How to Prevent Rodents in Your Car This Winter

Mice infestations are bad enough in the home, but they can be downright frightening to discover in your car! When left uncontrolled, rats or mice in your car can lead to serious damage. For the most part, rodent-infested cars most commonly occur in the wintertime as rats and mice seek out warmth. Rodents can squeeze their way into your car easier than you may wish to admit, which is why it’s so important to learn how to prevent rats and mice during the winters in Wisconsin each year.

How Do Rodents Get in Cars?

Rodents are infamous for squeezing through the tiniest openings to get to their desired location, and cars are no exception. In most instances, mice or rats will crawl up into your car from beneath the engine and make themselves at home inside.

Other rodent entry points into your vehicle include vents, holes around cables, pedal shafts, and steering columns. During the winter, mice and rats are more likely to crawl into your car to escape the dropping temperatures outdoors.

3 Ways to Prevent Mice and Rats in Your Vehicle

To avoid the gross discovery of rodents inside your car, there are a number of ways you can prevent them:

1. Keep your vehicle clean and food-free.
   1. Never keep bags of pet food or birdseed in your car.
   2. Excess trash and paper can provide nesting materials for rodents.
2. Reduce rodent hiding spaces.
   1. Always make sure your car is sealed and closed off.
   2. Avoid parking or storing vehicles in wooded areas or tall grass.
3. Inspect your car regularly.
   1. Open the hood of your car to look for nests in the engine.
   2. Quickly fix moisture problems (such as a leak in the heater).

Rodent Removal and Prevention

Especially with Wisconsin’s cold temperatures, rats and mice are constantly seeking shelter in the winter. Even when you do all you can to prevent rodents in your car during the winter, they still may make their way inside. If you suspect rodents are nesting in your vehicle, call the rat and mice exterminators at Batzner Pest Control for professional rodent removal!