Ask Me Help Desk - Field mice!

Field mice!

In the "this could only happen to me" category - Christmas Eve I opened passenger's side back door to my car and wondered how the leather got torn. Then I opened the front passenger's door and discovered an area about 10" by 4", stripped of the leather. And then I opened the trunk and discovered mouse droppings!

I am riding around with both traps AND poison in my car, park the car outside the garage in an effort to freeze the mice/mouse out the car and someplace warmer, have seen no signs of the mice/mouse, vacuumed the car trunk yesterday - and today I have mouse droppings again!

My comprehensive auto insurance will cover the damage and it's an open ended claim (so far almost $2,600) but I am at my wit's end.

Anyone have any thoughts? On one hand it's sort of funny; on the other hand the damage to my car could be extensive and I don't know what to do.

Oh, how awful that they ate your car's interior! And you say that the mouse traps don't catch anyone? They obviously are getting in from the engine by just walking up the tires. Maybe putting some traps around all 4 tires might catch some of the little gnawers.

How big are the droppings? Tearing up leather sounds more like rats than mice.

If you're certain they're mice, try pre-baiting the car with some peanut butter on foil (so the oils don't get on the upholstery) for a day or two, then use peanut butter on traps.

They could be anywhere inside the car: under the seats, in the engine compartment, inside the wheel wells, etc. You'll have to bait them out, then find out where they came from.

Quote:

Originally Posted by twinkiedooter

Oh, how awful that they ate your car's interior!! And you say that the mouse traps dont catch anyone? They obviously are getting in from the engine by just walking up the tires. Maybe putting some traps around all 4 tires might catch some of the little gnawers.

I have trapped 2 mice in the garage - none in the car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catsmine

How big are the droppings? Tearing up leather sounds more like rats than mice.

If you're certain they're mice, try pre-baiting the car with some peanut butter on foil (so the oils don't get on the upholstery) for a day or two, then use peanut butter on traps.

They could be anywhere inside the car: under the seats, in the engine compartment, inside the wheel wells, etc. You'll have to bait them out, then find out where they came from.

The insurance claims adjuster says mice - I really don't know. I've seen field mice around but not rats.

So I sort of tease them with peanut butter and then set traps?

The adjuster said the company will pay to tear the car apart - somewhat - and maybe I'll have to do that.

I am honestly rather heartsick over this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JudyKayTee

The insurance claims adjuster says mice - I really don't know. I've seen field mice around but not rats.

So I sort of tease them with peanut butter and then set traps?

Not tease, get them used to coming to the peanut butter. It's almost a perfect food for them.

Then put the peanut butter in the traps as bait. They go to the peanut butter as usual, and whamo! Dead mouse.

All right- I'll start with the peanut butter and then wait for the whamo! Part.

Judy, I am sorry for your frustration so early in the year. We have to deal with field mice in our garage. We use those sticky traps too.

I couldn't help thinking of that Kia commercial with the gerbils. Are they taking your car for a joy ride? (Sorry)

I know your car is probably not a Kia (Mercedes?), because the seat damage estimate is so high.

You know there are some people that would be freaked out by this. But not our Judy.

Tough as nails, yet soft as silk.

God bless you.

Are you using snap traps or glueboards, Judy?

I have field mice in my garage--a chronic problem for me. They ate wires related to the smog control system and they had to take the engine apart to fix it. $450. I assume yours are Peromyscus, the deer mice with the big ears and big eyes, like mine. Unfortunately, rather cute. Some of them are quite large, though not as big as a rat by any means. (I used to get wood rats in my truck... ) I'm convince snap traps don't work well on them because they are so much bigger than a regular house mouse, they don't get their head all the way under the trap. At least half of the time I catch them with snap traps, they have an arm under the bar or something else. Mostly they take the bait without setting off the trap. I think they are pretty smart.

Live traps work better--a lot better. Good bait is small slices of Snickers bars or peanut butter/chocolate power bars. Peanut butter is good, but somewhat messy. They seem to have no interest in cheese. But the live traps are a hassle because then you have export the little monsters somewhere else or kill them. I don't have to heart to do it myself, so I take them somewhere at least 2 miles away, drop them off and retrap until they seem to be gone for a while.

If possible, make your garage mouse proof. Parking the car outside is not likely to help. They are already there because it's warm and protected. Look for a nest anywhere and any caches of food and of course remove, both in the car and in the garage. Do you think they are eating the leather or making strips for a nest?

It looks like they are making a nest - but who knows - ? I am using snap traps.

I have no idea what type of mice they are - I held the two over the garbage can and dropped them in with my eyes closed.

I was told to park the car outside so it remains cold, no residual engine heat.

And, yes, it's a Mercedes, the sedan, not the convertible. The convertible is literally loaded with poison and traps - and I removed the Winter cover so I could open the doors.

Of course when it snows you will be able to see just where they are coming and going from their nest. At least you'll know where to start bating their trail with goodies. Just remember the poison takes a few days to kick into their system and kill them.

Maybe they're trying to take the Mercedes to the Wendy's drive through window like the raccoons on the TV commercial do with the mini van for a midnight snack..

Quote:

Originally Posted by JudyKayTee

It looks like they are making a nest - but who knows - ? I am using snap traps.

Be sure to smear the triggers with the peanut butter, don't just set a dollop on top of them. That's the most common mistake people make in setting snap traps, the second most common being setting them under things where the bar won't flip. If they have to lick it off the trigger you'll get a better shot.

Got another one overnight! Car goes in to be stripped down on Tuesday. So far traps inside car haven't caught anything and poison bait in car is untouched.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JudyKayTee

Got another one overnight! Car goes in to be stripped down on Tuesday. So far traps inside car haven't caught anything and poison bait in car is untouched.

Sounds like it's time to bait the garage.

And I'm going to.

You will enjoy this - I'm making arrangements for a rental car. Here's the advice from the rental car "agent" - "Get a cat. Lock it in the car overnight."

When I picked myself up off the floor...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catsmine

Sounds like it's time to bait the garage.

Sounds like she needs to borrow a hungry cat.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmjoseph

Sounds like she needs to borrow a hungry cat.

Jack Russel terriers are better ratters. Cornsnakes are better still but they're asleep right now.

Gopher snakes, too.

Cats are really variable in their mousing abilities. Some are excellent. Mine have caught rabbits, squirrels, shrews, various birds, but almost no mice!

Quote:

Originally Posted by asking

Gopher snakes, too.

Cats are really variable in their mousing abilities. Some are excellent. Mine have caught rabbits, squirrels, shrews, various birds, but almost no mice!

My dogs are apparently off duty and have been - and now they can't go in the garage because of the poison/traps.

I thought locking a cat in the car was humorous from the standpoint of how much damage the cat would do - probably more than the mice.

Let's see - I put a snake in the car. The snake eats the mice. Now I have to come back on and ask how to get a snake out of my car.

Maybe I'll just keep on trapping the mice.

EDIT: I just went out and started the car - the seat heater for the passenger seat is not working. Looked at the upholstery and I can see down to the wires. Ching, ching, ching goes the insurance claim.