Mouse repellent Options

[Geezer914]

Anyone using mouse repellent pouches to repell mice from chewing the wires? I just lost power steering in my 2015 Ford Fusion. A mouse chewed through a wire going to the electric power steering rack.

[mmichalik]

Anyone using mouse repellent pouches to repell mice from chewing the wires? I just lost power steering in my 2015 Ford Fusion. A mouse chewed through a wire going to the electric power steering rack.

I've been using this, so far it seems to be effective:
https://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Cab-Botanical-...B00L236OMW?th=1
and it actually smells kind of good as well.

[dtmehall]

I ave read that mothballs are a good repellent. I ordered these, and they are scented.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077H5J4QJ?ref=pp..._fed_asin_title

[Ninja]

Dryer sheets are supposed to work too.

One of my customer's had his insurance cancelled after the third vehicle was totaled via rodents and found the hands down winner for EVERYTHING repellant.

Moth balls in socks or women's nylons hanging at all 4 corners.

Nothing gets close to it.

But if you drop your car off at a repair shop, tell them to park it outside overnight...

He didn't, I parked it inside and the next morning I had to let the shop "breath" for 15 minutes to get the smell out.

You can NEVER park it inside again but nothing alive will intentionally enter your vehicle.

[mepstein]

My daughter deals with it in Brooklyn NY. Mice, rats, everything. We’ve had to fix the wires on her Honda 3x. Honda uses a soy based cover on the wires so it’s particularly susceptible.
Two things we do. Honda sells an anti rodent tape to wrap exposed wires. It’s pricey but known to be effective.
We spray a small squirt of pepper spray behind each wheel well. Doesn’t take much. Repeat every month.
We also do the pepper spray on my wife’s Honda since the squirrels on campus are particularly aggressive and chew the oil lines. I also hit her parking spot with the spray from time to time.
It’s been very effective so far.

[campbellcj]

Supposedly strong minty or citrusy things help, like Irish Spring soap or strong lemon air fresheners. I live in a wildlife corridor area, lots of critters, and nothing I have ever tried has worked other than physical barriers and traps. Have successfully kept the garage sealed for last couple years but it takes vigilance. I had significant wiring damage on my 997 previously. Rodents can squeeze thru the tiniest openings or chew their own. So, definitely patch up any openings and maybe lay some snap traps down.

[Ninja]

Rodents make nests on the top of cabin air filters.

Most cars don't have a screen over the firewall opening.

The opening is big enough for squirrels and small opossums.

They then nibble on the cabin air filter, weakening it.

The customer turns on the blower, it sucks the entire family into the squirrel cage, centrifugal force kills them and drains the "juices" into the blower housing and evaporator core.

I charge MORE if I'm retching during the repair process!

I add screens when I pull a dash.

[TRP]

We went through this with my daughters 2024 Honda Accord... 8K in damage to the wiring harness. State Farm paid for the first one (after our deductible). Honda paid for the second one after it happened the again the day after we got it back.

We had originally asked Honda to wrap the wires in their OWN mouse repellant tape and they said "It's not worth the effort..." -- The second time it happened they offered to pay for it AND wrap the wires. No issues since then.

I also put several pouches of moth balls around the motor bay and sprayed everything with that mouse repellant spray. We also put one of those sonic boxes in the engine compartment. Not sure what finally drove them away.

The Tape


The Spray

The sonic box

The crazy part is that we park our 2025 Cayenne S, 2020 Toyota Tacoma, and 2013 Toyota Tacoma all right next to my daughter's Honda. The rat/mouse/squirrel only eats her wires. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)

[bkrantz]

This?

[Highland]

Tried sprays, pest sound generators, and daylight bulbs for a car in car port. The car is daily driven and we are not rural.

Only thing that works is leaving the engine hood open overnight; at least it has worked for the last month.

Current car is a Bolt EV. Previous car was a 2005 Prius which got heavily infested. Some say because of the environmentally friendly starched based plastics.

[stownsen914]

Fresh Cab and mothballs do seem to work in my motorhome. Good advice above to open hoods, doors, etc. periodically. Mice prefer places where they think they will be left alone.
Also, get a cat (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[IronHillRestorations]

Several years ago the internet lore was that Irish Spring soap was a rodent repellent. It’s not, they eat it too.

[Jamie]

Several years ago the internet lore was that Irish Spring soap was a rodent repellent. It’s not, they eat it too.

The clam shell style traps with a dab of peanut butter bait is the solution in my enclosed garage. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif) Moth balls are a serious health hazard!

[mepstein]

Several years ago the internet lore was that Irish Spring soap was a rodent repellent. It’s not, they eat it too.

Same with dryer sheets. They use it for bedding.

The green blocks that they sell for rodent killer work well in the barn. You do have to place them in the trap so cats and dogs (or children) won’t touch or eat them.

[tygaboy]

I love my cars as much as anyone but PLEASE don't use poison! It heads up the food chain and, increasingly, we're seeing it as the cause of death in birds of prey.

[76-914]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) . $11,500 to replace the wiring on Hyundai Sante Fe. Insurance covered it. I use a peppermint spray on the wheel well & tires along with spraying under the hood. I also use a motion detector that flashes a strobe light and emits a frequency that they supposedly hate. I too used poisoned bait until I read about the trickle down effect. 2 years and still good.

[Maltese Falcon]

Neighborhood Watch by day/ Owls by night >>pest controllers (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Ninja]

Wife freaked out last night, our miniature black panther had an old sticky trap stuck to his face!

Turns out the cat wasn't that stupid.
A mouse had been caught in the trap that we had forgotten about. He had carefully avoided the sticky trap just biting the mouse.

The trap was OLD. The mouse was alive and after taking the mouse/trap assembly away from him, the cat was pissed.

Imaging this from the mouse's perspective...

I prefer predators!

[mepstein]

I never had a mouse problem in my workshop until my cat died.

[wonkipop]

I never had a mouse problem in my workshop until my cat died.

same for my uncle on his farm when the farm cat died.
not just mice appeared but also feral foxes came for the chickens.

solution. new farm cat.