The Unwelcome Visitors: Mice and Rodents in Your Car

Hey there, it's Keith from Consumer Reports, and I'm here to share with you a surprising culprit behind the damage to your expensive brand new car. You might be wondering why this beautiful vehicle is being disassembled and cleaned, but the answer lies with the tiny furry creatures that call cars home - mice and rats.

These little critters love to be inside cars because they're warm, cozy, and have plenty of nooks and crannies to chew on. And, let me tell you, it's not just any ordinary chewing that these rodents do; it sharpens their teeth, which makes them more fierce and attracted to the car even more. Furthermore, mice love to bring the insulation they've knod away with their tiny little mouse teeth to their nests, keeping them warm while leaving your car's insulation useless.

The Damage is Real

As you can see from this insulation that's been damaged by those pesky rodent teeth, it's not just a minor issue. The damage caused by mice and rats can be very expensive and even lead to costly repairs or even worse - the need for total replacement of parts. And if you're not careful, these little critters might make themselves right at home inside your car.

So, how do you keep these unwanted visitors away from your vehicle? The first step is to park your car in areas where mice are less likely to be present. This means avoiding places with dumpsters, trash cans, or areas that attract rodents. If you're parking in a garage, make sure it's clean and free of bird seed, food, or other trash that might attract rodents.

Sealing Up the Garage

To keep those little critters out, seal up your garage by closing the doors, weatherstripping the windows, and keeping them clean. Don't forget to move your car regularly, even if you're not driving it a ton. This will discourage animals from taking up residence in the vehicle, as they don't like change.

A Horn That Works

If you really want to be extra careful, honk your horn before starting the car. Mice and rats hate that sound and will be scared away. If, however, you already have a telltale smell inside your car that shows critters have taken up residence, it's time to act fast.

Getting Rid of Unwanted Guests

If you've found yourself in this situation, don't worry; there are ways to get rid of them without having to take apart your entire car. Try misting some peppermint oil and cayenne pepper spray around the car and under the hood - these odors repel mice and rats. For longer storage periods, put mothballs under the hood, but make sure they're not inside the car, or you'll end up with a strong smell that's not exactly pleasant.

The Cost of Pest Control

While getting rid of mice and rats might seem like a minor issue, hiring pest control to take care of the problem can be a lot cheaper than trying to fix the damage yourself. And if the rodents are winning the war and already in your car, it's better to leave it to the professionals rather than risking further damage or discomfort.

In conclusion, mice and rats might seem like small creatures, but they can cause significant damage to your expensive brand new car. By following these simple tips - keeping them away from your vehicle, sealing up the garage, using repellents, and knowing when to seek professional help - you can keep those unwanted visitors at bay.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey it's Keith from consumer reports and if you're wondering why this car behind me this very expensive brand new car is being disassembled and cleaned the answer is mice you see mice and rats and other rodents they love to be inside cars they're warm they have a ton of nooks and crannies they can chew on some of the hoses and wires which sharpens their teeth they love that and it also causes a lot of very expensive damage you've also got problems like this here see this insulation has been knod away by tiny little mouse teeth and they bring that over to their nests to keep them warm good for the mice bad for your car if you don't want this to happen to you the best thing you can do is keep mice away from your vehicle so park away from places where there are going to be mice around dumpsters around trash cans if you're parking in a garage that's best but make sure that there isn't any bird seed or food or trash cans in the garage that might attract rodents and seal up the garage close the doors weather strip the windows to keep those little critters out clean up the car that scent of food also attracts rodents move the car regularly as well so even if you're not driving it a ton move it around a little bit because it'll discourage animals from taking up residence in the vehicle and if you really want to be extra careful honk the horn before you start the car that'll scare them away now if your car already has that Telltale smell that shows that critters have taken up residence inside you're going to want to get rid of them before they can do any more damage try misting some peppermint oil and cayenne pepper spray around the car and under the hood just a little bit will do the trick and mice and rats they hate that smell and taste if you're storing a car for a long period of time put some mothballs under the hood but don't put them inside the car because then your car will smell like mothballs if the rodents are winning the war and they're already in your car it is a lot cheaper to hire pest control and have them take care of the problem than to have to take apart your entire car or even worse live with some of the smells and the Damage that mice and rats and other rodents can causehey it's Keith from consumer reports and if you're wondering why this car behind me this very expensive brand new car is being disassembled and cleaned the answer is mice you see mice and rats and other rodents they love to be inside cars they're warm they have a ton of nooks and crannies they can chew on some of the hoses and wires which sharpens their teeth they love that and it also causes a lot of very expensive damage you've also got problems like this here see this insulation has been knod away by tiny little mouse teeth and they bring that over to their nests to keep them warm good for the mice bad for your car if you don't want this to happen to you the best thing you can do is keep mice away from your vehicle so park away from places where there are going to be mice around dumpsters around trash cans if you're parking in a garage that's best but make sure that there isn't any bird seed or food or trash cans in the garage that might attract rodents and seal up the garage close the doors weather strip the windows to keep those little critters out clean up the car that scent of food also attracts rodents move the car regularly as well so even if you're not driving it a ton move it around a little bit because it'll discourage animals from taking up residence in the vehicle and if you really want to be extra careful honk the horn before you start the car that'll scare them away now if your car already has that Telltale smell that shows that critters have taken up residence inside you're going to want to get rid of them before they can do any more damage try misting some peppermint oil and cayenne pepper spray around the car and under the hood just a little bit will do the trick and mice and rats they hate that smell and taste if you're storing a car for a long period of time put some mothballs under the hood but don't put them inside the car because then your car will smell like mothballs if the rodents are winning the war and they're already in your car it is a lot cheaper to hire pest control and have them take care of the problem than to have to take apart your entire car or even worse live with some of the smells and the Damage that mice and rats and other rodents can cause\n"