Tips on How to Help Keep Mice Out of your car

Will your brand new car be disabled overnight by a rodent?

Does Your Car Have Wiring That Rodents Think Is Tasty?

When you think of the ways nature can damage your vehicle, you likely picture high winds snapping tree limbs, menacing hailstones or even a deer running out in front of you. But there’s another type of critter that can be trouble for your car — rodents.

Whether we’re talking about rats, mice or squirrels, these creatures can thrive in a variety of climates. And they can easily find a home under the hood of an unlucky vehicle. If left to their own devices, rodents can do significant damage to your car’s wiring, hoses, and other parts.

 

The occurrence is far more common than you may realize, Prevention is key.

In January 2016, a lawsuit filed against Honda claimed the soy-based wiring in cars was irresistible to rabbits. Later that year, a similar lawsuit was filed against Toyota. In July 2017, both Hyundai and Kia were sued for using soy wiring.

In each case, the automaker was accused of concealing the problem and/or refusing to fix the issue under warranty.

How to Help Keep Mice Out of your car?

There are several systems where we have observed substantial damage caused by rodents:

• Electrical Wiring harnesses
• Air Conditioning and Heating Ducts
• Seat Cushions
• Trunk and Storage Area Carpeting
• Various fluid containers made from plastics
• Why does this happen?
• Treat your car with essential oils or commercial products that emit rodent-repellent smells.

 

Until roughly a decade ago, most car companies used wiring insulation that was petroleum-based. Nests themselves can be an issue but the introduction of soy-based wire insulation was meant to have a twofold benefit: It was less expensive for automakers and because it used soy instead of oil, it was better for the environment. But some unhappy car owners now counter that the greener wiring is now luring the environment, particularly the animal kingdom, under the hoods of their vehicles.

Rodent nesting in cars is not a new problem in the automotive world. Animals take shelter and live in automobiles more often than you might think. In the frigid winter your car, insulated from predators and the cold, can be especially alluring to rodents and other critters. And any seasoned mechanic has at least a few stories of faunas in the engine compartment, and not just in beater cars.

The health risks are a real worry, too, and not just for people with hands under the hood. If the animal is anywhere near your cabin air filter, you could be getting a refreshing breeze of animal dander and excrement every time you turn up the air. Rats and mice defecate and urinate close to home, and if one’s living in or near the filter, “you’re practically taking every particle and sending it into the car. That has to be an ideal way to spread an airborne virus.

After all of his car-wiring ordeals is soy-based wire insulation is to blame? We certainly believe that soy-based wiring has exacerbated this problem! According to many mechanics across the country, the common consensus was that rodent damage in cars has increased exponentially over the last 10 years.

 

Where does that leave car owners who have furry houseguests living in their cars?

A class-action lawsuit was filed in 2016 in California against Toyota claiming the company should cover — under warranty — damage from rodents chewing through insulation for wiring that is now soy-based versus petroleum-based.In the same year on the East Coast, AAA car care center technicians were finding a similar problem of rodents chewing through vehicle wires, particularly in cold weather. As of the winter of 2017, a spokeswoman for the group told the Free Press last week, the problem still exists.

 

Which cars have soy-based wiring?

The Kia Soul, Sorrento, Sedona, Sportage, and Cadenza are some of the examples. Hyundai also took its steps forward toward eco-friendliness and introduced soy wiring into their creations. As a result, Veloster, Accent, Elantra, Genesis Coupe, and many other models come with soy wiring

 

 

How to clean a car infested by mice

Because humans contract the Hantavirus by breathing it in, it’s essential to use extreme care in cleaning a car that has been infested by mice or rats. Before starting clean up of the space, ventilate the space by opening the doors and windows for at least 30 minutes to allow fresh air to enter the area. Use cross-ventilation and leave the area during the airing-out period. Don’t sweep or vacuum rodent urine or droppings as airborne particles may carry the Hantavirus. Instead, clean any infected areas with liquid disinfectant.

• Wear rubber, latex, or vinyl gloves when cleaning urine and droppings.
• Mix 1½ cups of household bleach with a gallon of water and spray the affected areas until they are very wet.
• Allow the bleach mixture to soak into the affected area for 5 to 10 minutes
• Wipe the area with a paper towel and then discard it.
• Use a paper towel to pick up the urine and droppings, and dispose of the waste in the garbage.
  Place the dead rodent or nesting materials in a plastic bag and seal tightly. Place the full bag in a second plastic bag and seal.
• If you’re not comfortable doing it yourself, you can have your carpet steam-cleaned at a detail shop.

So how do you avoid rodents and expensive repairs?  Prevention is key.

Here at NHOU®, we specialize in solving problems. Here is our strategy — completely different problems with the same solution. Rodent damage and Rust

Over the years, we’ve heard numerous stories from our customers that after having their vehicle coated with NH Oil Undercoating®, the rodent problem miraculously disappeared!
That’s right, just like eliminating annoying squeaks and malfunctioning spare tires that become functional, this is a byproduct of our oil-based rustproofing system.

We’ve taken this one step further, by adding essential peppermint oils. Mouse-Out smells nice to humans but rodents steer clear. This two-pronged approach towards combating rodent damage to your RV, boat, or automobile will make a formidable defense and create an environment that’s unpleasant and inhabitable.

Now, as a byproduct of combating rodents, you will have the added benefit of protecting the surface from corrosion for wiring harnesses or body cavities!

We offer safe and effective non-toxic essential oils natural pest control products that repel mice and other rodents. Mouse-Out ™

 

Mouse-Out ™ It is available at participating authorized applicators. Also available in aerosol cans, one and 5-gallon buckets.

Find a factory trained applicator

Purchase online free expedited shipping

Honda’s Soy-Based Wiring Covers Irresistible to Rodents: Lawsuit

A federal breach-of-warranty lawsuit demands that Honda pay for rodent damage to its environmentally friendly soy-based car wiring covering.

By Lucy Bayly