It's that time of the year again... The small mice are looking for a cosy place to stay in during the winter and they find my 945 to be suitable.

But the big mystery is, how do they come into the car?
I'd like to put a metal mesh to keep them out but I have never found where they enter.
Any suggestions? I have mouse trap for now, but wife doesn't really like emptying it.


mila

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

Dear Mila,

Hope you're well. If mice enter the airbox via the air intake tube, get some metal mesh (6mm x 6mm) and cut a piece that can be pushed into the air intake tube's opening, to form a grille.

Mice should not be able to dislodge this grille, if the cut edges of the metal mesh bite into the inner wall of the intake tube.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook

I paid the cleaning department a visit (cupboard under the kitchen sink) and found stainless steel wool pads for kitchen cleaning. I think they will do the trick.
Similar to these;


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

That screen may help. I always seem to get mice in the truck of the 90 240 DL that is stationary. However, I don't seem to get them in the 86 Jaguar--but it has a copperhead living under the hood, that may have something to do with it!

Brian Mee

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. Interesting, alternate solution to your peppermint...

https://johnmillenhardware.com/products.php?cat=13#

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

Unless the rat is infected with teh Toxoplasmosis.

LOL Cat.

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.

The pepermint oil makes it hard for the mice to breathe for some reason. A drop of peppermint oil (not tincture) on a cotton ball works wonders for keeping the mice out.

Greg

Does that mean if I were to plant peppermint around my house's foundation, I won't get any field mice in the house? Does that work with voles also?

I like the drop of oil on a cotton ball! Clean and easy! Stick one in the engine fuse box or next to the wiring harness. Using 2 sided tape, you can stick them anywhere.

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