Mouse Nest in Cabin Air Filter

You need a cat.

 

Consider yourself fortunate that it wasn't worse, like, chewed wires and replaced sensors. Back when I had a jeep, squirrels chewed through some of the wiring. Cute buggers cost me $450, but to compensate for my expense, they left me a present: an air compartment thingy full of acorns...

Edit: Oh and to anyone who didn't think that squirrels cause damage, here's from my mud neck of the woods, a'ight?
Emera Maine : Squirrel caused Brewer power outage that affected some traffic lights | 4-Traders

 

welcome!

gen2 and 3 have had major infestation problems. that's why you found directions to block them.
dealership will never offer this service, but you might ask local mechanics. a lot of time is involved, and might be of interest to them.
it won't be cheap though, if you don't want to diy.

your biggest concern is not the filter and sanitization, it is the potential for having to replace a $7,000. wiring harness.

all the best!

 

Not the only ones with this problem - (though a later report says it was actually Woodpeckers that did it - but they've attached the early YouTube which attributed it to squirrels)
Meet the Bird that Filled an Antenna With Acorns

 

I have a rodent problem in my area. So far I've been able to keep them out of the house but they do get in my garage where I park my car. I do have a question:

How do you close the vent before turning off the engine? I'll start doing it if I know how.

Thanks!

 

Unless you've changed the default option, the car will automatically open the vent when you switch the ignition off. I spotted this in my Carista Settings...

Open vents to outside air when ignition is turned off
*YES* / NO

 

Evil Toyota.
Lures the poor innocents in with easy access venting, and soy based wiring, and easy to shred and tasty air filters. Next thing you know, Vern the newest Repair Tech, is calling everyone around to take a look at what he found.
Who knew Hybrid Synergy Drive was also a complicated rodent maze and deadly mouse trap?

However, that would explain the offensive odor upon AC usage.

Sorry to make light...seen enough posts to know this is a serious problem for many.
But I think that photo alone will force me into overly obsessive air filter checking.

 

Hi all. I had a mouse nest in my Accord's cabin air filter last time. We have an older house, and we cannot reasonably keep them out. So my cheap and simple solution is to just put a couple of mouse traps in the garage where I find "mouse sign." (turds, dark yellow pee marks, nesting evidence)

Get a couple of the Victor mouse traps with the yellow cheese-looking trigger plate "EasySet" and put peanut butter on it. The classic Victor traps with the copper bate plate don't work nearly as well, and are hard to resist because they're sold in more economical multi packs.

Anyway, the first month I started doing this, I got about 8 mice. The next month 3. Now, it's down to maybe 1 per month. I expect it'll go up again when winter hits and they're looking for a warm place. I don't even have to re-bait, except about every 5 mice.

If you park outdoors, get a couple of rat traps baited with peanut butter. These will take care of chipmunks and rats and half the time they'll kill a squirrel too. Then mouse traps too. The rodents would smell the PB and go for that WAY before they'd think of nesting in your car.

As for squirrels, one of my hobbies is high-end air rifles. We had a real squirrel problem when I moved into this house two years ago. The first summer, I shot 46 squirrels in our back yard. The next year: 28. This year, only about 12 so far. I can hit them in the lungs from 50 yards or in the head out to 25 yards. If you're within about 30 miles of me, I'll come and take care of them for you; just drop me a line. I'm a crack shot. I know it sounds hillbilly, but it works and it sure beats having to deal with them after trapping them or having them cause thousands of dollars' worth of damage to your house or car. I put some bait down in front of a safe backstop. They love corn, sunflower seeds and of course peanuts. (but peanuts are too expensive for tree rats) Then, wait for them to come and drill them one by one.

Here's the good mouse traps I'm talking about:
Victor® Easy Set® Mouse Trap | Model # BM032-24 | VictorPest.com

 

What about glue traps with a dash of sugar and leftover chocolate chip cookie crumbs? Super easy mouse traps to set, will never slam shut on your fingers like a spring trap, and you can add any bait you want. I caught two mice in my kitchen that way, since apparently mice love the sugar.

 

We had a mouse and rat problem at one stage in a school where I was Business Manager - an old farmer suggested PEPPERONI or similar sausage.

I could see why after we set ½ doz traps - even I could smell the sausage when I went into the area - we caught 5 rats/mice first night with 6 traps.

 

Give those rodents some cheese, they haven’t yet eaten your soy covered electrical system.

Years ago I found a rats nest on my ram ecodiesel battery and sings of rodents in my prius.
I got three three dollars total ultrasonic rodent repelant thingies, never another problem.

 

We found that they aren't particularly attracted to cheese - apart from a strong smelling one (like blue vein).