I have an 87 4Runner with a mouse or maybe mice. I sleep in the truck on camping trips and think I may have picked one up in Moab. I saw and heard them running around in the truck at night. I have set four snap traps with peanut butter as bait with no luck so now have switched gears to the Tom Cat poison traps. We shall see. I am seeing new droppings every day so I know they’re not gone yet. I pulled the side panels and found no evidence of a nest. I even droppped the ac/heat blower and found it to be clean with no sign of nest or dropping’s. In the next couple of days I’m going to pull apart the dash to try and find the nest. I have put so much love in this truck. To see it ruined by mice eating wiring or me getting Hantavirus would really suck. My truck is clean and free of food(now) with no obvious materials to build a nest. I have considered locking a snake or cat in there with water. I’m desperate.

1. Any further advice on eradication?

2. How/where are they getting in/out?

Thanks guys
Sam

 

Don't leave the keys.

 

Thanks for the humor!

 

Ive had good luck with poison pellets in my barn to keep them off my tractor. A friend will keep some of the pellets on the battery of his tractor. Ive also used the sticky traps and they have worked well.

 

Add some dry uncooked oatmeal on top of the peanut butter.

 

put the snap traps where you are seeing the droppings, if possible. set it on a piece of cardboard if you don't want blood on the interior parts of the runner.

i've had some success discouraging them from the engine bay by sprinkling cayenne powder on flat surfaces.

 

poison pellets. and, don't leave any food in the vehicle. or, put it in something air tight. they come for anything edible they can smell

btw, any opening to the cab, vents, etc and they can get in. believe it or not, they can climb tires

 

Thanks for all the advice so far. I’m guna give the traps and poison a week and then I’m guna disassemble the dash to find their nest and check for any damaged wires. I will let y’all know how things go and hopefully post some dead mouse pics!

 

always close the fresh air damper when parking the truck

Leave dryer sheets (Bounce) in the side panels

remove ALL food
Bleach down the surfaces

Build a cage to keep em from making a nest in the cowl

see this thread for the cage

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...e-woes-296071/

 

Dam rodents.

On many occasions, I have had them nest on batteries, in air boxes, in heater ducting, you name it, in less than 4 hours of arrival in their habitat.

I have seen small deermice jump straight up near 4 feet to get into a pickup bed.

Here in the southwest pack rats are the absolute worst.

Any and ALL measures must be taken, post haste. They will destroy the wiring in your truck. Good luck

 

I use Moth Balls for some reason they don`t like the smell seems to work

 

As an update my truck is now mouse free. Apparently I caught it early but i took literally everything out of the truck, kept it clean, and set traps. No luck with the traps but they seemed to have lost interest and left. No more dropping’s for two weeks now(i kept them cleaned up daily). I keep sticky traps baited with peanut butter just in case and have some traps under the truck as well. Hopefully they stay alway!

 

Soak some cotton balls with peppermint oil and leave them in the truck. Rodents hate the smell and you truck will smell like Christmas. Win win.

If you park in a garage set up a bucket trap. Google it. It’s very easy and effective. I live in the woods and there are literally 1000’s of mice around. Bucket trap keeps my house mouse free.

 

There's another spot where mice can enter the cab... Be sure to check the steering column shaft seal and replace if torn. See here: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...column-221636/

-Kevin