Mouse in the Car?!?

Yep - been there. They get into tiny places.

I had them come in through the spare tire well. I set mouse traps and put a baggie with holes poked in it and moth balls in it in the spare tire well.

Just happened the other day to me again. Need to get new moth balls I guess!!! Ewwwww!!!!

Personally, I would be too freaked out to get in that car until I paid someone to turn it inside out! I would be afraid I would have a car accident when the little bugger decided to show himself.

Both moth balls and mint leaves will repel mice and other rodents. I would sprinkle some peppermint leaves in the glove box, under seats trunk. They will go away. Then just vacuum really well to get rid of droppings.

Put some moth balls in your garage.

Yes, this happened to me. A red squirrel actually built a nest underneath the glove box. When I started the car one morning, it smelled AWFUL, like a dead animal. I thought for sure there was a dead mouse somewhere in my car. I searched everywhere and couldn't find it. Someone asked me if I tried looking behind the glove box so I took it out and found a huge nest. I say it was a red squirrel, because there were a few acorns in it and we have them around our property. After cleaning it out with lysol, the smell went away so as far as I know, nothing actually died in there. I also keep my car pretty clean, I think it was the warmth of the car that attracted the rodent.

Yeah -- Over 3 different cars & a bunch of years, I've had mice
1) nest in my air filter -- twice
2) commit mousey suicide in my heating fan
3) chew through the fuel line in my 6 month old BMW, causing a gas leak -- and then did it again the next year. *That* was an expensive repair!

They climb up in the engine compartment & make themselves at home. My husband also has a small bass fishing boat & has been out in the middle of a lake in the spring when one popped out as he opened his rod locker.

If you keep your car in a garage, those little gizmos that produce noises to deter mice have some effectiveness, but the sound needs a clear field. Also, the moth balls DO work. Red pepper flakes and/or peppermint help -- though I can't see keeping any of those inside your car.

Good luck!

my niece is 16, & was on her way to school.....& a mouse ran over her lap! Totally freaked her out. She managed to pull over to the shoulder of the road & divebombed out of the passenger door. Called her Momma & boohoo'd for help.

My niece was still standing on the side of the road when my Sis pulled up. She checked out the car, couldn't find the mouse, & refused to trade vehicles! They still haven't caught the mouse, but are hopeful it's gone.

My niece still shudders over this story....

it could be in the car, it could be in the garage. take it to your mechanic. my mom recently had a rat (that lived in a shed a good 50 feet away) chew the wiring in her car. EXPENSIVE and CREEPY. she now has a mothball circle surrounding her car (which is also a bit creepy - and stinks!) out in the driveway. someone told her that would keep them away. don't know if it's true or not, but it hasn't happened again. but then she also got two farm cats to keep around.

many many years ago, when i was a teenager, we were driving to church, and i was sitting in the front seat, with my three siblings in the back and mom driving. there was a MOUSE in the vent down by my feet, above the floorboard. now THAT will freak you out. we didn't know it was there till 3/4 of the way to church - and that was because mom turned on the fan and we heard, "ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch" as the fan blade was hitting the mouse :( TRAUMATIC!!!

We had a family of mice living in our motor home one year. My husband had missed one of the vents and didn't get it closed when winterizing it. We got the mice out, there were little babies in my slippers under the back bed. They were pretty cute.
Anyway, we had chewed up paper towels all over the place and droppings everywhere. We scrubbed it down and shampooed the carpets. We were told that mice don't like the smell of dryer softeners so we put them everywhere in the m.h. during the winter and make sure the vents are properly closed and we haven't had any more issues.
In fact, I keep dryer sheets under my car seats too b/c not only do they act as air freshener they supposedly keep mice away.
We live out in the country so mice are always around but our 3 cats keep them away from the house.

my mother is a cat lady who carries cat food in her car at all times because she feeds strays on a regular schedule. I can testify that indeed, your car can get mice. There are ways through the bottom of the car to get in.

Mice can make their homes in car's air filters! Have your mechanic check it out, because they also chew through your hoses. This can disable the car. Best of luck.

Oh mice can definitely live in the engine. It's my understanding that this is where they usually make their nest. We also live in the country, and this is just the reality we live with. When it gets cold outside, the mice are going to look for a warm place to live.

I agree that it's really gross. I found one in my drink one day and threw it out the window. Another time I was driving and saw a mouse on top of the windshield wipers. I screamed and really wanted to swerve or something to make it get off of my van!

My husband is the one who gets ride of the mice around here, so I'm not actually sure what to do. Just remember that it is totally normal, and he's more scared of you than you are of him.

ETA - Just read Julie W's response. Yes, moth balls! My husband put moth balls in the vents. He did that a couple of months ago, so I rarely even notice the smell anymore. I think it's working!

yep - they can get in the smallest of places, even under the front door of your house!

(dad was pretty sure it was a 'possum that made a nest in mom's car one year ... ugh! she noticed a lot of stuff under the car and wondered - that's what they found when the hood was up)