Hate Mee-ces (mice) to pieces?

Where did you put the live trap? Does this mean the mice already were in the car before you placed the trap; or did they enter the car after you placed the trap?

Did you know that, besides the windshield cowl area, rodents can also enter the Prius via rectangular vents that are hidden by the rear bumper cover? There's a large vent on each side of the vehicle, located behind the rear tire openings. Their purpose is to allow you to slam a door shut with the windows up, without popping the eardrums of the occupants.

If rodents will continue to be a problem, it may be worthwhile to find the openings back in the hatch area and in the cowl area, and screen them off with wire mesh. The hatch area will require removing the trim that lines the sides of the hatch, while the cowl will require removing the wiper arms and the black plastic cowl cover.

Even once you have gotten the passenger cabin secure, I am concerned that the rodents may infest your engine compartment. You will not be happy if the wiring harness is damaged or rubber parts are gnawed upon, leading to costly repairs.

 

Pat,

Have you tried any of those spray-on repellants like Rataway?

www.Rataway.com

Seems like it could be the last line of defence against rodents chewing wiring, hoses, cables, etc.

And for stopping rodents from nesting in specific areas, it seems like strategically placed moth balls or cotton puffs soaked in peppermint oil should work.

 

Hi Tom,

I'm able to garage my vehicles so I've been able to avoid the sort of problem that CyberPrius described. In the past, rodent infestation was an issue since I live across the street from an Audubon property and Cleveland National Forest.

My local county offers a vector control service, which placed two canisters of rat poison in my backyard, and refills them quarterly. I had to install wire mesh to screen off places where the rats would hide, such as the BBQ island and swimming pool heater. This solved the rodent infestation problem.

 

You got a rim shot with the trap. If you don't get a clean kill, a mouse can drag off a trap and slowly die elsewhere. In a previous house where we had a serious mouse problem, I used to tether the traps with a piece of string or wire. That way they couldn't wander off.

Tom

 

When I was in law school, I once lived in a house overrun with mice. My mattress was on the floor. Had to create a moat around the mattress made out of mouse-traps. Pretty silly looking.

 

Not to mention a bit uncomfortable if you get up a bit groggy in the middle of the night

 

Am I the only person thinking "yard cats?"

 

Nope. I was thinking the same thing. I lived out in the country for many years, and though I never had mice in the car (it was a Jeep, for much of that time, and even mice weren't interested in that POS) I did have an infestation of mice in the house. A live trap caught many, but they kept coming. Then I got a cat. After that, there was the occasional mouse, but it never stayed for long. Mice don't like to play with cats. Stupid mice! Cats are fun to play with. :bounce:

 

A good idea, if you live somewhere where cats can thrive outdoors. Bobcats and an occasional mountain lion will hunt in my area, and the average life of an outdoor roaming cat is much shorter than normal...

 

The coyotes eat them in this area. I suppose the bobcats, pumas, and black bears could get in on the act, but mostly it's the coyotes.

Tom

 

Cats don't care what they kill so you may find they take out all the local wildlife before they start on the mice. In Australia that might be marsupial hopping mice, lizards, birds, even snakes (which they are welcome to). All of these fall prey to cats, not just mice. I guess in USA you will be placing local squirrels and birds at risk by using a cat to control mice.

Maybe you can tell I am not a fan of cats at large. Locked inside overnight is a good compromise but cats free to roam, particularly in rural areas should be banned.

 

I had an experience with mice in my garage a few years ago.
I found a nest in the spare tire area of my 280Z so decided to start trapping with a mouse trap.
I caught a couple and then the trap would be setoff and empty but in a different place from where I set it. I reset it about 10 times with the same results.
Finally I bought a rat trap and set it. Next morning I got a real shock when I found the largest field mouse I have ever seen in it. That thing was almost the size of a large rat. This thing was the "Baby Huey" of mousedom.:jaw:
Come to find out, I had some dog food in a container in the garage and this mouse evidently had been pilfering dog food out of there for awhile and had a nest with PILES of dog food in an obscure corner of the garage LOL.
That thing must have thought he was in heaven with all that food and just continued to gorge himself.
He just couldn't resist the peanut butter on the trap though and it cost him dearly.:rip:

 

Its the aliens silly. Put your foil hat on immediately.

 

I love cats... with barbecue sauce.

Seriously, though; I'm not saying that a couple mousers is the exact answer, but it is certainly an effective option to consider when dealing with a rodent problem.

The neighborhood cats have certainly reduced the rodent population around my house, but there are also a lot fewer bird than might otherwise have been.

 

For inquiring internet minds, very entertaining site:
Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie
Make sure you go past the initial page. Dogs and cats with anti-mind control aluminum foil deflector beanies!?? Especially check out the usage page!

I was getting mice in my garage, I live across the street from Petroglyph National Monument... no houses and never will be over there and lots of big black warm rocks for their dens to be under. In the 16 years since my house was built the rubber insulation at the bottom of my garage door has shrunk almost 3 inches both sides (plus there were little tooth marks where they chewed it), thus a gap for the mice to enter, I had quite an infestation. Before I got my Prius I plugged the gaps and trapped the mice and no more trouble. But reminds me, I need to keep checking the insulation, they might have chewed through again.

 

We had a basement that was infested with rodents. We also had a cat. Operative word here is HAD. Apparently I also had some big rats too. Too many rats and one cat is no match at all. After a month I lost the cat.
I had a professional exterminator get rid of the rats. Finally and after finding and sealing up any ways in, they have not returned but the cat is gone. We found what little was left of him when looking for the holes. Just bones, fur and a collar. A cat is no answer when you have big rodents.
-Paul R. Haller-

 

When I deployed to the gulf for a year, my wife who was supposed to share the driving betwen both cars only drove hers.

I had a mouse decide to take up living in the vent blower for the heating system, which was oddly behind the glove box.

He exited and never came back, but left a nice nest. It easily was removed in one piece and discarded.

I'm sure I was breathing Hanta Virus infected mouse dung dust at least when Iinitially turned the system on...so far no flu like symptoms...so I'm safe. :spy: