During the winter I've had mice move into my Electra a number of times. I've evicted them each time and have now gone to setting traps in the trunk where they seem to want to build nests. My trunk carpet will have to be replaced and I now have some seat upholstery issues I did not have before. Oh, and of course the oder. I can't find the hole they are using for access. Nothing visible in the firewall or under the car so I suspect the fresh air duct to the heater. Anyone else have this issue and successfully seal the critters out? How about oder removal tactics? I had just cleaned carpets and upholstery last summer. The electric ultrasonic? noisemaker did not work, but did disturb the peace and quiet throughout the fall and winter. What have you done that has worked? o No:
Car bag. It seals up and any mice caught inside soon become mummified and dispatched to that big mouse place in the sky.
I put pure peppermint oil on cotton balls and place them throughout the car interior, engine compartment, trunk. Supposedly the mice don't like the smell and stay away. I haven't found any mice in the cars, and I have found them elsewhere in the garage so I know they are around.
Regular mouse traps with peanut butter and the sticky pad traps worked for me a while back. Caught a big sucker that way.
Moth balls work wonders for me. It takes a little time to air out the mothball smell in spring, but works great. I like to back them up with the sticky traps also.
I've always used Bounce brand fabric softener sheets. I use the whole box of 50 or so, stuff them everywhere under the dash, under the seats, and cover the trunk and inside the quarter panels. Since I started doing this I've never had a mouse problem and the car smells fresh in the spring!
I use all the above with some manner of success. For treating odor try a very wet dose of Nature's Miracle sold at pet supply stores. Spray it on excessively and let dry. It takes a few days to work but I have found it to be very effective. - Bill
Thanks for the replies! I just took the Electra out for a short ride yesterday and will keep the windows as I am able here in rainy Lilliwaup to air things out. Prevention, cleaning and deodorizing are all on the short list now. Not such a joy to drive with a clothespin on your nose! Ha! All the best to you all!:beers2:
I have the same problem with the mouse piss smell, but not in my carpet, it's behind the kick panel on the passenger side. I thing the smell has permeated the insulation in there and I need to take it out and saturate the hell out of the area with Natures Miracle (it DOES work well) and hose 'er through from the cowl and run it out that little quarter sized hole in the rocker. Mouse piss is one of the most noxious, nauseating smells. My wife can't even drive in the car because it gives her a migraine. I'll get rid of that smell if it kills me. :blast:
A bar of Irish Spring soap cheese-grated over the carpets and seats works quite well. Mice hate the smell of Irish Spring soap. In between the clumps of soap place some of that green dessicant and that way any one that makes it past the soap eats that and shrivels up and dies. I've used this technique quite sucessfully for years, and the bonus is the car smells good in the spring. The only problem with using soap is the car and where it's being stored has to be dry. Wet soap with grind in the carpets and upholstery and stain. In the spring, just vacuum up the soap and drive.
OK V-8 Buick People: I had a Mama rat building a nest in the engine compartment of my 64 Riviera. Every day I destroyed the nest, and every day she built a new one. I thought gas would kill the scent. No way. My friend suggested D-Con and she's long gone. I also use the D-Con at the ranch and the rats are gone too. Mitch
My car has been in storage for the last 15 years,( not running and parked in a garage) I have used D-con, the mice have been eating the hell out of it and I find dead mice in my garage not the car. I place the D-con along the wall corners of the garage. when I replaced my interior this year there was no sign of mice being in the car and no piss smell anywhere. im convinced the D-con works and the car smells factory fresh.
Scatter moth balls around the tires and all underneath the car. They seem to hate that smell and won't go near the car, and you won't have to endure the smell of them inside the car.
Don't use poisons, they just carry it away elsewhere in the car and die inside the car. I found moth balls and fabric softener strips work well. Except one spring heading to the track with Doug Hecker riding shotgun, he remarked how the car smelled like his Grandmothers house.:laugh: It took a while to get the smell out. The car bag works the best, BUT make sure there are no mice inside the car when you seal it up. You dump in dry moisture packs and 4 months later when you open it up the car is perfect no surface rust on rotors, no musty smell and no mice problems. Now I say before you tuck her away take it out for a good shakedown run. This past fall I didn't and I had a mouse inside and chewed its way out:af: made a nest and had babies and pissed and chewed up my car covers. Had to throw everything out. In the past 4 years never had a problem or worry. Oh and BE CAREFUL if you have mouse piss, droppings and their nest. WEAR GLOVES!! If you have an open cut and get that crap inside it you can find yourself in a hospital from a blood infection. Lastly best I found using mouse traps with peanut butter.
I guess everyone has there own method. was just stating what works for me. People should also be aware that all rodents can carry the disease " hantavirus" and can be passed on to humans as Rick stated through cuts but also when the droppings and urine are dried and if you disturb the nest or sweep up the droppings its spores will become airborn and you will inhale them. There has been a few deaths in ND from this. When you come across a nest or droppings you should spray them with a water/bleach solution before clean up. Google Hantavirus as there is lots of info you should know if your digging around mouse infested cars, it could save your life.
Wal-Mart and Home Depot (probably 100 hardware outlets) carry these single or 4 pak repellers. I have used them for 20 plus years. NEVER have had any insects, spiders, or mice in my houses. Always placed 3 or 4 around. Haven't had a collector car until last year, and did not do anything, but for sure this year, in my new garage, I'll have 4 units plugged in and in the car. I'll also put some in the garage corners, and by the door. By the way, 8 of those years I was in New Mexico, home of half the country's Hantavirus Cases each year. o No: Oh yeah, I never unplug them. Did not notice if my electric bill went up 10 cents a month or not. :Smarty: Rip Rohring :Comp:
A friend of mine bought a machine that is used to clean without water, it can get the cat piss smell out of hockey equipment. What you have to do is find a FRESH GEAR machine. They are at the better sporting good stores. It uses the ozone to clean the stuff, no chemicals or perfumes. Let me know if this works. Good luck Bill.
Thanks for all of the advice! :TU: I should be able to keep the buggers under control. Now it's time to clean...
