around any rust holes or the fan/ac system

Looks like the mice beat me to it again this autumn.



Traces of eating on the air valve in the inlet tubing



My solution



One installed in the pre heater under the exhaust manifold, one installed in the front air inlet.



They have been in place for a few weeks now and no mice so far.

HTH
Mila

Just to follow up.
No mice in the cabin/cockpit since screens were installed!
They do however build a nest under the air filter every autumn. They fill the box with leafs so I cannot understand how the car can breath!
But that is easly cleaned out and nothing is destroyed. I will look for some stainless steel wool to plug the air tubing with.

Mila

Just to follow up.
No mice in the cabin/cockpit since screens were installed!
They do however build a nest under the air filter every autumn. They fill the box with leafs so I cannot understand how the car can breath!
But that is easly cleaned out and nothing is destroyed. I will look for some stainless steel wool to plug the air tubing with.

Mila

Well, I found one entrance after spotting this catch.





The mice have entered here, in the rear hidden trunk. I think it's an air escape should the airbag activate.



I glued an aluminum mesh onto the air escape with some putty, both sides. The plastic cover was easy to pop off.






Now the car is armed with trap #1





Trap #2





Trap #3





The last one is because of this






They mice have had a snack bite on the rubber boots of the injectors and the ignition cables. The ignition cables were so bad I had to change them.

Fingers crossed now.

HTH,
mila

Late update;

Peppermint oil does not seem too work. Mice have been frequent visitors in the car. :-(
They have been biting on the rear seat belts to the point that I had to replace two of them.
The rubber on the ignition cables must have tasted good and they are all replaced now,
and also the rubber boots on the injector cables are partly gone.
The seats and the arm rest cover also show traces of mice feasting.

Twigs of juniper and garlic have also been suggested and tested but to no avail.

I guess the big trap is the only way to go...


mila
945 -93 @540000km

The peppermint oil has worked excellent so far ( two weeks). I placed a small bottle on the dashboard with the cap off when car is parked, and no mice sofar.

Cheers,
Mike

Good advice here, thanks.
Sorry, I wasn't clear about why my wife had to empty the trap. The car sits at our holiday house since I upgraded the fleet with a V70. Wife takes the train there and spends more time in the house then I do, so it's she who drives it the most. Obviously she doesn't want to wait until I arrive for emptying the trap.
I use one of these; http://www.smelinkweb.com/ImageLibrary/2938/Lotin/mus%201.jpg
, the smaller one.

Since I am allergic to cats a temporary loan of my neigbours cats is not an option.
I will return there in a few weeks and bring some peppermint oil with me.


Cheers,
mila

Why does your wife have to empty the trap?

Buy several more traps and empty them yourself.

I put several traps inside plastic coffee cans and made a 1 inch hole in the side for the mice to get in.

Put a couple in the garage and one in the car have a spare nearby - all she has to do is to remove the can and put the spare in when she gets home,

You just have to check the cans yourself.

I have even mounted one in the engine compartment - I caught 3 under the hood so far.

For the best traps see - https://johnmillenhardware.com/products.php?cat=16#

The Snap-E mouse traps from Kness are deadly. In Minnesota, my daughter has trapped over 100 mice and two weasels in her barn with these traps.

I caught 15 in my storage trailer, shed, and garage in two weeks, and I get a couple a week now.

And I have two cats - that catch mice!

BTW - have you set traps in your house?

Hi Mila,

FYI. Our family has been using these glue traps for +20 years. Try not to step on it and the peanut butter works the best in my opinion. Good luck.

http://www.amazon.com/Catchmaster-Peanut-Butter-Scented-Insect/dp/B003HF0HLC/ref=sr_1_1/178-0134223-9370603?ie=UTF8&qid=1384821641&sr=8-1&keywords=catchmaster+mouse+traps

Dear mila,

Hope you're well. Most rats fear cats, so a cat's scent should deter.

No need to put a litter box in the car. But were a cat to be in the car for a half-hour, the lingering scent should deter all-but-the-most-determined rodents.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook

In a lot of cars they can get in through the cabin ventilation system. We had a heck of a time with them getting into my son's Saab that way.

Try throwing several Peppermint Altoids under each front seat. Supposedly mice don't like peppermint oil and Altoids are one candy that contain real peppermint oil. I don't know if there is really anything to this theory, but since we've been doing it we haven't had any problem.

have a look under the hood at the firewall where wire harness go through. rubber plugs block the holes but may have been dislodged.