How to Keep Mice and Other Rodents Out of Your Car

Rodents seek warmth when it gets cold. That’s why you need to find out how to keep mice out of your car early enough. Without care, your car can quickly turn to home for a pack of mice and other rodents.

Rodent infestation is not just a house issue. It’s also a source of worry for car owners like you. The worst part is this infestation can lead to expenses you didn’t prepare for.

Rodents chew on delicate cables and stuff sensitive parts of your engine with food. This can lead to really expensive damage to your car. Hence, the need to prevent them from calling your car home.

There are different ways to keep mice and rodents out of your vehicle. In this blog, we’ll discuss these methods and how you can put them into practice. But first, what causes rodents to get into your vehicle in the first place.

Why Do Mice Enter Cars?

It’s understandable for rodents to infest abandoned cars and turn them into their home. But what about perfectly maintained cars?

Protection from Cold and Predators

The comfort and protection rodents get from your car make them not want to leave your car. It’s another reason you should work on how to get mice out of your car.

Just like humans, cold weather leaves rodents no other option than to seek warmth. Your car provides the warmth they seek especially in the engine area.

Remember, your car’s engine is always heated up because of the role it plays in making the vehicle move. Thanks to this warmth, it’s a favourite spot for rodents and mice.

Also, rodents are mostly hunted by humans and other predators like cats. No matter the weather condition, the space beneath your hood offers them excellent protection from predators.

Shelter

When your car has been parked for long, rodents automatically convert it to their home. Asides from the protection they get, cars also serve as shelter for them to nest.

Food

Crumbs of food also attract rodents to your car.

Problems Of Having Rodents in Your Car

Rodent infestation in your vehicle is a serious issue that comes with many unwanted effects. You must begin to find how to keep mice out of your car because of the following problems.

Damage to your car interior

Asides from chewing on the seats and other parts of your car interior, rodents also ruin the colour. Scratching and tears caused by rodents leave the interior fabrics and surfaces discoloured.

You have to prevent mice from causing interior damage to your vehicle. Otherwise, your car will look old and shabby.

The cost of changing the interior of your vehicle is expensive. Interior detailing to repair mice damage can also cost you hundreds of dollars. If rodent infestation in your car isn’t avoided, you may have to bear these expenses.

Engine Problems

In an attempt to be more eco-friendly, automobile manufacturers eg. Honda, have decided to go greener. They now use soy-based insulation in recent car models.

Unfortunately, soy-based insulation can attract rodents. Mice will chew away on sensitive cables causing serious damages to your car engine. Recently, a car owner in Toronto spent $1,129 to fix car damage caused by rodents.

Also, mice have teeth that grow constantly. That’s why they need to gnaw on things every time to keep their teeth trim. As such, they’ll keep chewing on objects to control this growth. Unfortunately, your car’s engine isn’t an exception. Prevent mice damage to your car by working on how to keep mice out of your car before it’s too late.

Embarrassment

Imagine going out with someone you’ve been secretly admiring and a rat keeps running across your car. This can be quite awkward and embarrassing. That’s one of the reasons to stop mice from getting into your car.

Rodents leave feces anywhere they can. The corners of your car, under the seats and your engine compartments aren’t left out. Also, the trash they leave in your car as well as the scent they carry can leave a stench in your car.

Disease

It’s been advised by the Center for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) that you should avoid contact with waste products from rodents. Hantavirus is very deadly and you can contract it by inhaling particles that contain the virus.

Having rodents in your car exposes you to this virus. Issues of people contracting this virus are occurring sporadically so you may want to be careful. That’s why you should urgently work on how to avoid mice damage to your car.

How to Get Rodents and Mice Out of Your Car

Making your car uncomfortable and unattractive to mice gets them out of your car. This will also prevent them from entering and nesting in your vehicle. Here’s how you can create unbearable situations for rodents in your vehicle:

Organize your car

Having too much stuff in your car contributes to rodent infestation. The stuff in your car can provide hiding places for them.

Understandably you’re busy but you should make out time for car hygiene. Taking your car to the car wash helps but if you don’t do your part, you’re also contributing to a rodent infestation.

Properly seal off your dog food or any other food in a container. Neatly arrange your documents and any other items you need to have in your car.

Set traps and poison

You don’t have to wait till issues escalate before you administer poison or set traps. You can set traps and poisons at advantageous positions in your vehicle to avoid rodent infestation.

Ultrasonic Rodent Repeller

Ultrasonic rodent repellers emit sound waves that can confuse, convulse and potentially kill rodents. The sound wave is set to a frequency that disturbs rodents and makes them leave. You don’t have to worry because these waves aren’t harmful or even audible to people.

You can get an ultrasonic rodent repeller at a physical or online store. Whichever one you choose to get, make sure it has good reviews.

Rodent Repellent Scents

Mice have a very good sense of smell that’s why scent can be used to tackle them. Solutions like cedarwood, cayenne pepper, peppermint oil and mothballs can be placed strategically in your vehicle. Their scents will make your vehicle uncomfortable for mice and other rodents.

Remove food particles

When you eat in your car, crumbs sometimes fall into tight corners. Rodents squeeze through those tight corners to access those crumbs. That’s why to rid your car of them, you have to carry out proper sanitation.

You need to ensure there are no particles of food left in your car. When you do this, it becomes difficult for mice to survive and they’ll have to leave.

Use of traps

Setting traps is an orthodox but effective method of pinning down rodents. You can set traps using a DIY method or contact the service of professionals.

When you set traps, it’s important to check them from time to time. The reason is, most times mice can get trapped even when you’ve forgotten about the traps. If this happens, the rodent will die and will give out a rancid smell in your vehicle.

Honking

Loud sounds like your car horn will scare rodents away. Continuously honking can make them run out of your vehicle in confusion.

Be careful about using this method since you may disturb the neighbours. Although you can’t rely fully on this method to get rodents out, it’s also a viable option.

How to Keep Mice Out of Your Car

Stop being hesitant and apply preventive measures! Prevention they say is better than cure.

It’s very possible to get rodents out of your car. But why wait till then? You can keep mice from getting into your car by observing the following guidelines.

Park in a garage

You can park your car inside a secured space with no abandoned vehicles. You’ll have to make sure the garage is clean and take out items that may attract rodents.

Close windows and sunroof

Leaving the windows and sunroof of your car open grants rodents stress-free access. You need to shut them especially overnight.

Seal entry points

You can prevent rodent infestation by sealing entry points in your vehicle. Take your car to a nearby mechanic workshop to help you if you can’t DIY.

Reduce the load in your car

The presence of newspapers, grocery bags, clothes, plastic bags and so on should be reduced in your car. If you must have them in your car, they should be neatly organized or arranged.

Keep your surroundings clean

Rodents thrive in a dirty environment. As such, keep both your car and the environment clean. This will actively reduce rodent activity around your car.

Who Pays For The Damage?

A comprehensive auto insurance coverage covers damages done by animals. Rodent-induced vehicular damage like the destruction of sensitive cables isn’t left out.

It’s important to also note that rodent damage isn’t a warranty issue. You will have to make an insurance claim. In a situation where you don’t have comprehensive insurance, you’ll bear the cost directly.

Conclusion

Mice shouldn’t be found in your cars because they’re dirty and disease-ridden. Worse, they can cause engine and wiring damage that’ll cost thousands of dollars to fix.

If you’re dealing with rodents in your vehicle, we at AutoBoss Vaughan can help. For starters, we can help remove them from your vehicles. Our auto interior detailing services can also get your car smelling fresh again. Contact us today to reclaim your vehicle from rodents!