"Nest" on top of cabin air filter (6 Viewers)

[terrapin]

Now I just wish I could figure out a way to keep them off the top of the engine.

I leave my hood open when I'm parked at home. Pretty common practice around here. It takes away the critters sense of security under the hood. I've also removed extraneous engine covers, etc.

 

[Artie]

We use snap traps now after some advice on here after a trip last year. We had a couple nice come out onto the hood while driving and I found a dead one on top of the skid plate months later. I debated going Red Dawn on the engine bay because I’ve heard they don’t like pee but decided the smell of that on a hot engine wouldn’t be worth it.

 

[Mbarron37]

Found this on top of my cabin air filter. this is new to me car and I just started going though all of the basics.
this was on top of air filter when I removed it. air filter itself was dirty as it gets.
Im concern that its some type of rotten nest.
But this thing is very clean, uniformed and looks like its insulation, no smell or poop was found.
did anyone ran into this before?

View attachment 3400869

I had this same exact scene yesterday. Horrible smell coming from vents. Opened up the door in the glovebox and voila a pile of white nesting and a recently dead mouse.

Pisses me off. Almost impossible to keep those bastards out. Cleaned it up and put in a new filter. See how long that lasts.

 

[stiffarm]

Had an exterminator at the house a few years ago for ants. He told me the ONLY thing that works for mice is snap traps. I've also had good luck with a bucket trap. He confirmed my suspicions that all the urban legend solutions do not work reliably: peppermint oil, moth balls, dryer sheets, ultrasonic devices, etc.

Moth balls did work when a rat made an acorn storage pit in the vee of my Ferrari V 12.
This was AFTER he got into my 21 LandCruiser engine vee and ate the knock sensor soy-based insulation.
We put hardware cloth under the intake on tope of the engine to stop it.

 

[LX4x4]

how do they get under the cowl? the top has mesh covering already.
do they get up from any drainage area?

 

[bloc]

how do they get under the cowl? the top has mesh covering already.
do they get up from any drainage area?

There is a small hole on either side where water from the area drains into the fender behind the front tire.

 

[Mbarron37]

I had this same exact scene yesterday. Horrible smell coming from vents. Opened up the door in the glovebox and voila a pile of white nesting and a recently dead mouse.

Pisses me off. Almost impossible to keep those bastards out. Cleaned it up and put in a new filter. See how long that lasts.

Back again. I put in a new cabin air filter and cleaned out the nest and dead mouse. I believe I have at least one other mouse in the vehicle, as I saw mouse droppings on my front seat. Plus the vehicle smells horrible.

I have put snap traps in the cabin, but no luck. I am concerned there may be a dead mouse in the vents or somewhere I cannot easily access.

Any suggestions? There were more mouse droppings in the cabin air filter as well, but no nest.

This stinks, for real

 

[MeWantLC]

Thank you ! Where and when do you use this product? THX !

Well nothing is foolproof because mice are so ingenious, but they do like to return to the scene the crime again and again. So far, knock on wood, I have not had a return episode using this:

Amazon.com

Thanks for the input. I gotta say, when I ask for advice to an individual that lives out of the business I am asking about, I tend to take it with a grain of salt. I am going to give a try to the moth balls which my mechanic also recommended, and the product above. I did not have a big problem, yet, but it is clear that a creature is/was visiting my car. LOL.

Had an exterminator at the house a few years ago for ants. He told me the ONLY thing that works for mice is snap traps. I've also had good luck with a bucket trap. He confirmed my suspicions that all the urban legend solutions do not work reliably: peppermint oil, moth balls, dryer sheets, ultrasonic devices, etc.

Thank you ! Where and when and how do you use the moth balls? THX !

Moth balls did work when a rat made an acorn storage pit in the vee of my Ferrari V 12.
This was AFTER he got into my 21 LandCruiser engine vee and ate the knock sensor soy-based insulation.
We put hardware cloth under the intake on tope of the engine to stop it.

 

[Sandroad]

Thank you ! Where and when do you use this product? THX !




Thanks for the input. I gotta say, when I ask for advice to an individual that lives out of the business I am asking about, I tend to take it with a grain of salt. I am going to give a try to the moth balls which my mechanic also recommended, and the product above. I did not have a big problem, yet, but it is clear that a creature is/was visiting my car. LOL.



Thank you ! Where and when and how do you use the moth balls? THX !

Unless you can tolerate the smell of naphthalene, don’t use mothballs. It will get into the vehicle. I use the peppermint spray around the top of the engine and air intake. Mice don’t like it, but It needs to be used frequently to be effective according to a Consumer Reports blog on rodent deterrence. Snap traps are the same way…..they have to be set all the time to prevent infestation.

 

[hoot504]

I just switched out my cabin air filter after neglecting it for 30k miles, and found the exact same scene.

Is there any way this isn't a nest? I'm in Phoenix and have never had mice or rat issues. Thought maybe I'd had the filter installed upside down and this was some weird byproduct of that.

 

[7000ft]

I live in Flagstaff AZ @ 7,000 ft ,so mice prefer winter indoors, so it installed this under the hood gadget in my 2020 LC200 last year for preventative measures. There is evidence of droppings under a cabinet, but no mess in the LC.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JG4V1ZP?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

[hoot504]

I just took off the windshield cowling to look from above… nothing. I’ll probably zip tie some hardware cloth above it just to be safe.

 

[Heritage 2020]

Problem solved.

 

[superjuice]

Thanks to all who posted, finally got fed up with the nest every year…made one for the air intake as well!

 

[superjuice]

Couple more shots…

 

[KLF]

Had to do the same for the GFs Honda CRV last week

It's pretty darned annoying that manufacturers haven't realized this is a problem, and done something similar at the factory.

My mistake was assuming that the mouse had left the vehicle when I installed the screen. Turns out I also made it impossible for him to leave. Fresh turds on the dash the next morning. Had to set traps inside to get rid of it.

 

[superjuice]

Looks good, I like that screen material too. Where did you source that from?

Link to what I bought

https://a.co/d/jh4FG7H

 

[KLF]

Looks good, I like that screen material too. Where did you source that from?

Link to what I bought

https://a.co/d/jh4FG7H

1/4" hardware cloth

A big roll of the stuff was heading to the dumpster at work several years ago. It somehow fell into the back of my truck.

If anybody needs any, I'm happy to share.

 

[Artie]

I should probably do this given how much we’re in the woods.

How long a job is this?

 

[FrazzledHunter]

I should probably do this given how much we’re in the woods.

How long a job is this?

Same.