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Mice, yuck!!!

6K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  Blogson 
#1 ·
Hello,

Mice are working their way into the ventilation system and nesting on top of the cabin air filter in our 2002 Rav4. Does anyone have recommendations on how to prevent mice from getting in? I have traps that I am putting out and we now have a couple cats that hopefully will help. I keep having to replace the cabin air filter and this is getting expensive! TIA
 
#3 ·
I had the same problem so I did the following:
(1) Put the air control on "recirculate". This closes the vent for outside air and an entry point for the mice.
(2) Smear Vicks VapoRub on the cabin air filter every 6 months. The mice hate the smell.
(3) I also had them in the air box in the engine compartment so I put a screen at the entry point and put 5 or 6 moth balls every 6 months. They also hate the smell of moth balls. Don't use moth balls where you would inhale the fumes.
(4) They were also nesting under the engine plastic cover so I smeared Vicks VapoRub under the insulation.


Some use peppermint oil soaked cotton balls but I haven't tried that yet.
 
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#5 ·
when I pulled the head on my RAV4 and replaced the head gasket I discovered some animal had been nesting in the foam insulation that sits between the engine and the intake manifold, likely mice. I also recently discovered that something had stored a couple acorns in my motorcycle gas tank, it is empty and had an opening where the fuel gauge goes.
I bought 2 four packs of mouse traps last year and caught 15 mice over the winter, I recently bought another four pack and have caught 3 mice so far. I have a cat that roams the neighborhood, apparently he isn't doing his job. I gave up on loading the traps with peanut butter because the mice eventually learned to lick it off, I place 2 2x12's strategically right behind my garage door so it directs the mice to 3 places and i made a gauntlet with the traps.
It is all out war!
 
#6 ·
Good luck with your war! Often it's an eternal war. My wife worked for a company in Southern California which was invaded almost constantly, more so in winter. They even got into the electrical and electronic wire conduits and chewed on the wires, also onto the tiles in the false ceilings and into HVAC ducts, sometimes themselves and their droppings raining down into the office and onto people. Had to get an industrial extermination company to get rid of them.

Evidently when I lived on farms in Nebraska and Minnesota mice didn't like vehicles since we never had mice or evidence of mice in them, even when parked where there were lots of mice. Someone noted that the insulation on modern Toyota wiring attracts mice. So far no mice in my RAV (touch wood!), but there aren't any garage openings which mice would use, and our neighbor has two killer cats which are great mouse and rat traps.
 
#10 ·
mice haven't gone in either of my cars, maybe because they found more attractive places, but one did eat thru the plastic gas line on my riding mower :surprise
since my last post, I have caught 4 more mice, I leave them laying on my driveway hoping to teach the cats where a free meal is , and hopefully teach them to hunt mice by my house
 
#12 ·
When we lived on the SF Peninsula we used to get them in our cars as well. I suspect that they may have either sneaked in when we opened a door or were on either us or our clothing and so came in with us. But if I remember most of those were males - non-biting.
 
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