Mouse in my car
For the second time within a month I've found mouse droppings in my car. I keep my car clean, no garbage or food in there. I put a trap in there overnight. I sprayed with mint oils. I dont know what else to do. He keeps returning.
Anyone have any suggestions on what to do? Im lost at this point.
Mouse 
ianimal We filled stockings with moth balls and put them around the underneath of the car. Haven't seen any more evidence of them since.
Rebecka Set the car on fire? I'm sorry. Mice are so gross. We battled (and won) a mouse problem in our basement earlier this winter, but I saw one again in the garage yesterday.
Tracy 
maja2 Glue or snap traps with mouse attractant, that's what I do with my woods truck. This winter I moved the truck out for 3-4 weeks and brought it home, I put it back after doing some work and haven't had a mouse since, so maybe a simple relocation would work.
Darrin 
Bert Check your air filter and under the hood.
You can also try bounty fabric softener sheets they actually work!
If you have to a snap trap but I would not do the glue trap they are cruel
Summer Perhaps one of the battery powered electronic repellent devices that are on the market for automobiles would help.
Greg Thanks. I'll give those a try. Im just worried about him chewing up wires or something
I tried a snap trap with peanut butter the first time i saw the droppings. But i got nothing.
https://www.amazon.com/Original-Rolling-Log-Mouse-Trap/dp/B076Z6X9GN/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1521216701&sr=8-8&keywords=mouse+bucket+trap
check out bucket traps - you could also give it a cookie and wait for it to ask for a glass of milk :)
skippy Mouse, we've used peanut butter with success before, but nothing works like raw bacon. Try it.
Glue traps are remarkably cruel. Please do not use them. Snap traps work. Place it where you see the mouse droppings.
Jesse341 I agree with Jesse on the glue traps....
I just had this happen to me. I didn't realize I had mice under the hood and went out to run errands and realized I had no blinkers, locks, the wiper fluid wouldn't work, and windows wouldn't go down. Guess they had chewed through everything. So yea, an expensive fix for a mouse
JRT Lets see couple hundred damage to my cars eletrical last thing im thinking is glue traps are cruel sorry mini mickeys gotta go!
Do you park in a garage? If so, maybe parking outdoors in the cold will discourage them from getting into the car. Once it's nice out, they'll find other places to go.
Mr. Resident "Lets see couple hundred damage to my cars eletrical..."
We had mice ruin an engine. $40k of damage.
"you could also give it a cookie and wait for it to ask for a glass of milk :)"
And then he'll ask for a mirror to check for a milk moustache, and on it goes...
;)
DevilsFan I keep finding them in my cup holder. The first time it was also next to my drivers seat. This time just the cup holder
@ian - vintage air-cooled Porsche engine. Mice built extensive nest out of fiberglass insulation (!) from the garage wall in the fins which help cool the engine. They could not have chosen a more destructive material. Engine was cooked, requiring complete rebuild with replacement of pistons and cylinders.
Mothballs really do work to keep the little rodents away.
There may be a nest someplace in your car. Under the hood most likely where it’s warm
Cherie2 Get essence of peppermint oil and put it and water into a spray bottle. And spray your car's interior carpets. You could also spray the underparts as well because mice come in through the bottoms of cars. They don't like the smell of the peppermint.
Older Mom Moth balls , been using them for years for the boat ( winter storage)
Also take a box, cut the top half open and put it under my m/c when in the garage for the winter , same for my old Jeep Wrangler.
They work !
Steven I looked under my hood, didn't see anything. So he must be just periodically stopping by
I would say try the peppermint essential oil in a spray bottle with water. At least it feels fresh too. Moth balls work but they stink. Maybe park over them in the garage. Good luck. If you figure out where it’s coming in, put steel wool in the hole, they don’t like that either.
Tear shed for Rebecka's Porsche. What insurance do you have? I have to read over mine to make sure the same doesn't happen to me with my old cars.
MeisterNJ I looked under the hood. Didnt see any nest. I've been periodically spraying peppermint oil on the front floors since that's where i find the droppings. I got something on amazon thats supposed to repell them. I guess we'll see how it works
Peppermint oil did nothing for me in my camper....I soaked every single corner, and put cotton balls soaked in the oil all over....did absolutely nothing.
Steven.....I had no idea about the cedar sented balls!!!
Enoz Moth Ball Packets - Ceder Scented https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00012FFCU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_GRWRAbKF5BKDX
My fix was to block the entry point....haven’t had a mouse since.
The nest is probably in your air cleaner box. It’s easy for them to climb through and proceed a nice little cave.
ConsigliereMy thoughts on this topic. Agree that there is likely a nest in the car which keeps the mice coming back. You must find and remove. Common places are the air filter and cabin filter. Start by removing both of those. If its the cabin filter, then you a breathing mouse piss and crap every time you turn on the heat. Yuk. Also check above the brake booster. Find the master cylinder and the brake booster is between the master and the firewall. There is a nice nesting spot there on many cars. Once removed you need to now fill the hole(s) into the cabin area. Mice getting into the engine compartment is common but into the cabin means you have holes. Could be a missing grommet on the firewall or trunk area. Or could be the mouse has chewed a hole into the vehicle. You need to find that hole and plug it. You need to spend some hours pulling carpet in the trunk area and inspecting the firewall both above and under the car.
If you have the same parking place every day then I would go get about 5 or 10 snap traps and place them on the ground. Bait with peanut butter. Then park over to of the traps. Wouldn't hurt to leave some snap traps in the cabin as well.
You need to get this problem solved asap as it will only get worse, the mice will destroy your car. Not sure what you drive but google "honda wires mouse". Honda used soy based wires and mice love to eat them. Good luck and happy hunting.
I hate to say it Rebecca but if you spent 40k rebuilding an old 911's 6 cylinder you got hosed. There's no way it should have cost that much.
Eperot My apologies you are correct: the cost of complete engine rebuild was just under $27k. We had other "while-you-have-it-in-the-shop" upgrades and replacements done which brought the total to the stated amount.
But please, you are missing the forest for the trees. My *only* point was: mice can do a ton more damage than just chewing a few electrical wires! They are a pest which shouldn't be taken lightly when they are found to be coming into a vehicle. Inspect engine for nests!
they probably created themselves a nice home behind your dash and in that case they'll be impossible to get rid of unless you take it all apart. not sack is spot on
rx23 I'm only finding a small amount of droppings at a time. Just a few pieces, so im thinking theres only one. I put a trap in my car last night and got him. I left another one in there just incase. I ordered something off amazon that is supposed to repell them. So hopefully im good.
I'm going to date myself by saying I suggest you check the glove compartment, haaaa. Is that what y'all are referring to as the cabin filter? I had a friend who had a mouse build a nest in the glove compartment of his Porsche. What a disaster.
MYD "I ordered something off amazon that is supposed to repell them. "
Not sure what you ordered but those electronic repellents are worthless IMO. Best offence is a strong defense and this goes with any critter that is getting into your house, your car, or whatever. Plug the holes and they cant get in.
Alright, so i went out to my car this morning just tp find more droppings. I had one of those no kill traps in there but he managed to knock it over and escape. I set a new one up and ordered some different traps. Would i be able to take it to any shop to see if they can find the entry point? Or would i be better off with an exterminator?
Can't see what kind of car, but Subaru's were legendary for this, and mouse death within the heating system which is never pleasant. Solution was Subaru mouse expert: someone who knew where they were and what to do. Was not the job for mere mortals.
So google the problem and see if it happens to others or has been solved. If you do take it in, be sure they already know what to do before you get there. That's what I needed to do with Subaru; did not want to take it to a mouse novice.
strangerdanger hate to say this works, but place a flea bomb in the main portion of the car.
kills instantly!
AJMS Drive the car into a lake... water will come in through the holes that the mouse made. Easy, peasy (-;
I would advise against AJMS’s advice. A flea bomb will do nothing for mice and leave the inside of your car coated with pesticides.
3wbdwnj I'd be setting a gauntlet (as in at least 10-12) of traps and all baited with peanut butter. Under your seats. On the dash. Front. Back. Everywhere. Make sure you put the business end of the trap against an edge. While mice can and do roam in the open, they often navigate using their whiskers as feelers.
I'd put them under the hood, too. And as others have said, you need to check the air filter housing, the cabin filter, and the area by the master cylinder.
Suggest a good cleaning on the car, too, including disinfecting wipes on dash, vents, handles, etc. Mice can carry fleas, ticks and disease. I love animals, and would never kill one just because. But when it comes to my health and potential financial loss, I'm at the top of the food chain. The mouse is going down.
ridgebacksrule The droppings are always on the passenger side floor. I looked and i think he is coming in through the vent. My brother is coming over tomorrow to check the air vent. Until then, more traps.
I had a rodent in my car, and at the time was told that they LOVE to build nests in the "air filter box". The dealership checked that for me when they removed the rodent. Sounds like lots of places to hide in the car, and there is never just one, unfortunately
:( Good luck. Not a pleasant thing.
LVMomOfBoys Yeah my brother checked the air filter area. Not in there. I did however find some bunched up gauze type material packed in an area near the gas pedal. I got it all out and put some different traps around the car. I guess we'll see what happens in the morning. I only find a few droppings at a time, i so im hoping thats an indicative sign that its just one mouse.
Any suggestions on what to clean up and sanitize with? Would just plain old lysol or something be enough?
If you found nesting material by the pedal, inside the cabin, then that mouse has definitely made it inside. Check the fire wall for obvious (they may be small) passageways leading into the cabin. I may have missed it but did you mention the year and model of your car? If it’s 10+ years old, it’s very possible you have enough rust on you undercarriage that a mouse is climbing in through the bottom of your car.
I have a 2012 nissan rogue.
I threw some snap traps in there over night. I caught four of them
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