We live in a rural/wooded area…How do I keep chipmunks and mice from trying to “Nest” in my Cars?
Best I can say is good luck.
If you drive it almost every day, they should avoid nesting there. But if it sits for long periods of time, they’re going to do it. Some people say mothballs help. Never worked for me, and it made the car smell like mothballs.
There is a person who makes sachets of some sort of blend of plants for RV’s meant to keep mice away from parked motor homes. The RV crowd says it works well. You can find information about it on RV message boards.
A couple of good “barn” cats can do wonders. Park away from “food” which means an old barn isn’t a good place to park. Park in a mowed area, or put down asphalt or stone in the parking area with a couple of feet of space before tall grass. The critters don’t like to leave the “cover” for a long distance to travel to your cars. A good open space around the cars makes those cats even more effective.
There are “sticky” traps that you can put around and in the car to catch any critters that make it to the car. I discovered nesting materials (a real mess to clean out) in the spare tire area of a station wagon. I cleared it out and put some sticky traps in there and parked in a new spot. I did catch a couple of mice in the traps, so you have to check them before you have a smelly car. I didn’t suffer any damage to vehicle wiring, and eventually the critters found another home.
You are much more likely to have a problem with a car(s) that you don’t use frequently. They seem to say clear of daily used cars for the most part.
Sprinkle moth crystals around the perimeter of the car when you park it…
The only way to keep them away from your car is to remove them from the area…I periodically use live traps to relocate chipmunks … to prevent them from nesting in garage…there are only so many in a given area…remember relocate at least a mile away … use peanut butter and bird seed…gets them every time.
Clear as wide a space as possible around the car, so there is no cover for the little critters to hide behind as they try to run under the car. And light the area at night, including lights aimed under the car. If there’s no food near or under the car, and if the only way to get to the car is to expose themselves to owls, cats and coyotes, they may avoid it.
Buy a can of “self-defense” type pepper spray. Spray it here and there under the hood every month or two…They will nest somewhere else, like in your attic…
Cheaper to use cayenne pepper mixed with water in a sprayer…