The stinky little creeps are in the defroster. Last year they were in the whole heat/vent/AC system and I spent $$$ to get it cleaned out. How do I keep them out? Can I clean out the defroster myself?
The usual recommendations are to find a better place to park the car, away from the mice, Use steel wool to block access to them or use rodent control measures to eliminate them. Which is best for you depends on the circumstances.
Thanks for replying, but the car is parked in my garage, way out in the country. Mice are everywhere here, and its impossible to completely seal up a garage. We’ve trapped and killed dozens, but they love garages. Where should I put the steel wool?
How about a good barn cat?
aaaAAAhhhHHHHH, The Country Life…Maybe TWO cats…
Love the cat idea, but instead we have two dogs who are indifferent to mice and think cats are for lunch. I’m stuffing small bubble wrap under the edge of the hood beneath the windshield. Don’t know if that’s helping. Would like info on how to clean out the defroster.
I doubt you can clean it out yourself, I’m not familiar with your car, but I have not seen a car since the Plymouth Valiant that the heat/ac system was easy to get apart and all the ones I have seen require removing the refrigerant from the a/c and re-installing it.
Before you spend too much check the cabin filter, if you have one…we had a dead mouse and it had made a nest on the filter…cost $10 and they are easy to replace.
Most cars have a snorkel that extends up under the vent grill in front of the windshield. Often, you can see this looking down through the grill or from the inside looking up through the cabin filter access slot. The mice crawl up the cowl, under the grill and down through the snorkel into the ducting for your HVAC system.
I have mouse proofed all of my vehicles by placing a slightly over sized section of metal window screen over the snorkel and securing it with a twist tie or zip tie around the circumference. You can access the snorkel by loosening or removing the vent grill as required.
You can also put one of these screens over the air inlet snorkel for the engine air filter inlet to prevent them from storing volumes of acorns and nesting material in the air box. BTDTBTTS.