No one wants to have a rodent living in their house, let alone their vehicle. However, this happens more than you may think. Not only is this an unwanted surprise, but these critters can actually cause quite a bit of damage to your vehicle. Chewed wires, droppings scattered around, damaged upholstery, and bad smells are all signs of an unwelcome guest. While these animals can be small, they can leave you with hundreds of dollars in damage. If you find a mouse living in your car, do your best to get them out as soon as possible.
How-to: Handle a Mouse Living in Your Car: Removing a Pest
Signs
There are several obvious signs that indicate that you have a mouse living in your car. You may discover the pest when you realize your car is not working properly. Mice love to chew wires in the engine compartment. They do this to sharpen their teeth and find soy-based insulation material to be quite tasty. The wires in your car help to support important functions, so if they get chewed through, your vehicle will have issues. They may also damage the upholstery of your vehicle, as they find the padding and foam help to make a cozy nest.
Mouse droppings are another telltale sign you have a problem with. Check for droppings on your car’s carpeting, seat, and dashboard. These droppings, as well as mouse urine, can lead to foul odors in your car. If the smell is really bad, the animal may have even died in your vehicle.
Remove the Pest
There are a few ways to encourage the mouse to find a new home. For example, mice do not like extreme temperatures. Roll up the windows and park in the sun for a while. The heat may be just the thing to get the mouse to move out. Honking your horn may scare the mouse away, but unless you’re far away from other people, you may not want to try this.
Other options include using a mouse repellant. You can purchase these at your local home improvement store. A DIY version would be to use cotton balls that are soaked in peppermint oil. Additionally, you could resort to using traditional mousetrap for removing a mouse living in your car.
Prevention
Once you get the critter out, you will want to prevent another mouse from living in your car. One way is to park inside a garage and make sure to close your car’s doors, windows, and sunroof. Leaving your vehicle sitting for a long period of time without using it increases your risk of getting a new tenant in it.
One of the main reasons a mouse may move into your car is because they are looking for food and shelter. Clean out debris from the engine bay, as they may use that to help build a nest. Also, keep your car clean from food crumbs and trash. You will also want to avoid parking near a food source. This includes garage containers, bird feeders, and pet food that is not in a sealed container.