Squirrels stashed over 200 walnuts under the hood of a woman's car
A Pennsylvania woman was driving her car when she smelled something burning and heard a strange noise. She popped the hood and discovered something a little nutty — A massive stash of walnuts squirrels saved for the winter.
"Here's a little PSA for everyone on this rainy Monday," wrote Chris Persic in a viral Facebook post Monday about the comical situation his wife, Holly, found herself in after opening up the hood of her car. "Rodents and vehicles do not mix ..."
She sent him a photo of the squirrels' haul, and he came right over to help clean up.
"I got a rental and headed over to clean out over 200 — not an exaggeration — walnuts and grass from under the hood," he continued. "It took almost an hour, and we were able to clean it enough." Chris said the couple later took the car to a local auto repair shop to "check it out."
The shop reportedly discovered an additional half trashcan worth of nuts below the engine, according to CBS Pittsburgh. Luckily, the rodents' collection didn't do any lasting damage on the vehicle.
Here’s a little PSA for everyone on this rainy Monday: Rodents and vehicles do not mix... My wife called me from...
Posted by Chris Persic on Monday, October 7, 2019
Chris added that his car had to be towed after it began to shake while accelerating and the "check engine light" turned on. He wrote that he suspected the furry critters also had something to do with his car troubles.
"My truck may have had a squirrel chew through/pull out a fuel injector hose," he said. "Was absolutely nuts ... no pun intended."
The couple's black walnut tree appears to be the source for the squirrels' winter snacks. Chris told CBS Pittsburgh he had recently been wondering where all of the fallen walnuts disappeared to.
"Funny thing is I was thinking that for how massive the tree is, and how many walnuts have fallen — and how many dents our vehicle received — there really aren't many on the ground," Persic told the outlet.
Now, it seems they have their answer. To prevent further issue, the pair said they have already asked for a quote on removing the tree.
Chris finished the story with some words of wisdom for others who park their cars outside: "Do yourself a favor and check under the hood every once in awhile."