Did you know mice infiltrate an estimated 21 million residences in the U.S. each winter?
It can be distressing when furry critters invade your home, breed and multiply at lightning speed, and wreak havoc with their disease-spreading ways. But mice aren’t just interested in lodging in your home and helping themselves to the contents of your pet food.
Mice Want to Live in Your Car, Too
They also want to get into your car. Depending on the mice population where you live, rodents might make a home under the hood of your vehicle. In addition to making a mess, they can destroy wiring harnesses.
Here are 16 ways to keep mice out of your car when you’re not interested in giving them a ride.
Park in a Garage
One way to reduce the risks of mice getting into your car is to park in the garage. If you park in the driveway, it’ll be easier for mice to make a home under the hood, in the trunk, or behind interior body panels.
When keeping your vehicle in the garage, seal up any possible entry points that mice might use to enter your garage before invading your car. Cover gaps, holes, or cracks in the walls to keep mice out.
Remove Food Sources
It’s okay to eat in your car. But you only ask for trouble if you leave food, wrappers, or containers in your vehicle. Mice have a keen sense of smell, and if they detect a food source inside your car, they’ll leave no stone unturned when they try to get inside. If there’s a food source inside, you’ll have trouble keeping mice away.
Use Peppermint Oil
Mice are, no disrespect intended, disgusting creatures. They’ll feel quite at home in filth, literally, but will turn their noses up at something as pleasant-smelling as peppermint oil. Something about the smell of peppermint gives mice the heebie-jeebies.
You use that to your advantage by putting some peppermint oil on cotton balls and strategically placing them in areas of your vehicle where mice might try to gain entry.
Set Up Humane Mouse Traps
Another option is to set live mouse traps in and around your vehicle. You can use these devices in your home, garage, and car to keep mice from successful entry and capture any that happen to make it inside your vehicle. You’ll then be able to release them in an area much better suited to them.
Use Ultrasonic Repellents
If you’d rather repel than capture mice, one option is to use ultrasonic repellants. Ultrasonic repellants emit high-frequency sounds that mice find unpleasant. They’re unlikely to stick around if these sounds are ringing in their ears, which means they may leave your vehicle alone.
Eliminate Standing Water
For obvious reasons, mice are attracted to sources of water. If you park near standing water, you’ll increase the risk of pest infestation. Get rid of the standing water or relocate your car.
Keep your Car Clean
Another way to keep critters from invading your car is by keeping it clean. Vacuum the interior to ensure that nothing remains that may attract rodents. Remember that mice are filthy animals that love filthy environments. Your car won’t feel like home to rodents if it’s clean.
Get Rid of Clutter
Mice live in fear of detection, so if your vehicle is full of stuff where they can hide, all the better. They feel at home when they can burrow into a pile of whatever is stored in your car. Tame the clutter chaos to make your vehicle a less desirable target.
Use Dryer Sheets
Need to keep determined mice from nesting in the engine compartment? One option is to use dryer sheets. Mice don’t like the smell of scented dryer sheets and will often head in another direction than tolerate what to them is an offensive smell. Using them can be a strong deterrent and send mice scurrying to another vehicle instead.
Check for Nests Regularly
Another way to prevent mice from turning your car into their home during the winter or any other time of year is to check for nesting activity regularly. You can nip things in the bud if you make it a habit of checking for signs that mice are an issue. Doing so is especially important if your car is parked most of the time.
Cover the Exhaust Pipe
Mice are experts at getting into cars. One way they accomplish this objective is by crawling into and through exhaust pipes. Deter them by placing a wire mesh cap over the exhaust opening so they can’t get inside.
If your vehicle tends to sit in one place for extended periods, put a temporary cap on the end of the exhaust pipe to deny access to critters seeking free lodging. Just remember to remove it when you need to use the vehicle.
Move Your Vehicle Regularly
Another way to keep vermin from making a home in your car is by moving it regularly. You’re less likely to encounter this problem if you use your car. Some people have multiple vehicles and don’t use one or the other often enough.
If a car is unused for large chunks of time, it will be a welcome place for mice to swarm.
Use Mouse Repellent Spray
Head down to your local big box store for some mouse-repellent spray. Follow the directions on the bottle to keep mice away—or at least increase the odds of keeping them at bay. The smell is repulsive to rodents, which may compel them to bail and look for lodging elsewhere.
Use Cinnamon or Cayenne Pepper
Cinnamon and cayenne pepper can both be effective deterrents. Apply these substances in areas where you suspect mice may be entering your vehicle to stop them in their tracks.
Leave the Hood Open When You Park
Another way to keep mice at bay is to park your vehicle with the hood open. While you may not want to do this when it’s raining or snowing, keeping the hood open can discourage mice that might otherwise make a nest in the engine compartment. Mice love to move stealthily and prefer dark, enclosed spaces, so an open hood will make your car less inviting.
You Can Keep Mice at Bay
If mice have turned your car into their residence, these 16 tips can help you terminate their occupancy. No one wants mice in their vehicles. Knowing what to do can ensure they don’t feel at home in your car.
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