[waydui]

Over the past week, every morning I've found pieces of bird seed remnants on the floor of my car. :shrug:

Today, I found more seed on the floor plus small pieces of foam! -eek- I figured there must be some animal using my car as a restaurant.

Then, by chance, the little f#$ker poked his nose out as I was digging under the dash. He got away before I could grab him. :wallbang:

Anyway, how to I get rid of this nuisance? I'm planning on putting a mousetrap laced with peanut butter on the floor of the car tonight.

I could start taking the dash apart, but he'll probably just run into some other crevice or hole.

I'm afraid he might develop an appetite for wires, hoses and other delectable Lotus parts! :thwack:

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

Regards,
Wayne

 

[Vampyre]

Open door insert cat... LOL

Mouse Trap FTW...

 

[x_macbeth]

Scare the s#$% out of him with compressed air :nanner:

 

[Cthulhu]

You have meece in ur elise...

Stop pouring birdseed into your side rails? anic:

rotfl

I would personally take apart my whole dash looking for the mouse, but you could always set your airbags off.

Also: you probably wouldn't have this problem if you used your Elise as a daily driver for the next two weeks. I don't think mice lice excessive lateral g-force. Either that, or you'll toss it into a corner and hear SQUEEE!!! and see a grey street whiz past your face.

 

[SirLotus]

Trust me, if this happened to you it would not be funny. You are correct, disassembling the dash will just make it move elsewhere. Use the trap, I am sure it will work.
Cheers,
Michael

 

[MikeinAlexandria]

Perhaps the mouse is as enthralled with the Elise as we all are. Maybe leave a tiny set of googles and racing helmet so he can go for a ride? LOL! Kind of like that Bud Lite commercial from a few years ago,

Seriously, a havahart trap (NOT a mouse trap) and some peanut butter and cheese should work. Please don't murder the mouse, just catch him and repatriate him to some far away field. (and no, I am not an animal lover, just can't stand to see un-necessary cruelty)

 

[alil'britdifferent]

In the same vein as the above poster.... Try one of these to flush the little bugger out.....

Amazon.com: Black & Decker EX900-A-TP1 Ultrasonic Pest Repeller (XL Room): Patio, Lawn & Garden

Product Description

Black & Decker Ultrasonic Pest Repeller have a 100% Duty Cycle which means the unit is continually emitting ultrasonic "noise". The frequency ranges from 26-74Khz at 105 decibels in a constant fluctuation so to continually disrupt the pests and force them from your home. Pests are repelled because they cannot adapt to the constantly changing array of complex ultrasonic and sonic sounds.

No poisons. No chemicals. No traps. Most household pests are repelled because the constantly changing array of ultrasonic waves disrupt the pests' nervous system, greatly affecting their feeding and communication habits, forcing them to leave the area.

 

[waydui]

Seriously, a havahart trap (NOT a mouse trap) and some peanut butter and cheese should work. Please don't murder the mouse, just catch him and repatriate him to some far away field. (and no, I am not an animal lover, just can't stand to see un-necessary cruelty)

Good idea. I asked my wife to pick one up for me.

I don't relish the idea of mouse blood splattered all over the inside of the car!

Regards,
Wayne

 

[cemaykan]

use your car more often...? no mouse likes to be fly around in each turn

 

[kestrel74]

I did the Bounce clothes dryer sheet trick over the winter.... didn't have any peanuts inside the Elise this spring...so it worked !

 

[bman6074]

I would be sure to put traps in the car and in the engine are. I had mice in my old car and they tore the engine padding out and stuffed it in-between the engine and header. They like warm places. I would put traps out for the next 2 weeks just to be sure you get all of them. Then take the dash apart to clean out all the feces and make sure they havent eaten any wires
Good luck.

 

[Simba]

Once you get rid of it, take the dash apart and give all the wiring a look. The little buggers WILL chew up anything in sight.

 

[Jamolah]

Yah I was gonna say the same thing go out for a good rip in the canyons or ramps and I’m sure he’ll want to leave after you park it.

 

[Green Ghost]

I my self would go for taking some of the dash apart. You have chances of grabbing him, you get to see what the pest did (there may be a mess you want to clean, from poop to nibbled on wires), and you will make the car (it’s home right now) not feel safe anymore. So even if you don’t catch the little pest it may decide to move on when the cost is clear.

I once got a rat out of a house wall with a vacuum, the big sucker was stuck to the end, took it outside and then turned the vacuum off. So if you take the dash apart have a vacuum (shop-vac or what ever) handy to get in to the tight spots you don’t want to or can’t put your hand.

What ever you do get that thing out (or get it to leave) as soon as you can.

 

[Cthulhu]

I once got a rat out of a house wall with a vacuum, the big sucker was stuck to the end, took it outside and then turned the vacuum off. So if you take the dash apart have a vacuum (shop-vac or what ever) handy to get in to the tight spots you don’t want to or can’t put your hand.

rotfl

You could also get the mouse out like that, dye him Brit racing green, with twin yellow stripes, and put him back. GT3 cup mouse.

 

[Addictedto]

Remember if you see 1 mouse there's probably 10 you cant see. Trap and release wil not help the situation long term.

 

[JnC]

Since the mouse already likes the bird seeds, placing a different bait may not work.

I'd get one of those pest sticky pads (they're about 4x6", super sticky, on a black plastic base, can be found in grocery stores), and sprinkle the seeds on it. Place it near where you've seen the mouse or seeds. Once he steps on it, he's not going anywhere and you can dispose of the entire pad.

 

[mjf]

mint

Spritz some minty smelling stuff about the areas you find him, mice hate it, he'll leave on his own.

 

[kestrel74]

Non-violent mousetrap: get a bucket and cover the top with construction paper......make a series of cuts in the top of the construction paper and put a blob of peanut butter in the center. Make a "ramp" to the top of the bucket. The mouse will go for the peanut butter; fall through the slots you cut in, and fall into the bucket. You take him a mile away and let him go into someone elses' Lotus.

 

[dma550]

When I replaced my switch pack and had my dash apart I found they had made a 8" nest right in front of the airbag. They had also stripped some insulation from a wire loom (friction tape).

I did have one funny thing happen once with my mower. I had mowed my yard (about 45 minutes) then stopped the mower to get a drink. When I stopped it, I heard some movement in the screened in top where the flywheel is (which has vanes for the air cooled single). A mouse had been in there the whole time I mowed! He shot down the very hot cylinder head and out of the ducting around the sheet metal of the engine and ran to the hills! He's qualified for the NASA space mouse program now.