Are mice living in your car? Here’s how to tell, and what to do about it

Scratches, chewed wires, droppings, urine and nesting materials are all signs that mice may be living inside your vehicle, according to Consumer Reports.

“Mice are dirty. Certainly, there’s respiratory health concerns. But not to mention, they just tear the car up,” said Michael Crossen, who maintains testing vehicles for Consumer Reports.

Crossen said mice can enter cars through areas like air vents and build nests inside components such as the pollen filter.

“We noticed some debris down on the floor of the vehicle, a little bit of a smell,” he said. “We went right to the pollen filter and sure enough, that’s where we found the mouse’s little home.”

If you suspect an infestation, experts recommend taking the car outside to inspect and clean it thoroughly.

“We want to clean it up and disinfect it. We need to take care of any repairs that need to be done due to the mouse being in the car. And then we need to prevent it from happening in the future,” Crossen said.

Cleaning should be done carefully, using protective gloves, disinfectant spray and disposable towels. Crossen warned against vacuuming.

“You definitely don’t want to use a vacuum cleaner because it turns all that stuff into airborne contaminants and then you can breathe them in and cause respiratory problems,” he said. “Then you want to disinfect the area, replace that pollen filter with a brand new one and put everything back together.”

Damage to wiring can pose a safety concern. If wires appear to have been chewed through, Crossen said the car may not be safe to drive and should be inspected by a mechanic.

To help prevent mice from returning, Crossen suggested using deterrents.

“There are peppermint oil pouches that you can put inside your vehicle, and there’s also a tape that actually has capsaicin in it. That’s the hot part of a chili pepper. If they try to chew on the wiring, they hate the way it tastes and they go find somewhere else to live,” he said.

Keeping a car free of food debris and sealing garages tightly can also reduce the likelihood of rodents getting inside. Setting traps in garages and moving a vehicle regularly may further discourage mice from taking up residence.