[Tambohamilton]

For the last month or so there has been a furry friend living or at least spending some time under the bonnet of my e91. First noticed a couple of things had been chewed (some rubber off a coolant hose, and a couple of bit of the seal between the engine bay and scuttle), then noticed a few droppings about, etc. Since then there doesn't seem to have been any more chewing, but the droppings etc come back in a couple of days after I clear them up. I've driven it hundreds of miles in freezing conditions, and no change after a few days. So it's either found somewhere safe to hide in there, or has been out whenever I take the car out.

Anyhow. Anyone got any suggestions other than mouse traps or bait?

[M-technik-3]

My stored cars get cinnamon coated pine cones in the interior and trunk plus exhaust get closed up and a 5 gallon bucket water trap in the garage to prevent critter destruction.

[Bmw1939]

They hate those fabric softener sheets for the dryer. I heard that from the car wizard I believe.

[Suvorovo]

[QUOTE=Tambohamilton;29688883]For the last month or so there has been a furry friend living or at least spending some time under the bonnet of my e91. First noticed a couple of things had been chewed (some rubber off a coolant hose, and a couple of bit of the seal between the engine bay and scuttle), then noticed a few droppings about, etc. Since then there doesn't seem to have been any more chewing, but the droppings etc come back in a couple of days after I clear them up. I've driven it hundreds of miles in freezing conditions, and no change after a few days. So it's either found somewhere safe to hide in there, or has been out whenever I take the car out.

Try leaving some sticky traps under the bonnet. I wouldn't do poison since it could die somewhere important. Or sticky traps around the car if you're parked in a garage.

[Tambohamilton]

Thanks all.

I've actually just put a trap under the bonnet - right on top of the engine where there was most evidence of activity. We'll see how that goes. I think it's only one, since it's not destroying things and leaving a *huge* mess.

Fabric softener sheets or cinnamon pine cones might be the next thing to try, if the trap doesn't do the trick...

[tadaska]

A cup of cat's piss under the engine.

[Tambohamilton]

I thought the cat's piss it runs on would have done something?

Maybe I should just spritz some gear oil about the place? That stuff smells gnarly!

[jsunma]

I've had them in my car, but they tend to not get any further than the exterior side of the air filter element and also to leave "things" in the small wells of the front strut mounts.

Dryer sheets do nothing. I've heard peppermint oil helps somewhat (easier than collecting "cat piss"...I mean....????? Clearly some people have more time than I do. ). I am currently trying that (peppermint oil) in a Honda I have.

Honda's use soy-based ink to color wire insulation and the critters love that stuff. The Honda is chock full of mice. You (well, I) can hear them scampering in the headliner. And yeah, it's a known issue. In fact, Honda even has an official part number covering this: https://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com...m-20m-40192317

Maybe the stuff works on BMWs too.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by jsunma

I've had them in my car, but they tend to not get any further than the exterior side of the air filter element and also to leave "things" in the small wells of the front strut mounts.

Dryer sheets do nothing. I've heard peppermint oil helps somewhat (easier than collecting "cat piss"...I mean....????? Clearly some people have more time than I do. ). I am currently trying that (peppermint oil) in a Honda I have.

Honda's use soy-based ink to color wire insulation and the critters love that stuff. The Honda is chock full of mice. You (well, I) can hear them scampering in the headliner. And yeah, it's a known issue. In fact, Honda even has an official part number covering this: https://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com...m-20m-40192317

Maybe the stuff works on BMWs too.

The dryer sheets work for me, I use them in my equipment that is stored in my shed (tractor, mower, log splitter, ATV, etc). The key is you have to put them where mice will potentially travel/make nests, you have to use the strong smelling brands, and you have to switch them out every few months.

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by jsunma

I've had them in my car, but they tend to not get any further than the exterior side of the air filter element and also to leave "things" in the small wells of the front strut mounts.

Dryer sheets do nothing. I've heard peppermint oil helps somewhat (easier than collecting "cat piss"...I mean....????? Clearly some people have more time than I do. ). I am currently trying that (peppermint oil) in a Honda I have.

Honda's use soy-based ink to color wire insulation and the critters love that stuff. The Honda is chock full of mice. You (well, I) can hear them scampering in the headliner. And yeah, it's a known issue. In fact, Honda even has an official part number covering this: https://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com...m-20m-40192317

Maybe the stuff works on BMWs too.

Ha, that's amazing.

You're exactly right about them making deposits in the strut mounts. And I hope they're getting no further than the cabin filter!

I'll bear the spicy tape in mind if I find any chewed wires.

[Serf27]

Mint oil in open containers.

[marvinstockman]

Use a product like Mouse Magic.

[jsunma]

Originally Posted by marvinstockman

Use a product like Mouse Magic.

I looked at that stuff a while back...it's just mint oil (peppermint and spearmint) saturated substrate (corn cob fiber) in bags.

A bottle of essential peppermint oil is $9 at CVS and will last a whole lot longer than Mouse Magic. You can sprinkle that stuff all around the carpets, soak cloths in it, or just put out little dishes of it in the interior.

Even so, I think that my Honda mice have gotten used to Peppermint. Those things are pretty much incorrigible....and now they're Minty Fresh Incorrigible.

And yeah, I DO have a cat. :-)

[Bmw1939]

Luckily the cat lady lives across the street and our neighborhood has become infested with cats. Their everywhere.

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by jsunma

I looked at that stuff a while back...it's just mint oil (peppermint and spearmint) saturated substrate (corn cob fiber) in bags.

A bottle of essential peppermint oil is $9 at CVS and will last a whole lot longer than Mouse Magic. You can sprinkle that stuff all around the carpets, soak cloths in it, or just put out little dishes of it in the interior.

Even so, I think that my Honda mice have gotten used to Peppermint. Those things are pretty much incorrigible....and now they're Minty Fresh Incorrigible.

And yeah, I DO have a cat. :-)

Yeah, I did read on the rentokil website an article that said if the mice find a place that's warm and dry, they're not moving out because of a bit of ultrasound or bad smells.

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

Thanks all.

I've actually just put a trap under the bonnet - right on top of the engine where there was most evidence of activity. We'll see how that goes. I think it's only one, since it's not destroying things and leaving a *huge* mess.

Fabric softener sheets or cinnamon pine cones might be the next thing to try, if the trap doesn't do the trick...

Took an empty and very clean mouse trap out of the engine bay today...surrounded by mouse droppings. Sigh. Try again...

[jsunma]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

Took an empty and very clean mouse trap out of the engine bay today...surrounded by mouse droppings. Sigh. Try again...

Sigh.

They've been here for 60 million years before us. They'll be here long after. We've just added cars to their environmental comfort level in the past nanosecond of evolution.

[Tambohamilton]

Just to update this...

A while back I trapped a mouse in the engine bay - had to take the undertray off to find it, as it had somehow dragged the trap a little way. Thought that's was the end of it since nothing more seemed to be happening...

Last week I replaced sections of the injector leakoff hose because it had been chewed to the fabric - PITA job, finding correct hose and clips, because I didn't fancy the £100+ for a genuine replacements or £40+ for odd brand versions... Put the engine covers back on on Friday, and had fresh mouse droppings on top on Sunday.

I doused the entire engine bay with deterrent spray on Sunday, but more droppings appeared yesterday and today. That stuff is worthless, but does smell pleasant.

Set the trap again today :/

Have ordered an untrasonic deterrent, as well as a battery protection device, so we'll see how that goes...

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by jsunma

Sigh.

Sigh.

[mecheng77]

Piss around your car, use hot pepper powder in the engine bag, leave the hood a bit open to make it cold,

[NikMN]

Check under plastic engine cover if you haven't done it already. They like chewing on the foam and coil/injector wires. Ask me how I know ☹️

[fiveightandten]

Sorry, but quite literally nothing will stop them except killing them. Oils, dryer, sheets, etc. may have the illusion of working for some people. But if you have mice in your car, they've doused it in their bodily fluids, so it's marked.

The best you can do is set traps to kill them, and clean up whatever traces you can find so others don't follow the trail.

And they aren't afraid of the engine running or the car moving. I once had a family of mice set up shop in the exhaust manifold of my lawnmower. The babies literally burned to death when we started it up. I took it apart, cleaned everything out, proceeded with mowing the lawn, and TWO adult mice ran out of the engine 10 minutes into mowing. There isn't much space under there that isn't rotating at life-threatening speeds. They clearly just got overheated. But this is literally a running lawnmower, and they stuck with it for quite some time. A car engine bay, where they can dodge the danger and the heat? I'd guess they'll never leave out of fear. Only for food and water.

They have to eat and drink. So bate traps with peanut butter and hope they take the convenience of nearby food. Sometimes they know better or are happier eating materials in the car.

If the car is garaged, you need to get rid of them in the garage and seal it up the best you can. Also, they sell metal barriers that form a perimeter around the car so they can't climb over it and access the car. Be careful with this, as if you trap them *in* the car, they're just going to die in there if they can't get out for food. Then you have another problem.

Good luck!