The problem will be particularly bad as it gets colder outside. Here’s another vote for the plastic traps. Just keeping a couple set (I prefer peanut butter as bait) will pretty much ensure that if one comes into the space, it’ll be dead very soon.
We have a rat problem in our cars. The neighborhood is using peppermint oil and bars of Irish spring from the dollar store.
Such an informative thread!
Another vote for the Rat Zapper. We occasionally have rats in the attic (we live near water) and the Rat Zapper has always worked great for us. No muss, no fuss!
If you live in a house, try to keep the foundation clear of leaves and brush. Doing so will take away places for mice to nest and also help you find places where they might be getting into the house.
My BIL found that plugging small holes with steel wool worked better than foam. He buys the 0000 steel wool at the hardware store and teases it out and stuffs it in all cracks and holes. It’s apparently too fine for them to chew.
Particularly for owners of newish vehicles: most auto manufacturers are now using a more eco-friendly coating for the wiring in the engine, as opposed to the older models, which had wiring coated with a petroleum based formula. The newer wiring is coated with a soy and corn based product— more “green”. Unfortunately the rodents just love chewing on it. My mechanic has seen a lot of newer cars lately with lots of chewed up wiring. In some cases, insurance doesn’t cover this damage. There are lots of posts on car forums about this… my friend bought his kid a new car for graduation in 2016 and it had close to $6000 damage due to chewed up wiring. Check under your hood between service visits… they like to nest in air filters and other cozy spots. I had a huge mouse nest in the spare tire area when I last had my car serviced a week ago. They also like the glove box/ cabin filter area. Ugh!
I luv mice. Wassa matter with you people? ;(
We keep a car at our vacation place (it’s on an island) when we close up the house (December to May); we’ve been putting sheets of fabric softner under the hood and inside the car when we leave because mice have chewed up wiring and such. It’s worked!! Apparently, mice don’t like the smell of the fabric softner sheets. We used the fabric softner sheets for the first time last year and it worked–no damage to the car. We’ll see if it works again this year.
Yikes on the mice in cars. I can’t tolerate the smell of fabric softener but am not keen on mice either. . Another disincentive to car shopping, though I really need one. 
@Bromfield2 : dryer/fabric softener sheets have not worked for me… we have found them shredded and used as part of the mouse nests!! Grrrr…
I am 0 - 4 on killing mice in my attic with the standard traps. I wonder if it is a rat or a squirrel. I will buy the Rat Zapper and see what I get.
A friend suggested a set up involving a bucket filled with anti-freeze. You put a ramp up over the bucket. A tin can, covered with peanut butter, is suspended on a rope over the bucket. The mice run up the ramp, go for the peanut butter, and then fall in the bucket! Works like a charm. Very little work and I won’t even tell you the number of mice we’ve caught with it at our cabin! You can Google it - several options come up.
^^^^^So gruesome!
I do hate rodents, though. Fortunately, we’ve never had a problem at our house, though we got some at the lake house. Used traps and had some minimal help from the cat.
@cameo43 Maybe we got lucky wuth the fabric softner sheets?? Hope it keeps on working.
We have used D-con pellets for years, which makes mice thirsty and then they go outside to look for water…and die. No mess. Until this week when the mouse got stuck in a wall on his way out. It’s not a pleasant smell.
Any more thoughts about how to buy a car that the rodents won’t want to nest in and eat? I’ve also read that the newer cars are all made with soy and plant-based products instead of petroleum. This is supposed to be more attractive to rodents. I do NOT want to buy a car that will be home to rodents. Ick.
My D and her bf are granola chewing, we could never hurt a mouse types. At least they were until the day last month when a mouse got into their Manhattan walk-up. D called me, screaming hysterically. She wouldn’t listen to me, despite the fact that I grew up in the city, so I gave the phone to H, who’s a mixed city/country guy. He gave them some immediate advice, which they followed as D continued to shriek and shriek. Finally, the count was bf, 1, mouse, done and broom in three pieces. The next morning, D went around to all of her neighbors to apologize for her loud screaming. Every one of them said they heard nothing. When D told H about her neighbors’ reaction, he titled the episode “The Short Sad Tail of Mousie Genovese, whose killer’s screams were not heard…”
They haven’t had a mouse since.
^ @techmom99 - LOL!!!
I’ve heard cats can help, but not always. Cats we’ve had just play with the mice or kill it and leave it and then H and I have to get rid of it.
@HImom Mice in cars are not always a given. We’ve never had mice in our cars…even though we often park them outside. My neighbor is a mechanic at Mercedes-Benz and he says they often see mice in cars that:
-Aren’t driven frequently…A car that is driven everyday is much less likely to get mice. If you won’t be driving your car for a while make sure to keep in parked inside if you can and get it cleaned. Also, try to drive it every so often too.
-Parked outside. People who live in rural areas or park their cars outside in areas with lots of plants or random stuff like tires or wood stacked up near their car. Try to park your car inside especially if it isn’t driven too often.
-Are absolutely disgusting. He said they frequently get mice in cars that are filthy. Filthy as in crumbs, old drinks cups, food wrappers, clothes, garbage, etc left in the car.
I think if you drive your car everyday and keep it clean, you should be fine…
Does the rat zapper also work on mice? Or is there a specific mouse zapper?