a window (and run away) so that he can escape.

It's unclear what action Mr. Ryan could take to prevent rodents from feasting on his next vehicle. Consider taking a van, the Ford F-150) after leaving the House at the end of the year.