It was time for the last of the prepaid service appointments for my wife's car. Nothing wrong with the vehicle, just the usual maintenance items needed after you accumulate 30,000 miles on the odometer. She made an appointment and dropped it off, assuming they would change the oil and filters, and check critical parts like the brakes and such. So it wasn't too much of a surprise when they called to say they had an issue to discuss. She assumed it was the tires or some other normal wear and tear items to which they wanted to call her attention. What she wasn't prepared for was the picture they texted her of the problem they found. Not low treads on the tires nor thin pads on the brakes.
It was a mouse in the engine.
The little fella was dead but intact. He (or she) was laying in what looked to be a cozy nest that had been made in the wheel well. In the photo you can see the critter curled up as if sleeping, along with some leaves and twigs, and what might even have been some food. Had we found the same thing in the woods outside the house we wouldn't have looked twice. Even if we stumbled across it in the basement or garage we would not have been surprised. But nestled above a size 225-60-18 Yokohama Geolander G91HV All-Season Radial? Not something we expected.
Turns out not to be too uncommon. Seems that when you get right down to it the interior of a vehicle has a lot going for it in the rodent condo department. It's warm and dry, especially during winter months. If you have ever snacked in the car or used the McDonald's drive through, odds are there are a few old pretzels or French fries under the seat providing a food supply. All those little pools of water in the crevices and cracks offer up some thirst quenching liquid. And it's usually quiet after dark, which is prime time for rodent house hunting. Not quite a gated community, but it's a relatively safe place from predators if you don't mind the fact that the bedroom might drive away during the day and return at night.
In fact, it seems that cars are just one spot that mice and their cousins like to take refuge. Just this week came the story of a broken ATM in India. Where the techs finally got around to opening it up, they discovered yet another furry critter, also deceased. This one had eluded security cameras and slipped into the bank unannounced, then into the ATM. All those freshly printed banknotes proved the perfect bedding and an irresistible place to hole up for the night. By the time they sorted out the gray and purple shreds and tallied it up, they counted about 1.2 million rupees or nearly $18,000 in cash that had been used not to feather the nest, but to become it.
What to do about the problem? Experts say to seal up the spaces they like to go, as well as clean out any junk and food which might attract them. You can also use a repellant, such as commercially available ones made from the dried urine of a predator. If you prefer your BMW not smell like a litter box, you can also use a mint extract, which seems to be the one flavor we like of which they are not really fond.
Google "mice in car" and you get more than 62 million hits in less than half a second. There are videos, tips, tricks and products to help you out. (There's also a group out of Atlanta called "Mice in Cars," and a link to their single "Good Men Are Monsters." As an indie rock group, odds are they too have slept in their vehicles, so the name is not too much of a stretch.) In my wife's case, they steam cleaned the engine, and returned her car rodent free. To try and hopefully staunch further infestations she opted not to use any commercial applications in favor of some peppermint oil in the wheel wheels, and a peppermint oil soaked cotton ball in the glove compartment. The car now smells like a box of Altoids, but it is Micky free. At least for now.
-END-
Marc Wollin of Bedford uses old fashion mouse traps when the need arises. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
It was a mouse in the engine.
The little fella was dead but intact. He (or she) was laying in what looked to be a cozy nest that had been made in the wheel well. In the photo you can see the critter curled up as if sleeping, along with some leaves and twigs, and what might even have been some food. Had we found the same thing in the woods outside the house we wouldn't have looked twice. Even if we stumbled across it in the basement or garage we would not have been surprised. But nestled above a size 225-60-18 Yokohama Geolander G91HV All-Season Radial? Not something we expected.
Turns out not to be too uncommon. Seems that when you get right down to it the interior of a vehicle has a lot going for it in the rodent condo department. It's warm and dry, especially during winter months. If you have ever snacked in the car or used the McDonald's drive through, odds are there are a few old pretzels or French fries under the seat providing a food supply. All those little pools of water in the crevices and cracks offer up some thirst quenching liquid. And it's usually quiet after dark, which is prime time for rodent house hunting. Not quite a gated community, but it's a relatively safe place from predators if you don't mind the fact that the bedroom might drive away during the day and return at night.
In fact, it seems that cars are just one spot that mice and their cousins like to take refuge. Just this week came the story of a broken ATM in India. Where the techs finally got around to opening it up, they discovered yet another furry critter, also deceased. This one had eluded security cameras and slipped into the bank unannounced, then into the ATM. All those freshly printed banknotes proved the perfect bedding and an irresistible place to hole up for the night. By the time they sorted out the gray and purple shreds and tallied it up, they counted about 1.2 million rupees or nearly $18,000 in cash that had been used not to feather the nest, but to become it.
What to do about the problem? Experts say to seal up the spaces they like to go, as well as clean out any junk and food which might attract them. You can also use a repellant, such as commercially available ones made from the dried urine of a predator. If you prefer your BMW not smell like a litter box, you can also use a mint extract, which seems to be the one flavor we like of which they are not really fond.
Google "mice in car" and you get more than 62 million hits in less than half a second. There are videos, tips, tricks and products to help you out. (There's also a group out of Atlanta called "Mice in Cars," and a link to their single "Good Men Are Monsters." As an indie rock group, odds are they too have slept in their vehicles, so the name is not too much of a stretch.) In my wife's case, they steam cleaned the engine, and returned her car rodent free. To try and hopefully staunch further infestations she opted not to use any commercial applications in favor of some peppermint oil in the wheel wheels, and a peppermint oil soaked cotton ball in the glove compartment. The car now smells like a box of Altoids, but it is Micky free. At least for now.
-END-
Marc Wollin of Bedford uses old fashion mouse traps when the need arises. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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