Idle Car? Check for Mice!
My SUV has been sitting mostly idle in my driveway since the start of the pandemic. Recently I have been taking it out for the essentials like coffee and groceries… and coffee. Did I mention coffee? I’ve also had it serviced fairly recently. However, despite my recent uptick in usage, I found a nice surprise in my glovebox Tuesday, when I reached in looking for a mask (on my way to get... coffee).
I found a giant ball of shredded napkins. I had stuffed them in there after a recent trip to Dunkin’ for said coffee. At first, I was taken back by it because I had no idea why they were like that. I did think for a second that maybe it could have been an animal, but the thought passed, and I started to wonder “who” ripped the napkins up and why.
This morning it occurred to me that maybe it was a mouse that did it, and perhaps I should have a look. I gloved up and headed for the car. Upon opening the glovebox, I saw the shredded paper again. I balled it up and removed it. I then removed all the other items that were in there including my registration, vehicle manuals, a flashlight, and a pile of my band’s CD’s and stickers (as pictured in the header image of this article). This is not the way that I usually like to promote my band by the way.
It was at this point that I found a little collection of mouse droppings, making it obvious that I was dealing with a mouse nest. So, I say this to you with certainty. If your vehicle is sitting idle in your driveway, due to working at home because of the coronavirus pandemic or for any reason at all really, you may want to double to check your glovebox. Happily, I didn’t find a mouse lurking about.
After I cleaned up and sanitized the glovebox, I did what anyone else would do. I posted pictures on Facebook. An old friend of mine chimed in and told me to grate some Irish Spring soap and sprinkle it throughout the engine, trunk, glovebox, and air-filter area. In all fairness, my wife Marianne had earlier suggested Irish Spring as well… credit where credit is due. My friend told me as well that he services anywhere from 4 to 6 cars a month for rodent damage, and that the wires in the car are soy based, which apparently attracts the mice. Who knew?
Apparently, mice can cause significant damage to your car’s wiring, hoses, and other parts. And the damage could end up costing you several hundred dollars, maybe thousands.
Now that I am aware of this possibility, I will undoubtedly be proactive in trying to avoid it happening in the future. I hope this little tale (or dare I say “tail”) is helpful to you.
Now… go check YOUR car. You know you want to.
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