Protect Stored Car from Mice

[Michael Petti]

I am asking for suggestions that have proven successful for keeping mice out of a car during winter storage. I have stored the car in same building for 9 years. It's unheated, nothing to eat and no water. I had mice in car about 5 years ago with no damage. There will be two other cars parked with me.  I have used dryer sheets since then but have heard they do not work that good. What has worked for some of you? Looking at an electric mouse Repeller. Putting car away in about a month.

[Cadillac Jack 82]

Irish Spring I hear works.  They hate it.

[Moody]

I used peppermint oil on a few rags under the hood with a car stored outside. No mice. This was after they got into the wires under the hood.
Honda actually makes wire tape that's infused with red pepper in some way, due to mice problems. So red pepper oil may do the same thing.

[James Landi]

I've used dryer sheets around the tires, moth balls around the tires and in tins inside and outside of the car. The suggestions mentioned above also address the "smell offensive" approach. Also, apply generously but be careful not to place these materials on "sensitive surfaces" that might stain.  It will be a big year for rodents this season as the oak trees are yielding plenty of acorns! 

[TJ Hopland]

There doesn't seem to be one for sure way to stop them.  I have thought the dryer sheets were working till one spring I found them all jammed in one spot where it appears they made a nest out of them so some of them apparently like them. 

One place I used to store a car always had a cat or two around, that seemed to work really good but isn't practical for everyone.

[Big Fins]

A rodent problem is one thing I'm glad I don't have down here.

Squirrels and raccoons trying to get into your attic is quite another issue.

[harry s]

Here's a more natural way of controlling the mice. I will say they will startle you at times. for some reason I've not had any inside the car-yet.
Harry

[Carfreak]

Several years ago we were asked to help a friend relocate some cars he had in storage in NE Ohio to SE Michigan. They were parked in a basic pole barn with tall, un-mowed grass all around it. 

Bob had hundreds of drier sheets plus moth balls scattered throughout the barn and inside the cars. I recall watching mice run along the walls while we were in the building. 

Those drier sheets?  The mice seemed to use them for pee-pads inside the cars; aka they were useless.

We've found the best way to prevent problems is to block any entrance or opening, set plenty of traps with peanut butter and make sure no food products they may like are available in the building or vehicle. As someone else mentioned, mice aren't supposed to like Peppermint Oil so we've used that spray recently also as a 'can't hurt' method.

We have those plug in mouse preventers but not sure if they actually help but can't hurt to try.

[TJ Hopland]

I was at a store today and noticed this product on the shelf.  May be worth a try?

https://tomcatbrand.com/en-us/shop/repellents/tomcat-repellents-rodent-repellent-ready-to-use/0368208.html

[Carfreak]

Ingredients - Peppermint Oil, Cinnamon Oil & Garlic Oil. 

[billyoung]

Don't forget to put a cork or better yet a rubber stopper in the end of your tail pipe cause they can jump up and crawl up to the engine and get their head wedged in between an open valve and when you start the car their skull breaks a valve. Antique inboard boat owners have done this for decades.

[Jim Miller]

I put sticky traps along the walls. And stuff a piece of steel wool in the tailpipe. Mice like to travel along the wall. Never had one in a car, but caught several in the sticky traps - usually near an entrance.