Leave it to Toyota to invent a better mousetrap. I park mine outside, but the neighborhood has plenty of cats roaming around so I think it's protected. Another site recommended using pure peppermint oil on cotton balls instead of moth balls since it is non-toxic and acts as an air freshener. Apparently it works as a mouse repellant. http://togetridofmice.com/2008/07/tip-1-get-rid-of-mice-with-peppermint.html
Very sorry to hear about this problem. I wonder has anyone tried the sound repellents they have for rodents? I have not had mice in my cars, had a chipmunk once bad enough but he died when I started the car. II was thinking something like this.... Victor® Rodent Repellents - How Do They Work? | Mice Repellent | Ultrasonic Mouse Repellent | Mouse Repellent | Victor® Rodent Control I have no idea if this product works...just throwing it out there..
If you don't have a neighbor playing a rude trick on you a week is a small time frame for so much damage. I agree with the sound deterrence, ultrasonic, soon. Or...think "Mars attacks" the Orbison music, treble tweaked will crack teeth, much less move mice.
There's a Gary Larson comic in there somewhere: [Prius owner peers into cab, with a large Golden Retriever tail sticking out of a vent] "It's infested with dogs, but I haven't been able to catch one in the open yet."
WAIT! Thats not a mouse that is the engine! quickly get it to the engine bay on the wheel where he belongs!!!
One customer had $12,500 damage to his 2005 Pirus the insurance company totaled the car . He now Sprays Rataway Fragrance to protect from nesting mice in car engines. safe around pets and children
Used a gadget called the Rat Zapper in my barn along with the regular traps... amazing stuff that 4 D cells could take out a big rodent. The ex's Subaru had damage to wiring from a rat... I don't have dogs or cats now so I have rat poison strategically placed in the garage and ultrasonic gadgets in the house and more poison in the attic to keep the critters away....
All of these threads about how mice and rats dine on soft Prius parts are making me worried. I have never had this problem and want to keep it that way. If I put bait (warfarin/Coumadin/d-Con) in or on my car, where should I put it. I tend to keep my Prius parked outside and don't want to poison neighborhood pets. At the same time, I don't want to invite rodents into my car by presenting a bait source that attracts them.
we have had in the past the same problem with mice nesting in our vehicles. Under recommendation from our Prius driving neighbor we had a mouse blocker installed, and ultrasonic device that is installed under the hood for this exact reason. They have successfully kept mice out of their Prius for over a year now and highly recommended it to us. Hope this helps Mouse Blocker » Protecting your valuables from mice.
My Prius is a dog mobile - my dogs and I go everywhere together. I checked the Mouse Blocker's FAQs, and it said that the dogs could not hear the sound. As far as the ultra sonic mouse repellent for use, I can hear it (I do not think I am a mouse). If I can hear it, my dogs can hear it. When you drive your car, is the Mouse Blocker in operation? Can you switch on and off?
If you can hear the Mouse Blocker, then you can answer an important question. Is the sound so annoying that it drives you out of the car?
My State Farm insurance totally covered rodent damage to my GMC pickup. They checked with the dealership service department to verify my story but I got a check for total reimbursment.
A lot of the internal and under the hood components have vegetable based compounds in them. This is not unique to Toyota but has been a trend of late. I endured rodent damage to one of my vehicles to the tune of $14,000.00. Of course insurance was there to cover all but 500 bucks.. I pride myself on the cleanliness of my garage but now as a matter of routine i keep plastic boxes with mouse sized access holes filled with poison (pre made on sold at Home Depot in 4 packs) and I make sure they are replaced when they are used up. I was AMAZED how quickly they are being eaten. I go through 4 every year. I am CERTAIN I have averted another terrible event through the use of these little wonders!
________________________________________________________________________ Mice get in when a car sits unused, especially in a rural location. The dealer did nothing to help me shut out the offending mouse, so I brushed my cat, then left the cat fur in a few obscure places in the car. Mouse no longer in residence. In my case he resided in the passenger seat cushion, evidence was droppings and urine in carpet. I have no idea where the rodent gained entrance, but the air vents and dash were undamaged. My 2007 Prius never had the problem when it was parked where the 2010 is now.
I believe there is a tear-apart around here. But under the windshield wipers and where the air vent system gets its air in that area is a section of large-spaced grating to let water drain away from your window (and down through the engine compartment). So I'd imagine the rodents are climing up the wheel rims, and since the Prius is so low to the ground and the underbody is largely covered with plastic, up the plastic pieces. Then, if they don't decide to nest in the engine compartment, there's the access to the interior through that windshield drainage and air vent system. There are some clearer pictures on here of someone that took that area apart and eliminated the large gaps with stainless steel chicken wire. Problem gone.
