mice

Moth balls contain naphtha, which may be toxic and a carcinogen.

NAPHTHA - National Library of Medicine HSDB Database

Rustproofing, which contains paint thinner or mineral spirits, does the same thing with less toxicity.

The paraffin wax residue doesn't appear to be palatable to rodents.

 

Actually, nowadays, mothballs are made from para-dichlorobenzene, which apparently is not as flammable as naphtha, but is more of a neurotoxin -- go figure. Wikipedia has a pretty good write-up on mothballs, which I just read, because I could not spell para-dichlorobenzene.

Mothball - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Let's get back to mouse balls and how to kick them.

 

Then it's back to steel wool, stuffed into any opening you find... well, for houses.

Get a cat.

 

Steel rusts, though. Does anybody know whether glass "wool" insulation or glass filter material will deter mice, at least a little? I assume a determined mouse could get through it, but it might be unpleasant to munch?

 

Can't say for certain, but....

My attic is layered in fiberglass insulation -- the pink panther stuff. I hate going up there, I wear gloves, a dust mask, pants tucked into boots, etc. when I do.

Why do I go up -- I have to keep changing out the little boxes of DCON mouse killer I keep up there. Something that leaves little black "calling cards" that appear to be mice droppings regularly eats the bait.

So, if I had to say if just the insulation alone bothers them -- I don't think so, although I can't figure out why. If they will chew through it, well, I have never seen any "gnawing" on my pink panther flooring in the attic, but then I have not really looked either. I go up there and get out.

 

If the mice are getting into your car, they probably are getting into other places where you really don't want them to also.

The only really good solution is to exterminate them.

All Farm and Home stores and many big box hardware stores sell "safe" bait stations that use wax formed blocks of poison that will not come out of the box and nothing larger than a rat can get into the box. To be really safe, you must anchor the box to something solid or weigh it down with something like a concrete block. Depending on your situation, more than one bait station might be advisable.

A little extra caution is required around children or small pets. Baby rabbits can get into the box.

 

I found the best solution was to get the Victor rodent repellant. I parked my car in the driveway, I ran an extension cord and placed it under the car (front end under the engine). This helped since I no longer would see droppings inside the cabin. I did however keep smelling the very foul mouse odor when I turned on the air vent! When I initially noticed the mice problem, I called the dealer and they said to get a dog flea collar from Wal-Mart and to bring it to them and they will wrap it around somewhere under the hood. I did that, and it did not work at all. A couple of service associates at the dealer did seem very knowledgeable about the rodent issue. They told me that I would have to know someone "handy" who could take apart the air cabin filter area to clean it out and put in a screen to prevent the mice from nesting in there. They also told me to spray air vent area with an air freshener which kills bacteria. Good luck!

 

We live in area completely surrounded by woods so we have mice in addition to other critters. I think I discovered a solution to the mouse problem in the Tacoma which lives outside. Yesterday when I raised the hood to clean out the acorn hulls (mice don't eat the hull) I found a 3 foot black snake. I closed the hood gently so as not to frighten him.

 

^ I do not know....

 

Aye, it is mice active time again.

I just shook out the dog towel I keep outside to wipe off the mutt before I let her in every evening, and a bunch of mice dropping flew out.

I have the commercial bait stations around, but, locally, for some reason, the bait blocks I used to use are now unavailable and the other two "formulations" don't attract much interest (I tried both formulations).

The open tray DeCON pellets still work great, but they are not safe really, as any animal (especially the dog) can get to them, so I only use them in the attic. So, tonight, I set out several snap traps around the cars. Only issue with them, is that I have to get up before dawn and remove them, otherwise, I end up catching songbirds.

 

heard that mice also avoid peppermint - but you'd have to reload frequently

 

So, since Nov. 9, have caught two white-footed mice and one deer mouse around the cars with snap traps baited with peanut butter. Have to adjust the pedal "catch" on the traps with pliers, however to make them more sensitive, otherwise the mice just steal the bait.

Had a bright idea -- or maybe not so bright. In my commercial bait stations with the secured blocks of bait, I sprinkled some D-Con bait pellets -- the kind that come in the open trays of bait. I would never set out open trays, but I see no harm in putting some loose pellets inside the locked bait stations.

 

i hate meeces to pieces.

 

I soaked my wife's Prius cabin filter in peppermint oil and she refused to drive the car. So, I can attest to it being a wife repellent. Mice, I do not know...I put the filter in my shop. After a few months it no longer smells. So, it will go into cabin filter rotation.

 

I recently had a problem with squirrels or chipmunks chewing a hole in the plastic vent behind the 12 volt battery. And left remnants of it’s visit around the spare tire. I couldn’t find the part number but found one in u pull it junk yard an hour away. I’ve heard of putting mothballs around to deter the critters.

 

Trouble is....they deter humans too.

 

Put rat poison there and you won't have the problem anymore.

 

I just did a search on "mice" in this forum -- wow! I had no idea others were also having mouse issues. They live in the crawl space above our garage, and make tunnels through the pink spun-glass insulation up there. I have around 20 old fashioned traps around the garage, and catch a mouse around once a week. I used to bait them with special goo sold as "super attractive to mice." They don't come near it. Peanut butter works well, though. Also placement of the traps at the place they come out (I plugged all the holes I could find except one, so they'd come out there).

Mice built a nest in our Villager's air cleaner and chewed through all the spark plug wires. Cost a small fortune to get fixed. I never had any in the Prius until a camping trip. On a trip last summer, bears tried to get into the car (we had forgotten to put some "everything" bagels in the bear box), but fortunately the bears were unsuccessful -- though they left scratches all over the car, and did break into other cars nearby. Then mice got into the car, and chewed up a box of tissues -- that and they ate trail mix that was forgotten in a backpack. (Except the raisins, which mice don't eat.) I put out traps, baited with peanut butter and caught a mouse a day.

How do they get in? I suspect through the air vents in the back, next to the 12V battery as well as on the other side. The vents are covered with something like felt, and it's pushed aside very easily.

How can we keep mice out? Mothballs have been suggested, but I do not wish to smell them, plus it's unhealthy.

 

As has been recommended check out the Gen2 forum. After an awful invasion I did the screening and never had a problem again. Hardware cloth and SST self tapping sheet metal screws.