Mice in Your Car and Garage This Winter: Signs and Prevention

Garages are the number one place mice get into Colorado Springs homes, and cars parked in them are often the first thing they find. When nights drop below freezing, mice look for warm, sheltered spots near food. A garage full of boxes, bird seed and a warm engine is exactly that.

Why mice like cars. An engine bay that was warm an hour ago, a cabin air filter box, the trunk and the space under the seats all make good nests. Mice chew on wires, insulation and filters for nesting material, and the repair bill can be far higher than the cost of keeping them out.

Signs mice are in your car. Look for droppings on top of the engine, the battery or the floor mats, shredded paper, insulation or leaves stuffed into corners of the engine bay, a musty smell when the fan or heat comes on, chewed wires or hoses, and a check engine light after the car has been parked for a while.

Signs mice are in your garage. Droppings along the walls and behind shelves, chewed bags of pet food, grass seed or bird seed, nesting material in boxes, and gaps of daylight under the garage door or around utility lines.

Simple steps that help. Store pet food, bird seed and grass seed in sealed metal or hard plastic bins. Keep boxes off the floor and away from the walls. Check the bottom seal of the garage door; if you can see daylight, a mouse can fit through. Drive cars that sit for weeks at least once a week, and pop the hood now and then to look for nesting material.

What not to do. Do not toss loose poison or mothballs into an engine bay or garage. They are not made for that, they can hurt pets and kids, and mice often die inside walls or vehicles where the smell lingers. Do not sweep or vacuum droppings; spray them with a disinfectant first, wear gloves, and wipe them up.

How we handle it. We place tamper-resistant bait stations around the garage and outside the house where mice travel, and we come back for follow-up visits to confirm they are gone. Baiting is what gets rid of mice. Sealing helps, but garages always leave a way in, so the follow-up is what keeps them out. Read more on our mouse control page or our rodent control page.

Getting a price is easy. Call or text (719) 465-4818 and tell us what you are seeing and where. We reply with a clear price and book a time on our next route. We are running a winter promo right now, and we serve Colorado Springs, Fountain, Monument, Black Forest, Falcon, Peyton, Woodland Park and nearby towns.