To keep mice away from your RV, spread Bounce laundry sheets around the inside of your RV. I've done it for years and it works great.
By Jim B. from Salina, KS
I put bounce in my Rubbermaid boxes that I store clothes in out in the garage and it keeps everything out.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
My mom has a severe problem with field mice getting into the heating/air fan housing in her car. No one else has had a problem when they visit her, but she has had to have her car in the shop at least 10 times for this in the two years that she has owned the car. The car is a Chrysler Sebring. Does anyone have any ideas on what she could use to stop them from coming in? She has outside pets and is afraid to put out any poison.
By belinda from Wingo, KY
The moth balls do work. It was happening to me a couple of years ago. We took an old pair of panty hose and cut them up into several pieces. Tied the bottom end closed and put the moth balls in. Tied the top in closed and hung them in a few places around the motor.
There is not much you can do as it is the design that allows small animals to get in there, which is also why some others dno't have the problem. I work at a car dealership and asked a technician as I have never seen anything that you can do, and there is nothing you can do. Trust me, I have seen all sorts of things in cars, mice, nests, dog food, acorns, etc.
If you can stand the smell of moth balls in your car, I guess that would do it.
What about putting one of those ultrasonic things out near where the vehicle is parked, or is it too far away from the house or an electrical outlet?
He sprayed something around his yard, couldn't remember the name or what it was, but the strongest thing you could by without a license. I don't recommend that as I don't like chemicals like that.
One thing not mentioned above is this. I do hope no one is actually paying for the repairs. Your insurance covers it, I promise. I had a friend that had a squirrel who took up residence in the transmission of a Renault and when he turned the engine over in the spring (it was garaged during the winter), he heard the worst sound possible. Ugh! I happened to be there for dinner that night and was working in an insurance claims office at the time. I told him to call his agent and sure enough, he was covered for squirrels! He thought he'd have a huge repair bill, but they paid for it. Just wanted you to know.
We. also had two cars damaged from mice. We were told that Irish Spring soap would keep the critters away. We put some in the engine where the electrical wires are and so far no further problems.
They make small traps called mice cubes where the mouse can get in but cannot get out. The traps can be baited with peanut butter and will have to be cleaned out daily; I realize this is not a good long term fix but it may catch a few that the moth malls don't catch?
My car broke down beyond repair and I could not afford to by another one at the moment, fortunately my parents had a car sitting in their yard that was in seemingly good condition and was only there for about a year
Get some OUT in the WalMart pet department .Pour it on some wads of paper towels & stick it everywhere the mouse smell seems to be invading from unless the towels could catch fire .
Fabric softener sheets would probably work wonders too.
I had a similar problem. Mice invaded my car (don't know how) and I used humane mouse traps to catch 2 mice!
Anyway, to clean the car, my brother kindly removed all seats, all the carpet and shampoed the lot!
While everything was out, we used disinfectant to clean the car and get rid of the smell, which worked. Mind you; you can only get the smell totally out if the carpets are removed, washed thoroughly and the surface below the carpet AND the underlay are disinfected! its not easy.
After 6 months of cleanliness.... the mice are BACK! I don't know what to do..
I had mice in my car while it was sitting at the farm over the winter, they have left now but they left me a hell of a mess to clean up. They got under my carpet in my hatchback where the spare tire was and had all sorts of food left behind (canola,dog food,cat food, etc.) I had to clean all of that out, then i wiped it down and used industrial cleaner on it and spray painted over it. Well after that at least every day or two the mouse smell would come out of nowhere, and would only stay for maybe 5 minutes. This was no good because if i had a date or a friend in the car they would get all grossed out and make fun of me for having the "stinky car". Well then i went into the spare tire area again and cleaned it out with Fantastik Orange, which took off some of the spray paint but also got alot more of the mouse droppings and little bit of gunk i had missed the first time. I wiped it down with a rag and the cleaner at least 3-4 times, then i spray painted over it and let it dry, then i sprayed some Febreeze over that and let it sit over night. Well it has been a week now and i haven't had to deal with the horrid stench even once. Hopefully this helps someone out with their mouse problems.
I bought a 2007 Jeep less than a year ago it wouldn't start. I had it towed from the dealership (not under warranty). They said mice had chewed wires and plastic to the tune of $1100. Before I purchased this car it was garaged for a few years.
Could this damage have been from it being garaged before I bought it? Could it have been driven by me for 8 months with no infestation on my end? Or would it have to be recent? I want to challenge the dealer, but don't want to have this sound totally ridiculous on my part. Any advice?
By Karen
Your posted question is a little hard to figure out. Which of the following timelines is correct?
You bought a Jeep that had been garaged for a considerable length of time from a used car dealer.
The Jeep wouldn't start at the dealer so you had it towed from there to a garage where you were told there was $1100 worth of mousie nibble damage.
If the above is the correct timeline, did you sign an 'As Is' contract? If yes, you are out of luck-no court is going to give you damages based on that 'As Is' clause in your contract.
But if you didn't sign an 'As Is' contract, you probably DO have a case. Try talking to the dealer and politely point out that without satisfaction you will be taking the case to an attorney (or Small Claims, which is cheaper)
OR
You bought a Jeep that had been garaged for a considerable length of time from a used car dealer.
You drove the Jeep for eight months without any problems but then suddenly (after eight months of carefree driving) the Jeep wouldn't start. The mechanic you took it to found $1100 worth of mousie nibble damage.
If that is the correct timeline, you have no case with the dealer because you were able to drive the Jeep without problems for eight months. Refer to the contract (or bill of sale) to re-read the terms of the warranty (if any)-if a warranty was part of the sale contract it surely has expired, most used car warranties on a vehicle that old expire after 90 days.
If you were offered and then opted to pay for an extended warranty of one year, you still probably are out of luck because the damage is from mice-not a fault of the dealer because mice are a condition of where you 'garage' the vehicle when not being driven.
What you do have is a mousie invasion going on where ever it is that you park the Jeep when not driving it-you need to sort that because those little 'darlings' will simply re-nest in your engine box and repeat the damage.
When mice move into the inner workings of a vehicle they waste no time chewing-within a day you are going to have a problem.
The damage they do is considerable and that damage shows up immediately. This is not something that 'develops over time', this is a 'they moved in on Saturday night and by Sunday morning I couldn't start the car' thing.
If you 'garage' the Jeep at your home, this is your problem, sorry about that.
However, if you are renting a garage or parking space, you may be able to recover damages from the landlord. Check your rental agreement.
(Unfortunately, most landlords have a clause relieving them of any damages caused by pests. Re-read the contract to be sure of the terms)
I would ask to see the old parts before I believed them about this. In fact, ask to see all old parts, when they are removed, and you can explain that you like to keep photographs or a record of all parts you have to have replaced.
How do you keep mice out of your car when it sits for a while? We have a camp truck that sits for period of time. Mice seem to get into the car. Is there a way to keep them out?
I have a camper that spends the winter in the yard, and we have lots of mice in the woods around our house. I use peppermint oil, as they really seem to hate the smell. Put a few drops on cotton balls in a paper bag an put it in the truck. It works for me.
Iv'e use peppermint oil for many years in our camp, cars and home it works great and doesn't leave a terrible smell that mothballs do. It can be purchased at any health food store. Put a few drops on a cotton ball and place around areas where mice signs are visible; but you do have to refreshen the cotton ball every so often. Another idea is yo put the soaked cotton balls in a small container with holes poked on the lid.
My son's car has been visited/infested by mice. He says it smells like mouse urine. Is there a way to remove that odor, and aside from traps and poison, is there any way to keep them away?
One way to get rid of mice is to keep the garage tidy and clean. Try to not put clutter or any boxes on the floor of the garage. See if there are any holes in the garage that the mice may be coming from, if so I would repair or close the holes up.
if your son is parking his car near a wooded area it is possible he brought the mice in in his car but they may now be making homes in your garage as well. Do you have a cat or can you borrow one? Just having one around the area can sometimes make a difference.
For the outside of your garage:
Mix one tablespoon of hot pepper sauce (the hotter the better), and ¼ cup laundry detergent in a gallon of water. Spray it around the outside of the garage. It works just like commercial repellents and wont harm your pets or children.
Does any one have any idea to keep mice out of my car engine? They have been making a nest in my engine a couple of times. I don't want them making things dangerous for me and my car.
By Donna from Foymount, Ontario
Try using moth balls. They keep mice away. But you might want to remover them before you drive your car.
Numerous studies have proven the ultrasonics do not work.
Rid-a-Rat.com has proven in their labs that their new technology works on almost all vermin using light technology which is patent pending.
The company ships all over and to Canada. Here in Arizona you can buy them in hardware stores and some garages and car dealers.
Kyle
Ultrasonic treatment devices (such as ultrasonic flea collars) claimed to rid homes of pests are completely ineffective. University of North Dakota.
Ultrasonic devices do not meet advertisers claims for their products. University of Maryland.
I have a cute little brown mouse living in my brand new CTS coupe. I have tried moth balls and a bar of Dove soap, but from what I am reading these strategies don't claim to work! Do you have some ideas to get rid of my mouse humanly?
By Barbara
I have heard that mice hate peppermint. You might want to try a box of the really strong mints (Altoids) - in a red and white tin. They are extra strong and maybe a handful of these sprinkled around in the car might do the trick. Good Luck!
Try Irish Spring soap bar the smell hurts their eyes so they leave. Dove is just not the way to go...
I need help. I have mice under the hood of my car nesting, chewing, and I'm so afraid after pulling all that junk out every night, cigarette butts, dog food, dried grass, just trash, that I will have a fire. My car is brand new and they have chewed wire and most of the insulation off of my hood. Can anyone help me please. I need a magic cure to stop these mice.
By erica from AR
My husband is the warranty administrator for three car dealerships. He's seen this before. He said you need to get some "varmint killer" and put it under the hood. He asked if you're certain it's mice, because squirrels will do this, too. And he said that they (the "varmints") will do BIG damage. And warranty won't cover that (he said maybe insurance will help). Best of luck -- hope you stop the critters soon!
We tried, with moderate success, to put moth balls under and around the car. If you aren't going to drive it for a while, put some on the engine and other areas under the hood. (Remove them before driving off again.) And set some mouse traps--use a small amount of bread and some peanut butter to make the bread stick to the trap. Good luck.
This is a serious problem. I found a solution called MouseBlocker. Try googling it. I have had much success with it after mice destroyed my car.
We have all kinds of animals that get in our cars in Arizona. Our hardware stores sell a great new product that doesn't kill but just chases the animals away.It has saved me a lot of money this year.
My friend in Prescott got one when he saw a rabbit in his car and had to have it repaired 3 times in the same week. He opened the hood and saw the rabbit.
We are both very happy with our rid-a-rat. It is green and just some how chase the animals away. I don't want poison around it can kill hawks and other animals.
All of my neighbors use them.
Hey,what did you use?
I just spent $1200 on my 2013 wrangler... Mice chewed through worrying and I also needed a complete diagnosis of my car. I purchased one of the granular animal chasers at Home Depot. I spread a perimeter around my car and tomorrow when I move it, I will pour a bottle of the same on the ground where my car sits(the entire area under the car). this will hopefully prevent an animal from getting under the car and jumping up. from reading the labels though, I am under the impression that it is effective for all but mice, which may require a mouse chaser listed on the Internet.
I have mice in my brand new car! I first noticed them in my glove box, they ate ketchup packets, so I took everything out of there. I also put peppermint oil on a cotton ball. They still go in my car. NOW they are all over, on the seats, on the dash, steering wheel. It is like they have set up camp, yet I have never seen them, just the droppings!
I had mice in my car that originally got in there because of the sunflower seeds in the glove box. The only way I was able to get rid of them was to set mouse poison all around the garage. It worked, they ate that instead of breaking into the car.
How do I keep mice out of the engine compartment of my car?
By Bob G.
Well, I am not sure how to do this, but one thing you DO NOT want to do is put mothballs in there. Mothballs are often given as a solution for keeping rodents out of places, but the stench from them is sickening, and very difficult to irradiate. Besides, they are poisonous to people as well as to all animals and the moths they are supposed to get rid of.
My remedy for getting rid of mice is always a cat, or several.
Can the smell from the mouse urine hurt you it in the vents of a car?
By Cindy
Probably no more than the smell of baby urine in the carpeting. If you are sure it's mice, get them out before they eat vital wiring.
I had mice nesting in the car, now the heat won't work, but the blower is. I am also hearing a loud click from under dash when turning the temp from hot to cold. The AC works fine. It is a 1998 Ford Taurus.
By scott healy from Columbus, OH
It would appear to me that the mice nested in the ducting either between the air intake and the heater core or between the heater core and the ducts under the hood. Check this hose under the hood for holes first. In either event first disconnect the intake air hose where it connects to the heater core and clear any debris. This is most likely the location of the blockage.
Determine how the mice got in and determine how to prevent the entry in the future. I do not advise blocking the hose but some hardware cloth (mesh wire with 1/4 or so openings) from a hard ware store of feed and seed. Most feed and seed stores sell buy the foot.
. I have had this happen to my truck.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
I just found out that there are mice nesting in my car, inside the seat. Other than mothballs, are there any other suggestions for ridding my car of this problem?
