How to Keep Mice, Rats and Other Rodents Out of Your Car Engine
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You may have heard of people with bats in their belfry, but how about rats in their manifold, or mice in their motor?
It is only a rumor that small autos are powered by hamsters running full speed on whirling exercise wheels, but rodent residency of engine compartments is not a total myth.
In fact, the damage done to vehicles by mice, rats, and their many cousins can be considerable. Gnawing wires, ripping out insulation for nesting materials, or squirreling away caches of nuts and other treasures in car and truck engines can wreak havoc on some of man's most sophisticated transportation technology and cause a significant financial loss. This is especially true if you live in a rural area.
Not Just "Seldom Used" Cars
Seldom used vehicles are not the only ones which inspire vermin thoughts of habitation. Sierra foothill resident Glennis Tribe found out that furry critters were apparently as excited as she was about her brand new car. In less than 24 hours they managed to destroy much of the wiring.
"The plastic insulating material that is now being used must be especially tasty. It's like caviar to rodents," says Tribe ," they chewed all the wires that connected batteries or alternators or anything electric to anything else. It was rather costly! "
Five months later it happened again. Tribe now has a small electronic deterrent device which sends out rodent- disturbing signals warning tiny intruders to back off. She makes sure it is properly connected each time the car is parked.
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Why Are They in There?
"Apparently they have nothing but time," says Rick LeDuc of Rick's Automotive Service, who has found elaborate nests in intake manifolds, and even litters of tiny pink mice inside densely re-insulated air cleaners.
In one of the more ambitious nests, he found a section of broom handle that had been dragged into the inner workings, as well as "a couple of pounds of dog food." In another instance, he said that only the wires coated with blue plastic insulation had been gnawed.
"They are supposedly color-blind, but sometimes they pick out one certain color of wire to chew," he insists. Several auto repair businesses report that they have numerous incidents of rodent damage each month. The time of year doesn't seem to matter. Hoarding, nest building and wire gnawing are year round occupations.
Mechanics say that the animals seem to favor newer cars and trucks, but they also plague any vehicles which are parked for extended periods of time. Repair costs can be as high as $500 and sometimes much more.
In at least one case where so much wiring damage was done that the car was not worth fixing. People sometimes come into a repair shop complaining that they "smell something burning".
The diagnosis might be feather duster plumes tightly packed into a carefully fabricated nest, pine needles jammed into tight spaces, and actual culprits, both living and defunct. A lot of people are surprised to discover the source of their problems. Why have so many furry occupants taken up residency in a space where renters are not welcome? Are they planning to take over the planet by disabling our vehicles?
The real reason they seek an unnatural habitat under a hood, is that it provides a dark, warm, secure place to hide.... at least until the ignition key is turned. Machinations of vehicle start-ups can be deadly for the critters, and sometimes can cause serious consequences for the drivers as well.
- Mice Ate My Car
An experience with mice in the motor. It gives a lot of practical information for dealing with and preventing the problem.
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Rodent Collections
An acorn, rolling into a crevice after a driver stepped on the gas pedal, kept the throttle open on a late model Ford truck.
Brakes were damaged before the driver could shut down power on a winding country road.
The wood rat culprit had apparently abandoned ship before the adventure, but his hoard of nuts almost caused a real disaster. The truck required towing and lots of professional attention.
John Muir, the famous Yosemite naturalist, called the Wood Rat, " a handsome, interesting animal".
In his detailed descriptions of Sierra flora and fauna, he also opined that " No rat or squirrel has so innocent a look, is so easily approached, or expresses such confidence in one's good intentions."
The colorful comments of many vehicle owners who have been plagued and bedeviled by by these damage- causing beasties is usually much less complimentary, and often unprintable. Those who have been their victims have long since abandoned any "good intentions".
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They have always been with us.
Muir recorded incidents of rats stealing combs, nails, tin cups, eating utensils and spectacles which he supposed were used for the purpose of strengthening it's nest. Quite possibly it was easier for the poetic naturalist to appreciate the animal, since he usually traveled on foot, rather than by SUV.
Wood rats or pack rats are notorious for gathering and accessorizing their nests with varied accumulations. Their collectibles range from natural curiosities like bones, cones, and stones, to the tools, trash and treasures furnished by humans.
Once they have found their way into an engine compartment, the rats must think they have found the mother lode of wonderful man-made objects, with wires and hoses and tubes connected to a spectacular variety of shiny metal and plastic components.
To this assemblage, they will add their acorns, pine needles hardware items, bottle caps and whatever ornaments suit their eclectic decorating style.
Even before the era of motorized vehicles, people have contended with these tiny terrors. Early settlers did their best to keep rats and mice out of their houses and barns, even though hard rock miners actually encouraged rats to inhabit the mine tunnels.
There are tales of miners saving crusts and crumbs of bread for the rodents who acted as a kind of low tech safety system. The rats, being ultra sensitive to tremors or quakes could provide early warning for impending collapses or cave-ins. When the rats suddenly went running for the exit, the mine workers were close behind.
Other Mice in Motor solutions:
- Mice Eating Spark Plug Wires
There are many ways to combat this problem of mice eating through your spark plug wires. I am going to tell you what you should do. You need to take care of the problem because if you are in a rural area you...
Have you had this problem?
See results without votingDiscouraging Them
So how can pesky little wire nibblers and insulation grabbers be discouraged? Could a car be disguised with with animal pelts, to make it look like a rat eating predator?
Would a ground squirrel be tricked into thinking your car was a mountain lion or a giant badger with the help of a spectacular paint job? Or perhaps one of those big plastic owls could be stuck under the hood, and wired it up with a speaker playing annoying rap music.
Some people park their car over a bucket of mothballs, which is apparently repugnant to rat olfactory receptors.
Other simply leave their hoods open, eliminating the darkness and privacy sought by invasive mammals. Traps, baits or poisons are used by others.
The family dog or cat may help to keep mouselike pests away, though if the cat gets into an engine, it's bad for everyone ..... usually worst for the cat.
Some say that even a little bundle of dog hair, cat fur or even human hair clippings has the power to repel the nuisances. Others swear by the electronic devices used to repel gophers .
There are also little buzzer things that are supposed to keep pets off the furniture. They might work.
The problem is not going away, so drivers might be wise to pay a little extra attention next time they notice an unfamiliar squeak in their vehicle.
They are out there.
One of them knows where you park your car.
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Hmmm, Donna,
That may be the thing that is making them go for the wires. I can understand them wanting a dark warm cozy place, but wondered about the wire chewing. I thought it might just be that they were looking for sturdier nesting material.
Perhaps the rodents are decended from lab rats and such cannot resist being wired!
Nice Hub
Not only is this hub entertaining, it's true. This poor woman brought a car into my shop many years ago with "cut ignition wires" so we installed new ones for her and she drove home.
She called the next day, furious that we had done such "poor quality work" and demanded we pay to have her car towed back to our shop and for us to do the work correctly this time.
I was totally shocked and confused, but of course I agreed to do so immediately and called our favorite tow company. Upon getting her car back in the shop, we discovered the "cut" wires again. I went out to Mike, one of our techs, and asked him how he could possibly have managed to miss some cut wires. He pulled the woman's old wires out of the garbage can, the whole set still there from yesterday. "I didn't," he said. lol.
So we studied the new broken ones and the old broken ones and I noticed little teeth marks, the kind of little grooves you see when you look at a piece of cheese you've just bitten a bite from, in the insulation of the wires. When I called her up, she didn't even want to believe me, thinking we were pulling a fast one on her somehow. lol. I told her we'd replace all of the wires for free this time, because we failed to realize the cause of her problem the first time, so she lightened up.
It took her three more wires and a week to finally catch that mouse. LOL. Her car was the first time I ever recommend a cat as a means of automotive preventive maintenance.
great hub.. sorry I went on so long. Couldn't help it.
Just Googled "rodents chew car tubes" and hit this site.
Here's my rodent story.
Had my car serviced 2 days ago, minor service, replaced all fluids etc. And they washed the car for me. And of course, while on their lot waiting for pickup, a large bird did what all birds like to do on newly washed cars & dropped a load on the windshield.
So I picked up the car, drove off and of course hit the windshield washer to clean the bird poop. Hmmm, not as much pressure as usual. Did they top up the fluid ?
Got home, parked the car and noticed fluids dripping out on the ground. Popped the hood. The tube running from the windshield washer tank to the nozzles on the hood hand a chunk bitten out of it, and the area was covered in little bite marks.
And that newly topped up windshield washer tank ? Nearly empty, the contents having been sprayed through the hole all over the engine compartment.
Thankfully just a small rubber hose to replace and not the wiring system in my case.
Thanks for the site, good to know I'm not the only victim.
It is not as uncommon as some people think. Out in the countryside we have lots of rodents in multiple species. The pack-rats are really inventive in the ways they can mess up man's machinery.
i saw a rat inside the motor of my vehicle this morning...i've been having to jumpstart my car every morning for about 4 months now i've taken my car to several mechanics and none of them have found the problem, the battery is fine, alternator ok, everything seems good so i have no other choice but keep jumpstarting my car. this mornign i was jumpstarting it again when i saw this big rat next to the battery, it was alive, moving, horrible, i dont know what to do could it been the problem that noone has been able to solve?
Very interesting article, Rochelle, but living in a condo with an indoor garage, that's one less thing I have to worry about. Never thought about this type of problem until you drew it to my attention. However, I do park the car outside now and then... Worry...worry...
I never knew that they could cause so much damage to vehicles.
We had a mouse in our house and were trying to catch it. Until it helped us get rid of a neighbor who never could take the hint to end her visit. He became an honored guest after that.
I never even knew something like this happened to people. This was entertaining and helpful all the same. I also loved how other folks came in to share their rodent in the car stories as well. Who knew!?!?! I have to pass this along to others! ; )
Rochelle, I don't know how I missed this hub......but I actually put in a hub request a few months back asking how to get rid of pesky mice for this very reason. I went through 4 sets of sparkplug wires in about six weeks time. The first time I had no idea what was wrong with my car. The engine light was on and it was running badly. I had it towed to the dealership just to be told it was a mouse. I replaced the wires and within the week they had eaten through the second set. After the fourth set I made hand-sewn sleeves for each sparkplug wire made out of a heat resistant material I found at the auto parts store. I haven't had any problems since.
We had record numbers of mice in our area according to the local news. We were seeing mice daily inside and out. We live on 27 acres, but have for the last 27 years as well and never had them chew through wires before.
You might be doing your community a public service by writing an article for your local paper about the problem. suggest your solution along with others.
I originally did that with this subject, and found that many people were familiar with the problem.
Thanks for reading.
I still may end up writing a hub about it......I know everyone I talked to about it was having some sort of problem with them this year. One co-worker and I would compare notes each morning about how many we had killed the night before.
I have added this hub to my Mice Eating Spark Plug Wires. :) Gary
Thanks, Gary. I will do the same here-- between the two of us, we may beat those pesky mice. Ha!
Seems like most people first hear abut it when it happens to them. I've been lucky so far, but probably should look into the deterrents before it happens.
I HAVE A DODGE VAN THAT THE RATS HAVE MADE A NEST IN THE MOTOR. THEY HAVE CARRIED TO THE MOTOR A FOR SALE SIGN I HAD ON THE VAN FOR SALE, A OLD GLOVE, TONS OF ACORNS, A SCREWDIRVER, AND LOTS OF PAPER TOWELS. I HAVE BEEN REPLACING WIRES FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS. EVERY DAY THEY CHEW SOMETHING NEW. I AM SO SICK OF THESE PEST. I HAVE LEFT THE HOOD UP AND CONTINUED TO MOVE THE VAN IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, BUT NO LUCK. ANY SUGGESTIONS WILL BE HELPFUL.
There ae some suggestions in the comments formerly made-- One of the best I have heard is to get a plug-in electric deterrent that buzzes when it senses motion.
Them Rodents are very smart.
The " small electronic deterrent device which sends out rodent- disturbing signals" might be your best bet. Good luck!
HELLO, I AM BACK ABOUT THE DODGE VAN WITH RATS. WELL MY HUSBAND SET OFF SMOKE BOMBS (ABOUT 6 UNDER THE HOOD ON THE GROUND TO SEE IF THE SMOKE WOULD RUN THEM OUT AND IT DID, OUR DOG CAUGHT THE RAT AS SOON AS IT DECIDED TO MAKE A RUN FOR IT. WE WILL SEE IN THE MORNING IF IT WAS MORE THAN ONE WE HAD MORE WIRES CHEWED TODAY. THANKS
Persistence pays. Hope they didn't do too much damage.
Thanks for the article. I had squirrels under my hood for a while. I don't want to ruin your advertising, so let me just say that Amazon also sells cayenne pepper.
Was that your remedy? Makes sense. I don't think squirrels are much into peppery seasonings-- though maybe if you are close to the southern border...
I ran into this problem on a brand new Toyota Supra several years ago. Mice had pulled up carpet padding and made anest in the air cleaner. Thanks for the hub I never heard of anyone else having this problem.
Seems like it isn't that unusual especially when you live in rural areas.
Yesterday I saw a gray squirrel with a a mouthful of blue plastic fibrous material (ripped off of a disintegrating tarp that is covering some firewood). A nice little bundle which I am sure is going to add a decorative touch to an otherwise ordinary squirrel nest.
Rodents are amazingly inventive and adaptable.
I live in the country and commute to work the other morning I pulled along side the road to eat my breakfast burrito and talk to my cousin on the phone. I looked up and there was a giant rat on the windshield. I tried going really fast and slamming the breaks to knock him off. He would not let go I was screaming and driving like a nut. I finally went down a cul-de-sac going in circles really fast slamming the brakes he was holding onto my wiper blade with his front feet. Swaying from side to side then my cousin yelled hit the wipers it flung him to the hood of the car and he rolled off. I wish I would have had a dash cam I could have made some money it was like something out of the movies. Now I am terrified there are more.Any suggestions what do I do to keep them away. I almost had a heart attack.
Having mice in your motor would be terrible…they are bad enough elsewhere! Please don't use any of these Ortho Home Defense Max Kill and Contain traps…take my advice. They are ineffective and falsely advertsised.
OMG, this is so true. Luckily the rats which camped inside our car was only having a tour or perhaps there was no time for it to build his nest in the engine. When my hubby switched on the engine, the little vermin scurried away.
One time while I was doing the laundry the washing machine's spinner would not even budge so I ended up hand washing the clothes! As it turned out, a mice happened to be inside the machine and it was caught in the swirling motor. Good riddance.
Hi PaperNotes-- you were lucky. I suppose those who leave their car idle and parked for a few days, would be more likely to have rodent intrusion. You might want to do some prevention to discourage re-visits.
Thanks for you comment.
This is a new notion for James Herbert, who could write a book to go with the other seventeen million that he has written about rats. This one could be about combating the fact that the world is overly populated by rats, by making them into a type of super efficient fuel.
That would be poetic justice of a sort. If they are going to be in our engines, they may as well be fuel.
Wow. I never really thought about this. Now i know what to do when i or anyone i know have such problem. Thanks for the information
Preventing it is the best approach. If you notice any evidence of rodents, have a plan in place.
I had driven 4 hours north of my home to the service centre of where I bought my new car to have it serviced. I couldn't believe it when the service department rang me to say that my engine has been eaten by rats. They were amazed that my car even made the journey. As I have an electronic break system I am to consider myself very lucky. As to the weeks without a car whilst waiting for european parts and one part alone that is costing $2300.00 I do not feel entirely lucky. I have now purchased a cat for my property and will certainly be trying other suggestions.
I hope the cat takes care of it. That was a big repair bill. A lot of people are saying that the old fashioned snap traps are still effective, especially with peanut butter as bait.
This site is no help at all. Everyone has a story or a problem, but no SOLUTION. What can be done ( besides moth balls- they are poisonous to humans too )
You may be right, Sue-Ann.
It seems there will always be rats and mice. The list of suggestions is long, and what works for some people doesn't help others.
As I said, many people think the old fashioned "snap rat" or spring loaded mouse trap works best. Others swear by peppermint oil, fox urine, dog hair or some other organic repellent deters them.
I know one lady who had the problem who swears by the electronic repellers, and another who has a good "mauser" cat.
My neighbor always keeps the hood up when parked at home and keeps the garage light on (they like dark secluded places for nesting).
The first, most important step is to make sure you have no pet food, bird seed or other livestock food in places that can attract rodents... especially in the garage.
Maybe a combination of methods will work, and I agree-- I would use mothballs and poisons as a last resort, and with extreme care.
Definitely had this problem for some time. Here's what I've done--praying it works.
First, found that if you wash out the engine as well as you can with a hose and get as much nesting material and their scent out, that's a good first step. Then I got Pine Sol per one site's suggestion and faithfully spritzed that in the areas they seemed attracted to each week. That did decrease activity (sprayed near the windshield washer where they had clearly been feasting; also around the front tire, wheel well.) Got an ultrasonic pest control device and with an extension cord popped the hood and put the device in when car was not in use for about a week (used but would take the device out; got home put it back in). Idea was to send message to find a new place to live. That SEEMED to work, but didn't as eventually they got back to car.
I noticed in my front yard that I had some burrowing. So just this past week I went out and got something called The Giant Destroyer, sold at Home Depot, on Amazon.com, and probably elsewhere. It's four sticks of sulfur producing materials. I had my brother help me. We plugged the holes and then down the largest most active one, we put the lit device. When it smoked, covered the hole up and let it gas whatever might have been in the hole. Next day I looked and the rock was moved--could have been internally or externally or a cat walking through, etc. I took a half gallon of generic Pine Sol and poured it into the hole and then put the rock back. I have seen no evidence of activity, so that MIGHT have killed things off.
I had to get some things, wiring and tubing, replaced and the man at the shop said go get something called
CRITTER RIDDER sold at Home Depot and feel free to spray it all over in the engine compartment as it can't damage the car. So I bought that and applied liberally. The spray bottle said it's good for 30 days. We'll see. It also comes in granules/powder and I bought that as well and spread it around in the areas where I know they've burrowed in the yard. (The problem is I live where we have cactus and I CAN NOT access all the holes.) So far, so good, but it's early days.
I do KNOW for a fact that other things I tried did NOT work on what I had. Someone had said that peppermint oil would put them off. I took a cotton rag, soaked it in peppermint oil, then tied that near where they had been by the battery. Next morning, I went out and they had EATEN part of the cloth and pulled it all away from where I had tied it.
I have been told that RAT BAIT will work as well. I purchased some and placed it out--it was carried away, but I don't know that it did any in.
IF you have a garage, I would say try the ultrasonic pest controller and set traps in your garage. Get the engine as clean as you can, preferably either getting it on a lift or jacking it up and knocking away any visible nests. Spread the Pine Sol and/or Critter Ridder in the car engine compartment. With the Pine Sol, I'd NOT get it on the batteries--more in the area around the windshield washer where it's all metal (at least in MY vehicle) should have enough smell to send a message. The Critter Ridder should be safe everywhere according to the auto mechanic shop man.
IF you can find burrows or nests or such--try the Giant Destroyer and/or Critter Ridder as well so they aren't handy.
If you can't use your garage or don't have one, you still may try the ultrasonic device near the car--they claim they work for a hundred feet or so.
I think that strategy (clean, use the smells, use the ultrasonic, and try to gas them in their holes) will work in many cases. If it fails, then you probably need a professional pest control person to come give it a go. I'm praying I don't have to shell out that kind of money and one I spoke with for free said they like to TRAP them--traps mean time and multiple visits and they can eat an amazing amount of stuff in short order.
Sounds like you have the best answer to the problem. It takes patience and dedication, but a combination of methods may be the only solution.
Rodents have plagued mankind forever, it seems, in one way or another. They probably will never go away completely.
I appreciate all of the information you have added in sharing your experience, heyteach.
I've never heard my husband say anything about rats in the engine, but he does complain about stray neighborhood cats sleeping under the hood leaving dirty paw prints and scratch marks. How do you keep cats from crawling up the engine from under the car? :O
Great hub, but I do have a word of warning about the electronic repellents. Buy more than 1! I put one of these in my garage when I found field mice there. It chased them out of the garage in a hurry, and right into my house lol. Now I use them inside and out.
to Susan: It seems to be that certain makes and models of vehicles tend to provide easier access. Like the other animals, I suppose they are looking for a dark warm place for security. Maybe the electronic deterrent would also keep them away. On the other hand, the cats may be keeping the wire-chewing mice out.
to rmr: Perhaps little directional signs would show them which way to exit the garage. I'm glad, at least, you found something that worked for you.
Thanks for the tip, Rochelle! I've made little signs leading to my neighbor's car. The neighbor that likes to walk his dog on my lawn, that is.
I had a much bigger problem recently. I raised the hood of my car to find a very large, disgruntled possum hissing at me. Animal control came out, told me it should be perfectly safe to yank it out by the tail, then left me to my own devices. Tax dollars at work!
Whoa, them critters can be skeeery! "SHOULD be perfectly safe"-right. I guess they are not disturbed by the sonic waves. I mean the government workers. They should be yanked out by their tails and see how they react.
I guess cats under the hood are the lesser evil then. Hehe. :)
I ran through our small town at full throttle once in a big old burgundy Cadillac. Turned out there was a nest of mice in the engine and they had gnawed through the throttle cables. It was so scary; I'm glad I didn't kill someone before I got it stopped.
Mice huh, they goes in the car and chew the wire sometimes they stays somewhere dark in the car and I scream when I watch a mouse anywhere they are just irritating.
Thanx for the information I will definitely use tit.Hanx for making this Hub!
I hate Rat and mice!
Reagards!
:-)
Susan--cats can be annoying but hy do have some positive traits. I don't mind if a cat sleeps on my feet
or keeps the rodents away.
Silva-- What a scary experience!-- Yes, they are devious and damaging little critters.
Thanks, jeremysharon. Hope you don't have too many rodent experiences.
My experience with mice began three weeks ago. During a warm fall here in the Sierra Foothills, my car began stinking. Finally took out the back seat and found dead baby mice. Scrubbed out the ooze and maggots.
A week later I found a nest of pink wiggly things in the trunk. Out they went and in went the good old fashion traps. To date, we have killed 6 inside the car and 3 on the car port. I have vacuumed out the air filter compartment twice, removing about a pound of acorns, seeds, grass and insulation. How are they getting stuff into the air filter and compartment?
We live on two hundred acres of vineyards and woodland so I expect the critters. I am even on terms with the mountain lion and her cub, but PLEASE!!! Enough already.
We lost our "Magnificent Mouser Kitty" to illness a few months ago and are looking to replace him this week. We will continue the battle!
Some people think the sonic deterrents work, others say old fashioned traps-- though they only take care of one at a time, and there seems to be an endless supply of mice.
Thanks for commenting, and good luck in your battle. Sounds like you need at least a couple of kitties.
I had an incident with my car and some rats a few weeks back. A bit different thought. I stopped at a set of traffic lights and two mice dressed in balaclavas brandishing pistols car-jaked my Lexus. I couldn't believe it, I never thought it would happen to me.
I guess you didn't have any garden gnomes with you? They are fearsomely afraid of gnomes.
No, we needed some extra cash, so we sold Peter.
My problem is squirrels..... they do the same damage as mice and rats, even worse. Has any of you used CRITTER OFF??
Squirrels can do huge damage. I have no experience with Critter-Off, but they claim to use 'natural' ingredients like peppers. Might be woth a try. It seems that people with big problems try to use a combination of methods.
I live in a semi-rural area. About two years ago I was having problems with my car engine. One day it wouldn’t start, and a mechanic discovered that wires in the engine had been chewed by mice or rats. We had a dense mat of plants climbing up the back wall of our house, which looked lovely. I had been noticing frequent rustling sounds coming from the plants, which fascinated my cats. I guessed that the sounds were being created by some invisible animals climbing through the branches. We took down all the plants, which was a shame because they looked so nice, and we‘ve had no mice/rat problems since.
Sorry to hear of your problems, AliciaC. Those of us who live away from the city depend on our cars.
You have brought up a good point, though. Getting your car away from a mouse-friendly habitat (or removing the habitat) is another piece in the puzzle of defending against rodent damage to your vehicle. Thanks for your comment. Your solution will help someone else, I'm sure.
Well, I've just had it happen to my Chrysler- $250 later... So, I wanted to pass along a tip from my mechanic. Irish Spring Soap. Cut in cubes, drill holes and wrap a wire through and around the soap. Then, tie them under the hood in locations where it doesn't get hot. I pray this works! As for now, just glad my car us working again lol!
I hope that works for you-- at least it's easy t try. You must have discovered them early; a lot of reports I have heard had much higher repair bills. You might want to look over some of the other suggestions in these comments. Good luck.
I am glad to know I am not the only one. I have a newer Honda Odyssey, and my husband took it in for an oil change. The technician came to the waiting room with an air filter and put in on the counter. CLUNK. It was so loud! When the technician asked who owned the Odyssey my husband was embarrassed to admit it. The technician discovered that every slot in the air filter had approximately 40 pieces of dog food in it. He took my husband out to the car and showed him another 2 cups of dog food in a recess behind the glove box. We were floored. (BTW- we already had sticky traps taped to the battery from an intruder from last year. We caught 8 under the hood last year, and I park in a closed garage every night.)
Luckily, the technician had worked for Honda before and stated this was quite common - especially in our model. He suggested placing extra traps near, and on top of, the tires since that is their entry point for climbing into the engine.
After this, we thought all was well until we headed out on a road trip. We loaded everything the night before so we could leave around 3AM. Our rodent returned and helped itself to the contents of our snack bag. Needless to say, we were hungry on our trip. The little bugger decided to nest under our dog's kennel. (So no, dogs don't keep them away.)
Our car is now empty of all food, tissues, GLOVES, etc. Our dog now eats in the house, and we store her food in the laundry room.
Now we are keeping cotton balls in nooks in the engine compartment. Every few weeks we place a few drops of peppermint oil on the cotton balls. We also rub the oil on the air filter. It is a strong repellent for them mice and it keeps our car smelling nice. So far, so good. We'll see over the long run.
Good information. I like it much. Thank you.
Thanks, Wendy.
I think you are taking the right approach by using combined strategies. It is surprising to research this and find that Hondas seem especially prone to rodent invasion. Perhaps their design allows easier access to the inner places-- something the maker should address.
and thanks yaseen, hope it was useful.
Had a 1997 volvo. Drove home and as I went to go in the house I noticed a little smoke coming from the hood, went and opened it to find debris on fire. Used a broom to knock it out. A few months later, my mother calls me on the phone. She'd been driving my car periodically since I was away at college. She drove to the grocery store and when she pulled into the parking space, she noticed smoke. She got out, went to open the hood and some guy stopped her. next thing you know, the whole thing burst into flames. Dead burned to a crisp volvo. After being inspected by the fire fighters and others, determined a next on top of the engine ignited.
So now, I've just graduated from college, got a 2004 volvo a year ago. I've been finding acorns and scat all over my engine. They've chewed through my hood insulator in various areas, ripped out some other stuffing from who knows where. The acorns and scat burn and lucky me gets to breathe it in as a I drive. I've officially declared war...
I hope you win. They can be very determined. It seems that some people have had luck by combining several strategies.
Last night I put a trap next to the wheel where they climb in. It was supposed to electrify the mouse when it climbed in for the peanut butter. It didn't work, all I did was give it a yummy meal. But I now have a lovely strategy that has got me one dead mouse already. After finding the failed trap this morning I made my mom turn the car on while I stood next to the front wheel with a shovel. Mouse came out, I hit it with the shovel... dead mouse. Let's hope he doesn't have any friends. So now I'm just going to put some old-school metal snap traps next to the wheels.
I'm going to try some of the deterrence techniques as well but mostly I want them dead. : ) Death is a great deterrent. Shovel technique is still my fav.
Long ago I drove a 1987 burgundy Cadillac Coup de Ville. One day as I came into town and entered an area where the speed limit dropped to 30, the car kept going at top speed and I ROARED through town. I'm amazed I didn't kill someone. I don't even remember how I got it stopped; I think I turned off the ignition and lost power steering and power brakes; anyway, it was a nightmare. Found out that a mouse made a nest under the hood and chewed through the throttle cables or something.
What a scary experience! I guess there is no way to estimate how many accidents may have been caused by rodent damage.
We mostly hear about the horrible repair expenses, but there certainly could be much more serious consequences. Glad to hear that no one got hurt.
I am now starting round 3 with pests in my car. So discouraged and enjoyed reading some of the deterrent suggestions. I absolutely love my car and am gathering the courage to fight these vermin's! First encounter, I opened my drink and seen a mouse head pop up (out of an open athletic bag), I screamed a little and slammed the trunk shut because I was at a gas station and didn't know what else to do. Long story short, got home and asked my husband to "fix" it for me. Turns out that not only was there a mouse with babies, but a flipping rat! My husband killed it w/ a mallet, yuck. So, thinking that was the end of it, three months later I notice droppings in my car, take to the auto shop and I was told there was about a 3-inch hole chewed through the plastic mesh between my engine compartment and the inside of my car. So after 3 hours of labor and small parts cost where they replaced the plastic mesh with steel mesh, cost me nearly $400! Now about a month later, I have droppings again! So disheartened...back to the shop? Coexist? Definitely not coexist! Anyway, will try to post back if a method had worked.
You have reinforced the idea that they can cause a lot of expensive damage and set up a potential disaster. I hope you will share any solutions you find, because it seems that many people share the problem.
great hub i have this problem alot and even had a birds nest one day
Thanks for commenting. What works for you?
i had an old broken down 1958 lincoln that was invaded by mice a buddy of mine told me that he once used dryer sheets so i tryed it out it seemed to work i guess that they dont like the smell or taste of it , try it out it worked for me but the dryer sheets can put off a very strong odor in the car
I came upon this story while searching the web for ways to solve the problem posed in the title. Unfortunately, there is very little info here on How to Keep Mice, Rats and Other Rodents Out of Your Car Engine.
It seems like different things work for different people-- and many suggest a combination approach. As far as there being little information, I think the comments give a lot of possible solutions. It is clear that there is not one answer to the problem that works for all.
I recently heard peppermint oil on a cotton ball placed in areas you want to keep them out of will send them running away. You can throw them in their hole in the ground too. I am going to try it.
- Harlan
Peppermint oil, fabric dryer sheets, fox urine powder and other strong smelling deterrents seem to work for some people. Others say that electronic vibrations, traps, cats or or other methods helped them stop the invasions. It might take a combination approach. Critters can be very determined.
I did some research after the little monsters ate wiring in 4 out of 6 running vehicles. It seems that most newer wiring, especially Honda's are made with insulation from SOY PRODUCTS. Ohh tastey isn't it. Arggggggg , moth balls in little fabric bags tied strategically in the engine area seems to help the most.
It seems that i have heard about more incidents with Hondas-- Maybe you have discovered the reason. Maybe they should make them with moth balls. Glad you found something that works for you. Maybe it will help someone else.
My son got a 2004 Sunfire for his 16th birthday. Two days after getting his license, his car began accelerating on it's own! The dealership found that the throttle was stuck. It had been packed with debris and nesting material from a rodent who had taken up residence there! Cost $270.00 in repairs.
It's amazing that these critters can cause so much damage. Thank goodness your son wasn't hurt.
This would be a nightmare for me. Rodents in my car would mean abandoning or immediately selling it. I wouldn't fork out $270 cos my car isn't worth that much. Voted up
I think it's a nightmare for most vehicle owners, seanorjohn. One problem is, we never think about the preventative strategies before something happens. When you get a better car, you might think about it.
I HATE RODENTS!!!!!!! My husbands car had an oil leak. Apparently it was the valve cover gasket. Yesterday, my husband had to put a small engine fire. Luckily, he had just bought a case of Miller Lite, and was able to use one to douse the fire. Of course we assumed it was due to the oil leaking, and getting onto something to hot under the hood. So we had it towed to our mechanic, who showed me the teeth marks on the plug wires. He also showed me where one of the wires had been arching off the underside of the hood, which in turn ignited the oil that was leaking. This is the 3rd time the plug wires had been replaced due to their late night snacking! I told the mechanic I don't understand why they chew my husbands wires but not mine. So we decided to pop the hood on my car....and those little rat b@st**ds!!!! They have chomped on some of mine also. It is war now!!
Both of them? That's terrible. I wish you a quick and decisive victory.
Very useful hub, Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you, MarkMAllen15. I also thank all of those who took time to suggest all of the things that worked for them. I just re-read all of the comments and it seems that persistence is the most necessary part of the solution.
I don't really like mice so in house i had cats and dogs to eliminate them.Since we were not rich we buy a used car ?????????????? ?????????? and every now and then we check it condition as well clean it to prevent them from this tiny creature.
Sometimes the simplest solutions, and checking frequently, are the best things you can do.
I am scared of rats! Good advice.
Thanks for commenting, funmontrealgirl. I prefer ground squirrels, too.
We had the same problem in our VW TDI for years. Every time we would look under the hood, there was a nest built from the underhood insulation. We live in a rural area and do not have a garage so we have to park outside and without fail we would find a nest in the engine bay. Last spring we bought and installed a mouseblocker and so far we have not seen any mice or nests. I installed the mouse blocker under the hood and ran it off the cars battery to ward off mice. Been working well for us. Good luck, this appears to be a major problem for people.
Thanks for adding your experience. It sounds like a simple solution with no mess or fuss. I'm sure it will help someone.
I live in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, and for months I kept finding little chicken bones inside the engine compartment of our 1993 BMW 325is and kept giving all the Dominican guys that sit on the cars dirty looks. About three months ago I popped the hood on one of our street cleaning days to check the oil and discovered a 6 inch deep nest constructed out of paper materials, potato chip bags, leaves, and all sorts of loose things that are common in the gutters on the street. That's when it hit me, rats were hanging out in the engine! I put some pigeon spikes in to take away the flat space they were nesting in and thought I'd beat them, but then our car just died this weekend when leaving church. I'm still waiting for official word on the cause but I'm pretty sure it's going to be a chewed wire/sensor somewhere because I saw fresh chewing on the wires attached to the AC compressor when I popped the hood.
I'm thinking a few different strategies: Just One Bite, Golden Marlin Fly Bait and Coca-Cola, Miller Hot Sauce Animal Repellant, and maybe trying the electronic devices. The rats have started a war, and I intend to strike back.
So obviously this is not just a rural problem.
Read through the comments and you might get some additional ideas. Let us know what works for you. Maybe Urban rats are different in more ways than just their choice of nesting materials.
"Repair costs can sometimes be as high as $500". i only wish it were that inexpensive. i drive a Honda Fit and just spent $1200 on this mousy problem. i cannot imagine what people in luxury cars must have to pay for this repair. i will try all the deterrent methods suggested in here. i have to park in the driveway (we only have a carport and because of zoning cannot build a garage on our property) and the mice (or whoever it is) climbs up in the warm engine on winter nights. hopefully we can solve this or i will be bicycling soon.
I hope you find a good solution. For some reason Honda's seem to be very prone to having the rodent problem. Some people have suggested it is because they use soy products in their cable coatings, others think it's because of a design quirk that allow the critters easy access from under the car somewhere.
I may have to adjust that price estimate. This was written a while back-- but people are still having the same problem.
My son just found 2 cups of peanut shells in my air filter. I was feeding the blue jays and left the peanut bag in the garage where the car was parked. Evidently, some furry creature decided to eat in the comfort of my vehicle. We are going to set mouse traps and see what turns up.
You'd better check under the hood, too. They can disable your car in a hurry when they run out of peanuts. I hear that peanut butter is good on the traps, or maybe a peanut stuck down with peanut butter-- since that is what they were after.
We had one under our hood this morning. Had chewed off a bunnch of wires. My brake and check engine lights came on. Also fluid was leaking from the car...I have no idea how much the damage will cost us...
We own a construction company and have a few trucks we use to plow in the winter that we don’t use much in the summer. Every fall we have to clean out a mouse nest from the airbox before starting the trucks. We found this out the hard way when one of the trucks wouldn’t stay running during a storm a few winters ago. We have been looking for a permanent solution for our mouse problem when our mechanic suggested the Mouse Blocker. www.mouseblocker.com We now have one installed in all our trucks, and they have been working great. I see it has worked for another poster on here and just wanted to share our experience.
Melanie, thanks for the suggestion. Anything that works for one might help someone else.
Samantha-- so sorry to hear that, doesn't sound good. Hope you have a trusted mechanic... then you might want to try some of the strategies others have suggested here in the comments.
I just returned from a a muti-day backpacking adventure in the Eastern Sierras near Lone Pine and significant amounts of the under hood insulation have been ripped torn and dragged away. I am most unhappy. I have another trip coming up to Yosemite this weekend and am very nervous
You might want to look into some of the deterrents that have been suggested by commenters. I think early fall is prime time for this kind of activity. You might want to check and see if your insurance has roadside assist service.
Good luck and enjoy your adventures.
Just spent 1200 to repair almost every wire in under my fusebox. Fuel pump was taken out by shorted wires. Live in mtn area and field mice are around. I placed the Tom Cat all-weather blocks on plastic ties in different areas of my cars engine and have already noticed nibbling on some of the blocks. May not be humane but repairs are costly and I'd rather the mice eat the bait rather than my engine wiring.
Sorry to hear of your problems. I have not heard of that remedy-- is it a poison? The problem with that can be if pets eat the poisoned rodents. Used with care and discretion, it might be the answer for you. On the other hand, a real tom cat might work, too.
throw used cat litter under the car, stop feeding the birds and squirrels, sweep up all the excess or blow it off the grass under the tree where you feed and clean under the hood and use a wet vac in reverse and blow all the junk from under hood and use electric wiring to make any repairs, if you park inside garage still do all this also keep garage door closed completely also block heater vent at night and place used cat litter around that as well, set humane traps with peanut butter on small piece of bread, if you are obsessed with feeding animals outside just give very little so they will eat it in one feeding with no leftovers, the use cat litter is so disgusting, dont use the scoopable kind, use the crystal fine kind the kind that doesnt clump it dehydrates but smells! I bought at Petsmart in a green bag it was 13$, dr something it is called
* use electrical tape to make repairs
* I mean dryer vent not heater vent
Sounds like you have real life experience. Thanks for the suggestions.
Sprinkle the blue rat and mouse poison on the manifold and such. It's just warfin and makes them bleed to death internally and go look for water. I wouldn't use any think with arsnic or other poison because pets could eat them in their weak state and be poisoned themselves. Some might say this would only attract more but not really. They love the real Mouse bait. Bingle Tiger or what ever over wires, and within hours want wanter so bad they leave. It works the same way in a house.
Apparently it worked for you. I hope people read all the warnings and are extremely careful with the poisons.
I have read every single word on this site and I still don't know what to do about mice nests. Think I;ll just visit my local Hardware Store .
Mice chewed the wires by the gas tank, and the repair bill was over $400. I was told that mice don't like the smell of Ivory soap, or Irish Spring. Rub that around. I am going to try it, and I hope it works for you AND me!!
Well, mickey, it seems that no one thing works 100% for everyone. The hardware store will probably have some suggestions. I would try a combination of tactics.
Hello, Alleen. I have recently heard that deer are put off by the smell of Irish Spring. In the meantime, I still think it's good to try several methods. That was a pricey mouse.
I just purchased a certified pre owned Mercedes clk350. After 27 days the engine light came on. It's in the shop with 5500 in damage. It has been driven daily and parked in a garage. We live in town and we have no other signs of mice. I feel this car was damaged when we purchased it but the dealer is not helping. If anyone has any ideas what I could do I would appreciate it. Thanks
If it was "certified" does that mean you have a certificate? If so what does it say? Is there a certain period of time that the car should be trouble free? Do you have a better business bureau that takes complaints about businesses? I'm not sure what you should do, but You may need someone to help you with this.
In our very rural setting, snakesw have taken care of the problem till this year. This year, no snakes, and a ground squirrel explosion. My F-350 had pounds of rodent debris that my mechanic found when the engine light came on. I appreciate all the good advice here. I'm also surprised nobody's mentioned spraying the engine compartment with capsacin, the chemical that makes peppers hot. Seems expensive, but if it works, a bargain. Anybody tryed this? Thanks
Thanks, Chris. Those are new suggestions. So you pepper spray the engine? Sounds like that might work, as long as your mechanic doesn't have to get into it. I guess the other possibility is to put snakes in the engine.
Thanks for adding to the list of possibilities.
We had a mouse in our home and need to catch it. Thanks for sharing.
Here's wishing you luck. They are wily, fast and determined little critters. it is hard enough to keep them out of a car-- but some of the ideas people have presented in the comments may give you some ideas. The old-fashioned snap trap with peanut butter might still be the easiest and best, but there are a lot of newer ideas available now,
This is a problem I can honestly say, I have never come across before. How on earth did they get a couple of pounds of dog food in there. I have to say, if I found a rodent in my engine, I'd run a mile. =)
Thanks for commenting, Hollie Thomas. I guess they got the dog food in there one little bit at a time. (Poor dog.) I guess if you can run a mile, you might not need the automobile as much.
Having just suffered a fair bit of damage to my car wiring and insulation, the technician who checked that hadn't done damage i couldn't see, suggested using WD40. He sprayed it around the wiring etc (NOT on exhaust pipe as highly flammable) as they don't like the smell or something! I trapped them in the house, and obviously huffed them, so they went and chewed my car!! will let u know if this works, had three mouse damage free days!
Apparently their twitchy little noses are very sensitive, that's why some people recommend pepermint oil, mothballs or Irish Spring soap. I would be carful with the WD-40, but if it works... it works.
I have a Honda and have spent over $800 replacing wires this year. I keep a coffee can of moth balls under the car engine, have fabric softener shets tied inside the engine. However, what seems to be apparent as I am reading the suggestions is that they don't like light. I wonder if a low watt light bulb under the car would light up things enough to keep them out? Or maybe even a security light rigged up under there in some way. I might give this a try as I have a motion light just sitting around in a box doing nothing.
You may be onto something, dove. I know that some people leave their hood open-- but that does not work for people in some weather conditions.
The motion detector light might be good-- because it is not constant light, and more surprising. Let us know.
BTW It seems that Honda owners get more of than their share of this-- possibly a design feature that allows critters easy access from under the vehicle.
Check out the other suggestions in the comments, too. Mousetraps might be one of the best bets. The sonic repellers seem to have some good reports, too. You have paid too much already.
Well, I thought living in a big city, lite up very well and busy streets that this could not happen. It seems that doesn't matter. I pulled a 4x4 inch nest made from the insulation from the fire wall out of the corner of the engine compartment. and cleaned out all the little turds from the top of the engine. I thought i was done. Next day, more little turds. Again it is all cleaned up. It is rainy and windy but i will again go out there, 9 pm on the west coast, and check again. Tomorrow I will put cat fur in a little spike strip and attach that someway to this building space they like and see what happens.
From what others have said, just cleaning it out may not help much. (they are very persistent). I like the peppermint oil idea, but a lot of people think the electronic repellers work well-- a small investment to avoid costly repairs. Let us know if the cat fur does the trick.
2 months ago a mouse ate the wiring in my new kia forte koup. it cost me 585 dollars tro get repaired. A couple of weks later another wire was damaged but a friend was able to fix it. yesterday, my dog went crazy on my car, jumping on the hood, scratching the hood and then chewed the front fender trying to get to the rodent. A short time later a rat jumped out. I had been using an electronic device to deter them but lately got out of the habit of plugging it in....what a costly mistake i made.
Yes, it's best to plug them in, or get your dog to sleep next to the car. If it has happened once, the possibility for a reprise is always there. Keep your deterrents in place, once you find something that works.
Wow, I had no idea Hondas were more likely to get rats!
We live in a rural area of Southern California, and we've lost a Mitsubishi Eclipse and a Mercury Sable to rats - although we still got some good years out of both.
I got a Honda Fit, and found rat damage when I tried to refill the windshield fluid. Told my husband about it, and we opened the hood of his Ford Fusion Hybrid and found nests there!
We cleaned out both cars, took the Honda in for service and made an appointment for the Ford. The next day - before the Ford's appointment - my husband drove the Ford home from work, parked in the carport, and within minutes the car burst into flames!!! Thank god we are near the fire station - they saved our house.
My husband got another Honda Fit - we're a two-Fit family - and just the other day his engine light wnet on - you guessed it.
We leave the hoods up. That seems to be working so far, but only since winter hit and we closed the hoods for rainy days we've seen more evidence.
I'm going to steam clean my engine, spray it with Critter Ridder, and buy some mothballs to park on top of.
I can't verify that Hondas are more prone to have this problem, but I have seen a couple of comments that say the Honda design has some open spaces underneath or in the wheel wells that provide an entry for rodents into the engine.
Your experiences are some of the worst I have heard-- and I agree that a multi-faceted approach may be needed.
I have had a mouse problem where I live for years. Mice have been constantly destroying air filters, wiring harness and anything else they can get their teeth around. I recently purchased a mouse blocker for my cars and even my riding lawn mower with great success. I would definitely recommend mouse blocker to anyone!
Everyone is interested in finding a practical solution. I couldn't find a reference to "mouse blocker". Is it physical, chemical or electronic? Really we want to block them, but what is the brand name or the link to your product?
The mouse blocker can be purchased at www.mouseblocker.com That is where we purchased ours, and still have been mouse free for months now.
We noticed the other day a mouse had eaten a styrofoam coffee cup in our center console and left a few droppings. After more investigation, we noticed more droppings in the driver/passenger area as well as in the engine area....not many droppings but enough to alarm my wife. My question...we always park the vehicle in an attached garage. Do you think we should park the vehicle outside the garage or continue to park it inside until the mouse/mice have been caught? We have put down traps but no luck yet. Thanks
We unfortunately are having to leave our car unattended on the mainland as we work on an Island and can only check up on our car periodically, and we have a serious rat problem!!! We also are very remote, Mozambique, so cannot get our hands on all these devices and chemicals ..... we do however have a can of pepper spray so we are going to try this - will spray the engine and underneath - does anyone know if pepper spray can cause corrosion on metals or damage plastics?
Thanks, Matt, It looks like one of those electronic deterrents. Most people think they work.
As for inside or outside the garage, Jeff -- if the mice can get into the garage, it doesn't seem to make much difference. I think you'll need to try something that discourages them. Check out some of the suggestions in the comments.
Barbara-- as for the pepper spray, it seems like a good choice to keep them away, but I don't know if it would damage the car. Maybe you could just spray the area around or under the car.
I believe I have mouse problem too. J have rat terriers that have suddenly started attacking my Honda accord. In this case the mouse is not doing the damage but causing the damage. Animals can sometimes make the problem worse.
Wow! I have known a few Rat Terriers, and can understand they might agrivate the problem. You'd better go to some of the deterrent suggestions.
I have the problem in my 1986 lincoln towncar. Am a poor colege student so had to fix gobs of eaten wiring myself. THEY KEEP COMING BACK. The only way they can climb into your car though is on the tires. Have been placing tomcat bait blocks under the car just against inside of the tires. Live in a rural area, have no pets to worry about. So far, they are eating four blocks a week and the damage incidents have gone down. Still an occasional frayed wire, eaten coolant house or destroye dhood insulation. I think it is going to be an ongoing battle.
I guess the problem is-- there are so MANY of them,they reproduce quickly in great numbers and they are hungry.
You are lucky if you can do some of the repair yourself, though I'm sure it is time-consuming and not that much fun. Sounds like the bait is working, but it might be worth your while to try one of the electronic repellers. Though there's an initial investment, you don't have to buy any refills.
Hello Rochelle my sister lives in a cottage in the country side and she is having a constant problem with rats getting in to the car and eating holes throughout the interior,her car can get quite messy with sweets and things as she has 4 kids would this be the reason for the problem?i keep telling her to get a few cats,would you recommend cats or have you any other solution as my sister would not get in to the same car again and got a new car and it also happened to her partners car.Thank You
I work at a car dealership and see this all the time.Have seen where they have chewed wiring harness costing over $4,000.You might want to contact your homeowners insurance if you have damage....They will cover this.Thanks
Just had a quote for £2,500 + for mouse damage to air filter and subsequent further under-bonnet damage to 7- month old Motor Home. Insurer not interested, nor is dealer. Trading standards suggest may be able to try
using GB's sale of goods act with dealer. Main question really is shouldn't the designers/manufacturers (Peugeot) of the chassis where the mouse got in (the 3 air-intake holes) be held to account? If the holes had some sort of mesh over them he couldn't have got in. Has anyone tried getting these people to accept blame/re-think their designs?
Recently spent $5500 to replace rat damaged wiring harness on 2006 Prius. Soy based insulation on wiring harness. Insurance paid for repair. Two weeks later $500 more to replace more rat damage. Am trying crushed moth balls mixed with used cat litter (urine not feces clumps). Plus anticoagulant bait plus traps - Toyota will hear about this but it seems that it is not only soy based insulation that the rats like. Will follow this hub. thanks much!
Mice must be on the move again. Let me try to keep up with posted comments.
Kierin-- I wouldn't be too quick to blame the kids and their crumbs. Though a few sweet nibbles might be enticing, a lot of people have a lot of rodents and no kids at all. It seems that the biggest problem is from the little critters seeking a protected nesting place. Others have suggested that the wiring may offer salt or even soy-based plastic, which is apparently tasty. Cats can help if they have a strong hunting instinct and are not overly fed, but you might want to try some of the other deterrents that have been suggested. A multi-prong approach may be best.
Laurie-- that's a good suggestion. People should check on the insurance options, but diverting the problem might still be a good idea.
Diddaboyss-- yes, that's good to check on. I have heard of some vehicle owners blocking off those entries wit wire mesh-- which would take some work, but perhaps helpful.
"crushed moth balls mixed with used cat litter urine clumps-- Plus anticoagulant bait plus traps"
You suffered serious damage-- and that requires serious combination methods.
Thanks for your suggestions-- It just seems totally unfair that these tiny furry creatures can discombobulate our sophisticated technology.
I appreciate your suggestions and recommend them to others who haven't found a solution. Let us know how things have evolved.
i found some little poops in my car, dont know what they are!!!
They are most likely little poops of small animals. If this is all you have found, check the engine compartment and other areas of the car. Maybe you are lucky enough to make this discovery before they can do damage. Look over the deterrents that have been suggested and maybe you can discourage them before they do expensive damage.
Nearly crashed yestesday , lost control of car , after 2 mins car stopped , guy came to find a mouse / rat had eaten my fuel pipe, 2nd time in 2 months, first time lost £90 fuel and yestesday £50 , I do hope this wont keep happened , its so scary and very frighting .
What an awful experience. You'll want to check your car frequently, and it would probably be a good idea to use some off the strategies that other people have suggested for keeping them away. Hope you find something that works for you.
Me too Thanks , I have a case over engine ect so makes it much harder to check before each jorney , Make me think twice now before driving , I did read other comments which did Help !!! Thanks
Tess .
Thanks for your post, it helped me to figure out that finding dozens & dozens of peanut shells underneath my air filter was not right for my 1997 Hyundai Accent! This car just moved 1000s of miles so hopefully the little resident muncher stayed behind. This make of car has a huge air intake port that practically has a flashing "vacancy" sign on it.
Thanks for your comment, Portland. I hope you take the right measures before they get to you. You might want to check your air filter, too. The air intake ports are a possible entry-- and make sure there are no flashing signs.
hi Rochelle,
thanks for the very useful hub. A rat ruined my engine once and since then I kept imagining there were rats all over the place.
Thank you Dr. Benson-- nice to see that you are still around here.
I was dozing on the couch the other day and dreamed mushrooms were growing on my feet. When I awoke my dog was sleeping on my legs. No rats, though.
Yesterday our 2nd vehicle was damaged by rats.
I was driving and the pick-ups check engine light came on, it seemed to be running a little rough. Took it the the mechanic and he said I'm sorry to tell you the rats have chewed the wiring, it's going to cost 800.00. They said we were the 3rd vehicle this month with rat damage. I can't have this happen again.
That's terrible!-- and a quick way to empty a bank account. Look over some of the suggestions, and try some of them quickly. (I'd also suggest that you shop around for a mechanic who might give you a better price.) Prevention is better than a fix, when it comes to rats. Good luck.
Hi everyone! Im a serving soldier living in Germany, and both of our cars have mice/rats getting in them on a nightly basis! We have a volvo xc70 and Suzuki Jimny. We have had a load of soundproofing dragged through the car from the trunk, and the little critters have eaten through the straps on one of our childs carseats! this is getting so expensive! I have ordered the sonic things and put humane traps down inside both cars. We havent caught anything yet but if it is rats doing all the damage then they wont fit into the humane traps to get at the chocolate. I have been advised that peanut butter is good and so is marsbars for tempting them to their death! Im going to get some proper no more mrs nice gal traps that will certainly put an end to whatever eats the bait. I did put the car into the garage with the engine running tonight, thinking that the fumes would build up and gas them all, but was told that the engines dont produce the same fumes these days and so it wont work unless you use a 2 stroke engine. Im now on the lookout for a 2 stroke scooter i can put into the garage along with my car, leave the engine running and close the door! Im guessing if you leave it like that for about an hour, then air out the garage you should kill them where they are hiding!
I can see how you might be thinking of drastic measures. It must be maddening to get the repeat offenders. Poisons or poison gasses seem a little drastic, because of possible collateral damage. I hope you find a practical solution.
A rat terrier dog can smell and here small rodents. Anything from rabbits to mice. They are especially fond of the latter and will tenaciously pursue them. Peppermint oil does work, but needs to be re-apllied periodically, every 4 weeks or so.
Maybe the ultimate solution is to sprinkle peppermint oil on a Rat Terrier. Make the dog smell nice, too
We drive a 2003 Chevy Impala. Parked at Ocala Nat Forest in Florida to see the "boils" & stayed all afternoon. The small squirrels ate up most of the wiring in the car! It took three mechanics at three different garages to finally find all the damage. Total cost over $2000. Your home owners insurance will pay to repair it- but you have to make sure the mechanic writes that it was rodent chewing on the receipt. We didn't have a deductible on our Comprensive coverage, so they paid all the bills. The mechanics said to put bars of Irish Spring soap on each wheel well. Also put out moth balls. We haven't had any more damage, but the moth balls are too smelly for us to stand, so we're going to look into an electronic repeller.
Sorry....meant car insurance on last post.
Just took my 2009 Camry to the dealer with an engine light on and a slipping transmissions. Mice ate the sensors and more! They found nests (plural). Now we had a real bad mouse issue in town and got traps, snagged a few dozen. They are fast though and a shovel won't be good enough for them. I have an air gun and other options and will be watching. I am out $1500. :-(
That's the kind of vacation complication that no one wants. Good that you had coverage to take care of the expense. Thanks for the additional suggestions.
...of course.
It's amazing how much damage those little things can cause. Also amazing that few people seem to know about this until it happens to them.
Rochelle,
Thanks for this educating and entertaining page. I like your sense of humor. You keep me in stitches with your witty comments! I enjoyed your Hub and read through all the comments.
Rodents are a persistent problem globally because they're smart. They have to be for their survival, since they're very low in the food chain: most rodents -if not all- serve as food as lots for other animals (and as a source of annoyance to us!).
Yet, we humans are smarter than all the billions of rodents put together so we WILL find a solution to this gnawing problem - if we haven't already.
From a pest control operator's perspective, the mouse blockers mentioned earlier seem to be the best solution yet as a deterrent. Successful trapping and baiting on the other hand, requires a little more skill and knowledge about their behavior, but both are doable.
By the way, I had no idea that this rodent-in-my-car problem was so common and so severe, even though I have been in the household pest control business since 1994. Why is it being kept such a secret? :o)
Anyway, I like this hub and will 'park my car' here for a while, hoping I won't end up with a mice infestation as a result.
Meanwhile, I'll take on the challenge to explore the market for a healthy solution.
Oh, one more note before I go:
@Kirsty from Germany:
Did you say: "I did put the car into the garage with the engine running tonight, thinking that the fumes would build up and gas them all..."
NO-O-O-O!!!!!!!! You're not serious, are you?? PLEASE reconsider this fumigation technique!!!
You may get CO gases in your house, which can kill more than just rats and mice: they may kill you! (Peacefully in your sleep, but that's not the point)
And even if your garage is detached it's still not a safe idea. Why not invest in a mouse blocker instead or any other suggestions made by other visitors?
Personally, I’d stay away from the WD-40 and the pepper spray technique though. The first is dangerously flammable; the second may literally backfire on you.
Good luck!
I really appreciate your expertise in this matter. Yes, you can see that many people are desperate to find something that works and some of the methods may be ineffective at best and dangerous at worst.
I will look forward to your posting of additional solutions.
My beautiful new BMW - engine light came on yesterday so I went to the dealership thinking it was time for an oil change. What a surprise! Replacing the sensor wire will cost $700 this week. The rats left lots of evidence of their activities - no nest thank goodness. Thanks for all the suggestions. You can bet I will follow up.
That's a shame. Hope you find something that works. You might want to try a couple of things at once.
My windshield washer fluid was not working in my new Toyota. Took it to the dealership and was told mice had eaten the tube which they said was coated in peanut oil. Wh peanut oil?
I really don't know. Maybe they need some kind of lubricant and petroleum products would harm the plastic? I have heard that some car manufacturers use a soy product to make tubing-- and the critters also think that is tasty. They certainly were not looking at this from a mouse point of view.
I hope someone can give some more information on this.
I am not sure what they make the plastic tubing out of, but my friend has fuel lines eaten on his car resulting in a large fuel leak. I cannot imagine that would taste good at all. We are still using our mouse blocker and have not had any mice all winter. It seems not everyone has a mouse problem but if you do, they sure will cause you problems. www.mouseblocker.com
According to your hub on storing your car, it looks like you have been using multiple strategies. I think that is the best approach for most people. Thanks for contributing to the discussion.
Thank you so much for looking into this so deeply. A lot of people are desperately looking for the information you offer. I think you should join
HubPages and write your own articles on this subject and related topics. So far, I think your suggestions are the best I have seen.
Thanks, on behalf of many.
I have them in my car right now...what should I do?
Consult your car repair person-- get rid of the rodents and their nests, and check for damage that could make your car unsafe. Take advice from your mechanic-- and look over the suggestions posted here so far about deterrents and strategies to keep the critters away.
Prepare for the battle. Good luck.
Driving my Mercedes 108B CDI 2008 to Hobart I thought it performed sluggish.After driving around in Hobart I noticed smoke coming from the exhaust - so I drove straight to the Service Center and informed RACT of a breakdown. As a Gold Ultimate Member, I felt save - I would be able to drive back home some 100 km away - But that was not so - because Rodents ate a small hole into the turbo hose and a few other things as well. No replacement car and my wife and I had to find our own way back home. Lucky it seem that our comprehensive insurance with RACT covers Rodent damage - sort like an accident with wildlife I guess.
Anyway I am now looking for those critters and they will not esscape my fury.
Good luck in your battle. It is very frustrating to have a humble rodent disable such sophisticated machinery. Turn your fury into some deterrents. Apparently not everything works for each case. A multi-faceted strategy may help keep the pests at bay.
After failing to try and start the car I popped open the hood and found pipes, vacuum hoses and spark plug wires all chewed up to hell, like there was a tornado inside the engine compartment, along with leaves, grass and a whole stock of plants.
At first I thought someone must have cut everything up with a knife, but it was far too "shredded" for that.
Unless there was something else going on in there that specifically targeted rubber housing then I'm pretty sure it was the squirrels.
It sounds like squirrel-- or a squirrel relative.
Look though the comment suggestions. I might be worth your while to try some deterrents. It must have been a shock to see such damage-- the collection of organic matter does suggest a small creature seeking a nest site.
Wow! you have a ton on comments on this one. I was just going to say that I have had this problem. About 4 years ago both my husband's new GMC truck and my new Toyota Highlander were invaded by rats. When I took my car in to be worked on the mechanic said one jumped out of the engine and ran across the garage. We solved the problem by getting a couple of cats, it really reduced the rodent population around here.
Yes-- apparently a lot of people have had this very expensive problem.
In earlier generations, the worries were about the rodents invading the food supply. The modern version is vehicle invasion.
Rodents could well rule the world one day if we are not vigilant-- WE DO NEED CATS. -- the entertainment value is priceless, but their predatory insticts could save civilization as we know it.
I have a 98 honda civic that I drive every single day.
I went to get my headlight replaced by a mechanic today and I was told I had critters under the hood!!! He removed the air pipe (probably not the right term) and showed me the birdseeds, etc. that we're sitting in the air box . Needless to say, I was thoroughly disgusted.
He told me that my neighbors must be have birdseed and the mice are eating it. He showed part of a wire covering that the mice already started eating through, also the air filter had droppings on it. YUCK!
I live in a busy suburb of Chicago and do not park in a garage. Because of that the mechanic did not reccomend mouse traps.
He just said vacuum it out, (which i did several times and still not sure if I got it all) and watch if they come back.
I do not park in the same spot every day, so it'll be almost impossible to track where these mice are coming from.
I was wondering if there are some methods that'll work better for cars parked outside?
I'm kind of scared to look inside tomorrow for more damage. The thought of an infestation is nauseating!!!!
PLEASE help!! I can't afford the potential damage mice cause!!
Check through some of the comments. It seems that there is no one answer for everyone.People who have tried mothballs usually say that the smell is overwhelming to humans. Maybe a few sprays of peppermint oil might be a more pleasant 'solution'. I don't know if the electronic devices need to have an external outlet. Maybe you could check and see if there is a battery powered one-- or one the plugs into the lighter.
Good luck.
I have had problems for years with squirrels getting into my truck. They have causes havoc tearing apart wiring harnesses, insulation and stashing their food in the cabin filter intake. After spending thousands of dollars on repairs and hundreds of dollars for the so called solutions; peppermint spray, moth balls etc. I have finally found a solution that works! I purchased a Mouse Blocker and haven't seen the pesky varmints back since installing it! I appreciate all the help everyone has suggested on this site. If it wasn't for mention of the Mouse Blocker I may have never found a solution and lost my sanity by now!
Others have mentioned Mouse Blocker-- certainly one option to check out. I have not used any of the suggested products, but it seems that not all work for everyone. A multi-prong approach may be a good way to go.
DonnaCSmith Level 1 Commenter 3 years ago
One reason rodents chew on wiring is that the electricity produces a salt, which is tasty. Could be the same deal in the cars.
Just the other day I got a napkin out of my glove box and it had been chewed/shredded by something with teeth. Mm, I better check under my hood!