The short answer is the the tread of your tires, but ultimately..
Yes, that’s right. This is actually a thing… and can be a very expensive problem if left untreated!
Trust me, I was just as surprised you were when I first found out that rodents were getting into my car and chewing on the engine parts. See My Story here.
If you are asking this question “How did a mouse get in my car?” you are also probably asking “How do I get rid of this mouse in my car?”
The good news is that you are in the right place. I can help you fix this issue and prevent rodents from getting in your car ever again.
Follow these exact steps, that myself and thousands of others follow, to keep your car safe from mice.
How to get rid of mice in your car
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Leave Your Hood Up At Night
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Place Tomcat Rat Traps on the Tops and Bases of the Tread of the Front 2 Tires
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Spray Rodent Defense (Peppermint Spray) into the Engine Compartment
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Shine Bright Lights on the Tread of the Front Two Tires
Now to recap each of the steps above, see below.
What you will need:
Tomcat Rat Snap Traps (6 traps per car)
Rodent Defense (i.e. peppermint oil spray)
Bright Light (4 Flashlights or 1 Shop Light)
1. Leave Your Hood Up At Night
At the first sign of damage or mouse droppings in the engine compartment, it is essential to leave your hood up at night. You should do this for the first 1-2 weeks every night and then 2-3 times a week once you feel comfortable that there are no more rodents visiting your car. This essentially eliminates the engine compartment as a potential nesting grounds by taking away the warmth, allowing more moisture to enter, and exposing it to more light.
2. Place Tomcat Rat Snap Traps on the Tread of the Front 2 Tires
You will need 6 snap traps total and 3 will be placed at specific locations on the tread of the front 2 tires. Here is video to show exactly where to place the snap traps.
When rodents enter the car, they climb up the tread of the tires (Did you ask “How did a mouse get in my car”), so this essentially will block off the entrance to the car. I use the Tomcat Rat Snap Traps because they are super easy to set (i.e. I don’t feel like I am going to lose a finger when I set them), their design makes it almost impossible for a rodent to take the bait without setting off the trap, and they get the job done!
3. Spray Rodent Defense into the Engine Compartment
In the first 1-2 weeks, spray the engine compartment 3-4 times a week and then reduce to 2-3 times week once you haven’t noticed any new signs of rodents. Rodent Defense is an all natural peppermint spray that was specifically created to deter rodents from chewing on the wires in cars. The purpose of the spray is to confuse the rodent on the safety of the engine compartment by making it more difficult to detect the scent of their urine. As mentioned above in the enemy profile, rodents use urine as a way to mark paths, locations, food, etc., as safe.
4. Shine Bright Lights on the Tread of the Front Two Tires
Rodents always prefer to stay concealed and hate being in the light. The goal of this solution is to deter the rodent from climbing up the tread of the tires by forcing it to walk through a spotlight to get into the car. It would be best if you laid out 4 flashlights on the ground level and shined them on the front and backs of the tread (i.e. essentially you would shine them on the snap traps that are at the bases of the tread). Alternatively, you could take a shop light and shine that under the car at night.
Why are mice in my car?
In case you care to understand, this is why mice are invading your car.
- Nesting: Mice need a dark warm place in order to nest and a car’s engine compartment can provide the shelter they are looking for. This would be a more common reason for cars that are parked for an extended period of time. Mice need a place that can be undisturbed for weeks at a time in order to make a suitable nest.
- Chew Toys: Mice need things to chew on in order to keep their teeth at a manageable length, so car wires can certainly provide the trick.
- Food: If your car is less than 10 years old, chances are you have soy based wiring in your car. This attracts rodents that are looking for a snack, including mice.
I hope this article has been helpful! Please add any comments or questions below and I will respond as soon as possible!
Thank you!
Rat King Dave
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I just found out that a rat or mouse chewed some of the fabric of my car. The back of my chairs were folded down the entire time. I was wondering how they got in and how to prevent them from coming in.
Hi Sabrina! I’m so sorry for the delay in my response. Took some time away from this website, but now I am back. Rodents typically enter the car by climbing up the tread of the front two tires and then into the engine compartment. From there they can enter the interior of the car through the glove compartment or airducts, etc. Rats can fit through holes the size of a quarter and mice can fit through holes the size of a nickel. So think about that and then take a look at potential entry points. In order to prevent this from happening, close all air vents, place rat traps at the bases of the tread on your front two tires and on the tops of the front two tires and leave your hood open. If they are in your car they are most likely trying to nest in your engine compartment. Hope this helps. If you have any questions, please let me know! RKD
Dave,
Where, under the hood, should I place moth balls, etc.? I’m supposing that I’m supposed to leave these moth balls there 24/7 and I don’t want them accidentally falling somewhere they shouldn’t and mess something up.
I live in an apartment. Not many choices on protecting my car. But this has now happened twice this winter. Never, ever before! I’ve got to do something! So, peppermint spray, moth balls and mouse traps?
Thanks!
Hi Polly! I apologize for the delay in my response. I have been MIA for a few years but just now getting back to being the Rat King! Hopefully you were able to figure out this scenario, but instead of mothballs, I would recommend leaving the hood up of your car. It would be the peppermint spray in the engine compartment, mousetraps on the treads of your front two tires (bait with peanut butter), and Leaving the hood up. One of the main reasons that mice go into your car is for shelter, so if you leave the hood up it will remove the warmth from your engine and also eliminate the engine compartment as a place for shelter. Hope this helps! If you have any questions, I promise I will respond sooner this time. Thank you! RKD
Set mouse traps inside the vehicle to catch any rodents that enter — or try reputable sound repellant devices.
Hi Howgeekis! I would suggest doing both. Sound emitters are either hit or miss. I’ve seen such mixed results that you can’t rely on it by itself, just depends on the particular rodent(s) that are invading your car. In relation to the trap, I always suggest placing the traps at the rodent’s point of entry to the car, which is the tires. If you are placing the traps on the tires and the rodents are still getting into the cabin of the car, then you might have a nest in the engine compartment. It’s highly likely that they have taken over the cabin filter so check there. Hope this helps! Thanks for the comment! RKD
On your website above you said you have a video that shows exactly where to place the rodent snap traps near the tires of your car, but I don’t see a link for the video. Can you tell me where I can find it? I’ve tried searching on YouTube but with no success. Thank you.
Hi Pamela! I apologize for just now responding. If you check out the Home Page, the video is under Step 2. Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!! RKD
Hi Dave,
Thanks for writing this blog. Until 2 weeks ago, we had no idea this type of damage even existed! We parked my husband’s Nissan truck on our suburban driveway, just as we have for the past 20 years. When we returned from a weekend trip, my husband noticed that the truck wasn’t running properly. $1700 of damage later, we were introduced to the wonderful world of mice chewing through wiring and hoses. Yesterday, after parking the car overnight (we took another trip, but drove the truck this time), mice chewed the wiring and hoses AGAIN to the tune of $2000. Fun times. Stopping on the way home to buy traps, defense spray and a light to protect my Subaru. The truck is at the dealership for a few days before we have to lay in supplies to protect it.
Hi Sarajane! When I was blindsided by the damage to my cars, I was in shock as I had never heard of such a thing either. Dang, sounds like those mice have added their scent to your car, so they think it’s a safe place to go. Please be sure to put up some defenses as SOON as you get your car back!
If I have mice nesting in my car do they need to enter and exit the car daily to drink?
Hi Bender! Sorry for the delay in my response! Mice actually do not need to drink water. They retain all the water that need from the food they eat (fun fact for the day!). Please let me know if you have any other questions! Thank you!!
Never heard of rats chewing on car wires before today. I am in amazement. It is costing me. My car horn in not working At the dealership getting it repaired. I am going to try the mothballs. My car is parked outside. Leaving the hood open. I might get it stolen. Thanks for your help.
Hi Elaine! Unfortunately, this is starting to become a really common issue. You should be stoked if it was just the horn (though I’m not sure what the replacement cost is!). I would highly suggest if you aren’t going to leave your hood up that you shine a bright light under the car at night and place rat traps on the tops front and back of the tire tread of the front two tires. You could do this in addition to the moth balls. You really want to take an approach that plays on the multiple senses of the rodent, so here would be sight and scent (and taste if you consider the peanut butter form the traps haha). I hope this helps and please keep me posted on progress! Thanks for the comment!
I’m worried about weather damage, especially wind. Think about what happens to your lawn chairs when the wind kicks up. A raised car hood is practically a sail. Plus loose tree stuff could get knocked down into the engine. Someone suggested putting a mechanic’s hand light under the engine at night and leaving it turned on since mice don’t like well lit areas. I may give that a try along with the other stuff.
Ahh yes. I have heard of people parking their car in a specific direction so that the wind doesn’t take off their popped up hood. The bright lights would certain be effective and a mechanic’s hand light would be perfect under the hood. At one point I was hanging flashlight from my popped up hood to shine into the engine compartment. I also had lights that would shine under the car onto the treads of the tires. This would force the rodent to run through the spotlight if they wanted to get into your car. If you can’t do the popped up hood I would implement the bright lights, snap traps on and at the bases of the tread of the tires (this is a must! See here for the exact placement: https://youtu.be/H3aOa0Pe8kA ) and then something smelly (I.e peppermint oil spray or bounce sheets) in the engine compartment. Please keep me posted on the progress!
Rats! (pun intended) I would love to leave my car hood up, but I don’t have a garage! I’ll have to depend on the traps at the tires, poison, and moth balls, etc. thanks for the help.
Hi Pat! The “leave your hood up ” technique works best actually if you don’t have a garage. Both my cars are kept on my driveway at night. The idea is to take away the shelter from the rodent and if you leave the hood up outside, it will not retain the heat of your engine and cool off faster. It will also make the rodent feel exposed and therefore uncomfortable, which will deter the rodent from going into the engine compartment in the first place. Are you worried that the weather will damage your engine? Or that someone will steal your car battery? Thanks for the comment!!