How to Keep Mice Out of Your Car in the Winter
The end of summer is a time to deflate the pool floaties and prepare for oncoming cold weather. This includes getting our cars ready to handle frigid temperatures and extreme conditions.
While we are all familiar with the many mechanical problems winter can inflict on automobiles, most people aren’t aware of the damage that mice can pose. That’s right, not just ice – MICE! It turns out that these little creatures love the warmth and potential food sources cars provide during the cold months, inside and out.
And it’s not just the coldest climates of the country that face this situation; even more temperate parts of the country, such as sunny California, have their fair share of car-loving critters. (After all, be it human or mouse, cold is relative to wherever you are.)
The havoc mice and other rodents cause can range from annoying to downright life threatening:
· They’ve been known to chew through the plant-based insulation coverings of essential engine wires. This can lead to stranded motorists and costly repairs. Many car manufacturers have faced lawsuits in recent years for this very problem.
· The stuffing inside a car’s upholstery makes for a very warm and cozy sleeping spot. Mice have been known to chew their way through to get to it, causing hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in damage.
· Mice and other rodents carry different hantaviruses, which can be deadly to people. The evidence they leave behind, such as droppings and materials they’ve used to build nests throughout your vehicle (including in the air filter), can become airborne and get into your lungs, even when there’s no obvious smell.
· No matter how cute they may be (and I’ll admit, mice are quite adorable!), stepping on the gas pedal and being greeted by a shriek from an unwanted, furry passenger at 65 miles per hour can make for a dangerous situation.
So, what can be done to keep these varmints from taking up residence in your ride?
Here are some useful solutions:
- Park in a Garage
The most effective way to make sure your car doesn’t become a mouse motel is to make it hard for them to get in. A garage or other well-sealed structure can ensure that you have a trusty barrier between mouse and motorcar.
Of course, keeping the garage clean and clutter free is just as important as keeping the car clean and clutter free (see item 2).
And making sure to limit the amount of time the garage door is up is essential.
If trash cans and recycling bins are kept in the garage, as is the case in many colder areas, it’s especially important to keep these containers well sealed so they don’t become an open invitation.
This also holds true if you keep pet food in the garage; make sure to place it in air-tight containers to give mice one less incentive to come in and stay in.
And speaking of pets, if you’re a cat owner then you have an advantage in this fight! Giving your cat occasional access to the garage could create a regular mouse patrol.
When an indoor structure isn’t an option, be mindful of the location where the car is parked. If there’s weeds and tall grass around or under the car, this is going to make it easier for rodents to find a place to enter the vehicle, since they can often be found in these areas. The same holds true for dumpsters, barns, sheds, and wooded areas.
- Keep Your Car Clean
Think that half-eaten bagel you threw in a bag and tossed in the back seat won’t come back to haunt you? Think again! Any food source inside the car can be an incentive for a mouse to find a way in.
And it’s not just foodstuff that mice find attractive; any clutter can be a potential nesting place for them to call home.
Make a habit of regularly cleaning and decluttering all areas of your vehicle. (The trunk may not just look like a rat’s nest; it could actually be one!) Remove any food items left behind, including any bags with leftover food (even crumbs), empty wrappers, coffee cups, and soda cans/bottles. It’s a good idea to vacuum once in a while too.
To make this process more manageable, many cities in the U.S. have express car washes that offer a quick ride through the wash process and customer access to vacuums at the end of the line. Additionally, many of these places offer monthly plans for unlimited washes.
Who knows, you may even get better gas mileage!
- Use Scented Oils as a Deterrent
For many, using nature to solve a problem is always preferred, and this option doesn’t disappoint. Both environmentally friendly and highly effective, scented oils are a great choice for keeping mice away from your vehicle. Peppermint oil is particularly powerful for this purpose as it acts to confuse their sense of smell.
One of the easiest and most efficient ways of employing this method is to use peppermint oil in the car engine. This can be done by mixing a solution of peppermint oil and water in a spray bottle, then spraying throughout your car’s engine. You can use this same method to apply the solution to other potential entry points, such as vents, wheel wells, and the entire underside perimeter. Be sure to spray the tail pipe too as this is another potential entry point.
Feel free to take this method inside the car as well, spraying vents, the floorboard around the pedals, the trunk, and around the windows.
(Incidentally, this is also a great way to deter and scare off spiders that may take up residence in and around your vehicle, as I’ve discovered – but that’s another article.)
Other ways to get scented oils into your car’s interior is to soak cotton balls or clothespins with undiluted peppermint oil and place in these same strategic places of entry.
Many companies are making scented oil air diffusers for automobile use. These take an essential oil mixture and turn it into a fine mist using your car’s auxiliary power outlet (formerly known as the cigarette lighter). This gives the benefit of filling your car with a light, pleasant scent and, in the case of peppermint oil, has the natural effect of waking you up on your drive to work.
Additionally, you can find scented oil automobile air freshener sticks that can be conveniently deposited inside car vents. I’ve used these and they’re not only easy to place but make driving a whole lot more enjoyable!
Another creative and practical solution is to use scented dryer sheets. You can place them on the floor near the doors, pedals, on seats, and in the trunk. However, placing them on the engine block may not be the wisest decision.
- Don’t Let Your Car Sit Idle
An idle car is a mouse’s playground and the longer it sits, the easier it becomes for them to see your sedan as choice rental property! The more a car is in motion, the less of a target it is for a potential occupant.
Even if you work from home or are retired and don’t have much use for your vehicle, make a habit of starting it every few days and even taking it for a spin around the block. Not only will it help keep the critters away, it’ll also keep parking enforcement from giving you a ticket.
- Pop the Hood
This choice works best if the vehicle can be stored in a garage or some other sheltered environment.
Since the primary reason for mice to take up residence in your car’s engine is because it offers a dark, warm environment for them to build nests, make it uncomfortable for them by popping the hood. If in a garage, leave it open overnight. If outside, leave the hood up long enough to at least cool the engine down. Since a warm engine is a powerful attraction to a cold, furry creature, it’s a good idea to remove this incentive.
Also, consider wrapping essential engine wires in rodent-deterrent tape. This is tape that’s been treated with capsaicin, the component that gives peppers their spiciness. Again, nature to the rescue!
- Snaps and Traps
As mentioned earlier, the situation posed by rodents in our vehicles can be potentially dangerous and even deadly. And though it’s not the most pleasant course of action, if there’s already a presence of four-legged tenants in your car then some mode of extermination may need to be considered.
For dependability, you can’t top the tried-and-true snap traps. In addition to being easy to use, they are also the most humane way of extermination and will localize the discovery and cleanup to the area where you put them. With poisons, mice can crawl away and die in other locations, like the vents, that you won’t discover until later, usually after inhaling particles that can make you and your family sick.
Traps can be placed in front of and/or in back of seats, on floorboards near the pedals, in the trunk, and even in strategic spots in the engine. But it is extremely important to remove all traps before using the vehicle again!
Utmost care should be taken when disposing of dead mice. Wear a mask and gloves and use double-bagged sealable plastic bags to dispose. Promptly wipe down the area with paper towels, then sanitize with a bleach solution and sponge. Be sure to throw all materials, including the gloves and sponges, in an outdoor trash can (and be sure to seal it tight!).
A safer and more convenient option for extermination is enclosed traps. These offer the benefit of containing everything so there’s no direct exposure to the mouse and cleanup is much quicker and easier. You should still use a mask and gloves when disposing of these traps.
Finally, for those who are up to the task of catch-and-release, there’s live catch mouse traps. These leave the mouse alive, ready to be transported by you to an area away from residences for a humane release. You can even give your precocious little passenger a stern talking-to on the way!
We can’t always control how nature chooses to interact with us, especially when it’s cold and hungry. But how we prepare and maintain our cars can at least take away one area of enticement to eager mice looking for shelter.
I think you’ll find that applying peppermint oil in the car engine and keeping the interior and trunk clean will go a long way in preventing mice from seeking out your vehicle as a place of residence.