Mouse/rat in engine bay!

[Guest]

I’ll start off with this since I don’t know what is crawling in there.

 

 

I first noticed the empty snail shell and droppings about 3-4 months ago. I cleaned it up and didn’t think anything of it. Yesterday, I was flushing the brake fluid and noticed a couple of droppings sitting on the intake manifold. There were also paw prints all over the plastic cover. I am beyond annoyed since i just killed a rat that loved to crawl on my bicycle wheel and pee on it.

 

So my question is: how the hell can I get rid of this thing from going into engine bay? Also, are there any specific areas to look out for chewed up hoses/wires?

 

 

 

 

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[onespiritbrain]

Sticky traps work pretty well. A friend of mine killed 20+ mice with them.


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[RainGoat]

I have had this problem on both of our cars that we park outside (not to mention the house). Intake plenum was their favorite spot on my car & the cabin filter box is their favorite spot on my wife’s MDX. No good answer but here are some ideas.

 

#1 Poison traps: These are most effective but you run the risk of it dying in your house or car & stinking it up.

 

#2 Traps: Usually just temporizing but can work if your numbers are low.

 

#3 Sonic Repellers: Mixed feelings about these. Supposedly they work but you specifically need the kind that vary their frequency or the mice just get used to it. You would also need a plug near where you were broadcasting. Just yesterday I picked up the Victor heavy duty one from Lowes’s for $30 to try in my garage or attic. There are cheaper but this does a larger area & most of the smaller ones don’t vary tone. BTW, you can kind of hear it. I know the Amazon reviews suck, however, more than one actual review article on the topic acknowledged this & still suggested it stating that incorrect usage was typically to blame I’m giving it a try.

 

They have routinely nested in the MDX every Winter/Spring &!I have never noticed a problem other than they collect foam sound deadening insulation & of course, mice droppings, urine & a nest on your cabin filter is kind of counter purpose.

 

 

[Guest]

34 minutes ago, onespiritbrain said:

Sticky traps work pretty well. A friend of mine killed 20+ mice with them.

 

 

Did he just leave them on the ground by the tires or in the engine bay?

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, RainGoat said:

I have had this problem on both of our cars that we park outside (not to mention the house). Intake plenum was their favorite spot on my car & the cabin filter box is their favorite spot on my wife’s MDX. No good answer but here are some ideas.

 

#1 Poison traps: These are most effective but you run the risk of it dying in your house or car & stinking it up.

 

#2 Traps: Usually just temporizing but can work if your numbers are low.

 

#3 Sonic Repellers: Mixed feelings about these. Supposedly they work but you specifically need the kind that vary their frequency or the mice just get used to it. You would also need a plug near where you were broadcasting. Just yesterday I picked up the Victor heavy duty one from Lowes’s for $30 to try in my garage or attic. There are cheaper but this does a larger area & most of the smaller ones don’t vary tone. BTW, you can kind of hear it. I know the Amazon reviews suck but more than one actual review article on the topic suggested it do I’m giving it a try.

 

They have routinely nested in the MDX every Winter/Spring &!I have never noticed a problem other than they collect foam sound deadening insulation & of course, mice droppings, urine & a nest on your cabin filter is kind of counter purpose.

 

 

I am considering leaving both spring and sticky traps by each wheel, I just need to make sure my dog doesn't go around sniffing. I searched "mice" in the search bar and one member suggested vanilla scent little tree fresheners. Google search brings up leaving hood open when not in use, using peppermint oil, or irish spring soap. Any thoughts on these methods?

[onespiritbrain]

His were in his kitchen but if you encircled each wheel that’d definitely do it haha


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[RainGoat]

 

I am considering leaving both spring and sticky traps by each wheel, I just need to make sure my dog doesn't go around sniffing. I searched "mice" in the search bar and one member suggested vanilla scent little tree fresheners. Google search brings up leaving hood open when not in use, using peppermint oil, or irish spring soap. Any thoughts on these methods?

Spring traps are going to be a problem with a dog around-they’ll smell & want your bait.

Poison is contained so dog won’t get it.

If you do sonic, make sure you get a pet/dog safe one (most are).

One advantage of the sticky board traps is you could secure it in your bay-just make sure to routinely check it.

I like the idea of putting the freshener in my wife’s cabin filter but she’s pretty smell adverse (my nose barely works)

Hood open would likely work but mine are outside & it rains all the time. (The wood mice build nests in the kids sand box when I have it’s cover on & don’t if I leave it off)

[Slartibartfast]

I saw a bunch of trucks with their hoods up at a lake once and wondered if they'd all overheated on the way up or something, and was told it was to keep mice from nesting. We didn't get a mouse in the engine bay, but we did get one in the headliner of my dad's Yota somehow. I'm still not sure how it got in.

My dad likes the electrocuter mouse traps. Little black tube kinda deal, takes C-cells, mouse walks in and gets zapped. Easier than snap traps and less chance they'll go off without killing the mouse. If you've got lots of mice, the best trap I've used was a bucket with a pop can free to spin on a rod across the top, with peanut butter on the can and water in the bucket. That'll catch quite a few mice with no need to reset it. The trouble with poison is that the mouse dies somewhere else and something else eats it and gets sick. I've heard of the smell of dryer sheets repelling mice, but I've also heard of the mice shredding them for nesting material. Speaking of which, I've thrown away two underhood insulation sheets due to mice nesting in them.

+1 on checking the airbox and cabin air filter. I screened off the HVAC intake in my WD21 and installed a stamped steel mesh cover from a foam air cleaner over the intake inside the fender. When mice ate through the cabin air filter on my dad's Audi, we made a wood frame the same size as the filter and wrapped it in metal mesh.
 

[Guest]

I set up two of the large spring traps earlier in the day under my wife’s car and literally 5 mins ago I heard that thing go off. Took a look and got a huge rat!


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[Guest]

+1 on checking the airbox and cabin air filter.
 

I don’t think they are necessarily nesting in the cars but definitely crawling around. I’m curious how they can make it inside to the cabin filter?


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[Slartibartfast]

Good to hear you got it before it made itself at home!

I think mice got into the cowl on mine through the openings where the cowl drains into the fenders. From there, it's a short jump into the blower fan, provided the recirc flap isn't shut. (Looks like the R50s are the same, though possibly with a filter between the cowl and the blower.) I'd hope a rat would have more trouble getting in this way, but I know they can get through some pretty small holes too... as evidenced by the one that got into the intake resonator in my truck and couldn't get out again.

[RainGoat]

Good to hear you got it before it made itself at home!

 

I think mice got into the cowl on mine through the openings where the cowl drains into the fenders. From there, it's a short jump into the blower fan, provided the recirc flap isn't shut. (Looks like the R50s are the same, though possibly with a filter between the cowl and the blower.) I'd hope a rat would have more trouble getting in this way, but I know they can get through some pretty small holes too... as evidenced by the one that got into the intake resonator in my truck and couldn't get out again.

Bingo-I think the same Basic route on our MDX

 

 

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[Guest]

@raingoat Is this the one you purchased at lowes?


Amazon has this beefy one for a few more dollars. I might try this..



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[RainGoat]

@raingoat Is this the one you purchased at lowes?

 

Amazon has this beefy one for a few more dollars. I might try this..

 

 

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Yes, but you’re right, that’s a great price on that one. The other is better for the “L” corner of my attic but I think I’ll get that one for my garage. When I looked it was $55-60 & mine was $40 on Amazon. I’m tired of going up there to empty & reload the traps. BTW, I have one of those battery ones & it does work well & would be safe around dogs. With regard to the sonic repellers the review articles I read said this brand (& a couple others) really are better for large volume spaces & fluctuate the frequency so the mice don’t get used to it. One article even pointed out that the Amazon review was only 3 star but the low raters had reasons which indicated they didn’t use it properly or had unrealistic expectations.