Mouse and snake and choloate

I thought I heard rummaging in my Subaru Forester one evening. Figured it was my imagination. I left a present of chocolate for a friend in the car awaiting the next opportunity I would be going to her house. When I retrieved it, the gift bag that it was in had been gnawed through, the chocolate bars gnawed open and partially eaten. Being in Florida I chalked it up to cockroaches (large cockroaches)–ever-present, everywhere.

Ah, but when I went to run errands yesterday morning, I stopped short of my car to see a fat yellow rat snake climbing under my car beneath the cargo compartment. Yikes! Confirmed the mouse theory as the snake must be after mouse.

I called loudly for my husband who was south of the house clearing out some brush and trees. We tried to extricate the snake. No luck. We took everything out of the cargo compartment and removed the spare from its well. We found copious amounts of insulation and stuffing, various gnawed rubber parts, and a tell-tale gnawed piece of upholstery on the cargo side of the back seat.

I drove carefully to our car shop and one of the mechanics who was OK with snakes commandeered the help of a few comrades and only had to take apart part of the plastic bumper. He bravely grabbed the snake behind its head and slowly pulled the stubborn snake out of its hiding place. We plopped it into a cooler and I drove it home and released it on our acreage.

Above and beyond–a mechanic shop I would recommend to anyone. They will be getting lots of chocolate chip cookies.

The snake had not eaten. So where is the mouse? Somewhere between by backseat and the cargo compartment–in that space that you really can’t get to. I am going to pick up a Have-a-Heart trap from a friend and try to entice it with more chocolate and perhaps some cheese. But I have read that does not really work.

Any other suggestions? Should I be worried about damage to wiring? How is the little critter getting inside in the first place?

I sure wouldn’t be that kind. We’re heading to Florida so now I’ll have to worry what extra baggage might be in the rental car.

The trap should do it - like Bing, I guess I don’t “have a heart.” I like my traps to sound like “THWACK.” A little peanut butter…a nice strong spring…

Yes you do need to worry about wiring, but the only real way to worry about it is to get the rodent out of there.

Forget the live trap and put some peanut butter on a plastic snap trap. Don’t use chocolate or cheese, peanut butter is the best.
Set the trap and let the car sit until its caught.

Mice can do thousands of dollars in damage to chewed wiring harnesses.

I agree with the others. In trying to be nice to the mouse, you’re risking very expensive repairs to your car. It needs to be gotten rid of in the quickest way possible.