how to get rid of critters in my car?

I was rooting around in the trunk of my car yesterday and stumbled upon a nest of mice, complete with 2-week-old(~ish) babies, all of which started running everywhere. BTW, my trunk is not junky at all. They were nested up under the fake floor thingy that hides the spare tire.

I found a mouse nest under the hood when I did the first oil change, but I figured whatever had taken roost in there on the car lot had vacated when the car left the lot. That was over a year and a half ago. Now I'm wondering if I've had car critters this whole time, or is this just a coincidence. I seldom eat in my car so there's no food source in it. They have to come and go to eat. Is there any way to keep them out of my car without killing them? Some sort of repellant, perhaps? Mama is most likely pregnant again. I really like mice, but I don't wanna be a rolling rodent nursery. :rolleyes:

If you figure it out, let me know, because I have mice in my KITCHEN, and I have 5 cats in the house! :eek: :o The guys at Home Depot, where I went for traps said that the cats need to eat less or pay rent, lol.

I found a couple of things:

1. http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf634141.tip.html

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Peppermint oil works! My wife did it last night after we found out we had mice in the wall. The traps that we put down had no affect after a few days, so we dropped a bunch of peppermint oil soaked cotton balls in the wall and closed off the holes with a garbage bag. I just wanted to see if they would come back in. And this morning no holes in the bag. However the dogs wanted to go out at about 4 in the morning and in about 5 minutes they had mickey and his friends cornered. Too bad they couldn't finish the job. Their snouts are too big to get under the smoker. So, either get peppermint oil or get a rat terrier.

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2. http://www.care2.com/greenliving/sca...naturally.html

3. http://www.ehow.com/how_5367093_make...repellent.html

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Originally Posted by jenn_librarian

If you figure it out, let me know, because I have mice in my KITCHEN, and I have 5 cats in the house! :eek: :o The guys at Home Depot, where I went for traps said that the cats need to eat less or pay rent, lol.

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LOL! http://happycats-buddy.com/rolling.gif

I reckon I'll try the peppermint oil trick. If nothing else my car will smell nice:p

I didn't know that about Peppermint oil - we have two cars, and the second is rarely driven these days, so when I went to get an inspection sticker for it, they showed me a nice neat little mousy nest in the air filter. The guys said it wasn't the worst - they once had a chipmunk jump out of the filter onto the mechanic! I may check the air filter, and "bless" it with some peppermint oil, just in case!

This thread is making me want to go out right now and check my car! And my car is only 5 years old. But I will be checking the spare tire compartment tonight.

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Originally Posted by aTailOf2Kitties

I seldom eat in my car so there's no food source in it.
They have to come and go to eat.

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Oh, not true!

Your car is a rolling buffet to Mouse Mob!
They'll eat most everything the car is made out of!

My "older" bomb must have a missing rubber plug, a rust hole, or an
underside opening the the Mouse Mob uses as their front door ...
I've lost count how many generations and 'families of Mices actually
consider the Bus to be "Home" ... but Heidi goes ballistic every time she hops in.

SO FAR ... the head Chef in the Mouse Kitchen has prepared dishes from:
* the car & camera manuals, and the registration & insurance papers in the glove box;
* the checkbook in the center console;
* seat stuffing;
* a 40# bag of Dawg Krunchies left overnight in the trunk;
* a Tupperware container of Dawg Treats stored in the trunk.

The Mouse Housekeeping Staff have prepared beds and lodgings from:
* Spare clothes carried in a grip in the trunk
* a box full of Pooh-Bags for the Mutts
* bits & pieces of carpet, seat stuffing, and insulation.

The Engineering Division supervised & directed the building of Condos in
the air filter box AND the Heater Ducts in and behind the dash.
(And I think that's where the Porta-Poddy is also located - that hasn't
been *empied* or *serviced* :mad: since the Mob moved in. :(

The Last Straw (and demise of the Old Bus) came with the hiring of the
New Chef - he introduced his specialty >>>
Electrical WIRES and Insulation! :eek:

A month ago various things just "quit working" ...
* Glove box light went out
* DASH lights went out
* Radio & Clock went dark
* 4-way Hazard flasher quit flashin
* License Plate light went out

** the Death Meal was served while I shopped in Wally'sWorld ...
We pulled out of Wally's after DARK and got a KNOCK on the window
at the first light ...
"HEY, Bud - ya got NO Tail Lights on this car!"

Wow, I've never heard of finding any critters in a car. Where do you
park the car?

car gets parked in the driveway. I do have woods and fields nearby though. I did find some nibbled paper and teeny-tiny poops in the glovebox once, but it looked too small to be a mouse. I bought the car new in November '07 but until recently it was my spare/backup car.

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Originally Posted by aTailOf2Kitties

I did find some nibbled paper and teeny-tiny poops in the glovebox once,
but it looked too small to be a mouse.

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Lil Mousies, Lil poops!

They didn't come out of the flashlight or the tire gage.

Time to sprinkle some MOTH BALLS --- they're tough on YOUR Nose ...
but the Mousies will move out when they get a >sniff< <SNIFF>of the Moth Balls.

>>> I didn't read the Moth Ball Memo soon enough. :(

The check-engine light came on in my almost brand new car some years ago. I went to the auto parts store, they pulled the code, and told me I needed a new oxygen sensor ... $400! I told DH, who said, "Hmmm ... let's look at the air filter first." Opened up the air filter cover and cups of whole sunflower seeds poured out. Apparently, the mousies were raiding the good stuff out of the bird feeders and hiding it in the air filter box.

I just received this e-mail from a friend about many uses for Bounce sheets. I started a thread about it and it says it repels mice. Read #1 & #2. Here's the link to my thread:http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...16#post2197116. Good luck.:)