To prevent mice from nesting in your car make sure that it doesn’t have crumbs or other accessible food nearby, receives plenty of light and doesn’t accumulate moisture. Also, seal off any openings that mice might enter through and don’t leave your car idle for too long.
Though a rodent infestation might not be your first concern, once they’ve gotten cosy inside the car they can cause damage to your wiring and interior with their sharp teeth. It is much easier to prevent rodents from nesting in your car than to get rid of them so take a look at the following safety measures before it is too late.
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Why Do Mice Enter Your Car?
Mice nest in cars for a number of reasons with food sources either in the car or around the car as the main reason. Cars filled with leftovers or crumbs are prime food sources for mice.
Even if mice find their food near the car instead of inside it, the mice might still choose to bring their foraged crumbs inside the car for safekeeping. This is why the space around the car should also be clear of mouse attracting factors.
It is very easy for mice to crawl through tiny spaces. Unfortunately, cars are full of openings such as air intake vents and wheel wells that mice have no trouble crawling into.
Moisture is another environmental factor that attracts mice. If there is buildup of moisture in your car then the mice might come to nest.
Mice like to live inside a car because it tends to be dark and save from predators like dogs and cats. Especially long term idle cars are ideal dark spaces for mice.
How to Prevent Mice from Getting Inside Your Car
Mice enter cars from openings such as an open sunroof, window and door but also through more difficult openings to close off like air intake vents, wheel wells and exhaust pipes. Since it is difficult to completely seal off a car, you should take other prevention measures, as well.
Parking your car inside a garage is one way to keep it away from mice colonies living outside in bushes. However, parking your inside the garage is only safe if the garage does not attract mice.
The garage should be clear and tidy without any easily accessible food like bags of dog kibble. Also, regularly vacuum the car interior to get rid of crumbs.
Also make sure that there is no dampness inside the car or in the garage. This too will attract mice to come and make their home in your car.
If you can only park your car outside then try to keep the parking area clear of vegetation scraps and trash where mice might like to burrow. Keeping the car in a sunny space also helps to keep them away as mice are nocturnal creatures that prefer to stay in the dark.
Other things you can do to discourage mice from entering is to use scents that they don’t like. Mint, cayenne pepper and WD-40 are known scents that deter mice.
Mice are also quite cowardly creatures so by making them think that the car is not safe from predators can keep them from entering. You can try having a dog or cat move around in the car once in a while so that mice can pick up their pheromones and be scared away.
Another way to prevent rodents from entering your car is by installing an electronic deterrent. These send out soundwaves at a frequency that only rodents can hear and are too annoying to them to stick around.
How to Get Rid of Mice in Your Car
In case a mouse has already found its way into your car, you need to take action fast. Mice have very strong teeth that can chew through the wiring and interior of your car so you want to get rid of them before the damage costs you.
How to get rid of mice in your car is somewhat similar to getting rid of them in your house but with the advantage of the mice being confined to a smaller space.
Strategically place mouse traps with peanut butter inside your car. Good places to place them are in the dark covered spaces like under the seats and wheel wells.
Sticky strips are very effective inside a car. They are easier to place inside the car than traditional mouse traps because you can affix them to the car.
As a last resort you can use poison, either rat poison or moth balls. When you have no other choice but to use poison, consult a professional first to keep the situation as safe as possible for you and your pets.
Here’s a useful video on tips to remove mice from your car!
Summary
Mice can get into your car through the smallest openings such as the air intake vent, wheel well or an open door or window. Once they are inside your car they can do some costly damage.
The best way to keep mice out of your car is to give them no reason to venture inside. This means keeping your car and its surroundings clean and free of food sources, regularly using and exposing it to sunlight.
You can also use mice deterrents like the scent of peppermint. Mice are also scared of being in spaces that are frequented by cats, dogs and other predators.
If mice are already in the car, you need to get rid of them as fast as possible. Traps are the easiest way to get rid of mice in your car.
If the traps are not successful, consult an exterminator for alternative measures. Always take great care when handling poison and follow the instructions precisely.
As always, it is better to prevent than to solve and this is very true with mice. Given their fast breeding pace, a mouse is the last thing you want in your car.
