Repelling Mice

The solution probably depends on your tolerance to dead mice. Peanut butter baited traps, sticky pads, etc will catch them and render them harmless to your car. If you object to exterminating them then I guess you will have live with their damage until you can find another alternative, which is always hit and miss, even a cat has to sleep. IMHO.
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...troubleshooting/37377-mice-how-stop-them.html

 

When I stored a couple of antique fully restored cars in a barn near my home during the winters I had read that opening a box sheets of the very cheapest dryer sheets (doesn't have to be Bounce or other name brand) in the closed interior would be effective against entry of mice. I never had any problem with mice damage inside or outside the vehicles and the interiors always smelled nice when I opened the car up in the Spring. I just left the opened box in the cars all winter but since you are using the car continually I would suggest putting a sheet under the seat and replacing it weekly to see what happens.

This probably won't help protect the exterior wiring, etc of the car when it's out in the weather but I sure swore by it during storage in an enclosed garage.

 

Just checked another thread from July 2006 and found a similar suggestion to mine from "JimmyRose", as follows - this one involved squirrels:

"The mechanic had no explanation or advice except to park in a different area (no overnight parking on this street during half the year). A neighbor suggested putting Bounce dryer sheets tucked into the engine compartments (obviously not near the fan or belts). Sounded ludicrous, but hey, I already had them in the laundry room, Snopes.com had nothing debunking this urban legend, so why not try it?

Never had to replace another $250 harness again. Was it the dryer sheet, or did my insulation-loving squirrel move on to higher-end harnesses, fail the Geico initiation test, change it's eating habits, etc.? I'll never know, but it might be worth a try."

 

I use old fashioned mothballs which I keep in a stainless steel mesh tea ball. Other people stuff them in old socks, stockings or pantyhose.

I hang the tea ball from a Strut Tower Brace that I had installed in my Prius to improve its handling. But there are other places I could hang it from. I would try to avoid the heat coming from the engine block or the inverter. Note that because of the heat generated under the hood, the mothballs melt faster than if you were to use them at home. So you'll have to check to see if they need to be replenished.

In addition to mothballs, peppermint oil and dryer sheets, I've heard of people using red pepper.

I think PITA also has a home brewed concoction (google it).

And there are commercial repellents like Rataway: www.rataway.com - Protects engines from rats

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Also, you should screen off the large holes underneath the windshield wipers/black plastic cowl. Otherwise, mice and other rodents can get into and nest in your ventilation and cabin air filter areas. There are threads here on PriusChat that show how people have screened off these holes.

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Finally, if mice or rodents do serious damage, make sure to try to collect through your comprehensive insurance. Also consider lowering the deductible on your comprehensive.