Gentlemen and others:

The Lancer has mice in the headliner. This is not a tragedy yet; the car came to us in 1990 with a low-quality, poorly-installed, inexplicably bleach-stained factory headliner, and so replacing it with a better quality one has been on the list for quite some years.

We have not yet cut the old liner out, the reluctance being that with it removed, the interior of the car is fully accessible to meeces. At present it isn't, unless they chew through. Traps have been set outside the car, fabric softener sheets placed inside the car.

I know there are some small gaps in pass-throughs from the engine bay to the passenger compartment, been meaning to close 'em off for a few years, and I'm guessing that's one possible entry path, but then how/why would they get *into* the headliner? Any thoughts on how mice could get directly from outside the car into, say, the B- or C-pillar and climb up the inside of the pillar and into the headliner area?

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I can see you are still under the mistaken impression (caused by many Internet rumours and false testimonials) that mice need an actual hole to get into your car. They DO NOT need any kind of aperature to gain entry.

I hope these mice are genuine Chryco mice not some Chinese knockoff. I have noted recently a lot of inferior quality mice ...probably bred offshore by some Yankee corporation trying to go cheap. There is some possibility they are being cloned and not breeding in real Hemi cars at all.....

Have you looked in your FSM?

signed: one of the others.....

C-pillar has huge holes on the interior metal panels, and that cavity extends down into the trunk, at least it does on 63-up As and I assume 62-down too. They should have no trouble climbing up there and nesting their little hearts out.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

"Ever eat a Lancer? Many parts are edible."

They go any place that might have food, water, or a cozy place to live.

Mice can squeeze through very small gaps. Typical door gaskets pose little challenge for them. I suspect they could also get into the cowl vents. The trunk might offer a route as well.

We install "rat wire" - heavy mesh, in a 1/4" grid, in large AC motors, to keep rodents out. It generally works, but not always.
I've heard that rodents don't like cayenne.
Mice also avoid cats and cat smell. Maybe borrow a paper bag of used kitty litter to put near the car?

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"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it." - Pointy-haired Boss

1964 Valiant V200, 225/Pushbutton 904
BBD, CAI, HEI, LBP, AC, AM/FM/USB, EIEIO

I wonder if Galen Govier could verify them by DNA?

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"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it." - Pointy-haired Boss

1964 Valiant V200, 225/Pushbutton 904
BBD, CAI, HEI, LBP, AC, AM/FM/USB, EIEIO

Just be sure to return it when you've finished with it.

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David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

Thanks for the suggestions (and laughs), folks. I'm not sure I've made the right decision to leave the headliner in place for the moment. On the one hand, if the headliner were taken out, there'd be noplace up there for mice to nest. On the other hand, if there's noplace up there for them to nest...where will they choose to nest then?

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Ever had that feeling you were being watched.....

That would so ruin a date. OH MY GOD THERE IS A RAT IN YOUR CAR AHHHH.

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82 D150-225/727
02 Dakota-3.9/5 speed
87 GMC C7000-8.2 Detroit Diesel/5+2

I have many troubles with mice in my 61 Valiants being in a rural area.
I have observed the mice coming and going through the holes in the sides
of the "frame" (the boxed in part of the unibody).

I am not sure how they get to the kick panels, the glove box, the trunk,
and the headliner and their other favorite nesting spots from the frame.
But I know they need less than a 1/2 inch crack to get there.

I have heard moth balls will keep them out - I have not found moth
balls in my hardware store and so have not tried this. Just keep setting
many mouse traps.... and replacing headliners and glove boxes.

I've used moth balls to mixed results in the past, I suspect the success depends on whether they are naptha based (supposedly good but harder to find) or a more environmentally friendly recipe. My present approach involves use of those "April Fresh, etc." fabric softener sheets, vended liberally to any and all enclosed area of the car (engine room, interior, trunk and so on). Also fresh mint is said to be repellant to meeces. I recently purchased a pump spray bottle of rodent repellent whose primary effective ingredient is garlic oil. Kinda smells like pencil shavings if you ask me. Not pleasant but not all that repugnant either. I sprayed it along the *ahem* ratwall of the building with a extra dose around the sliding doors whereever day light was detected. Also somewhat effective would be a platoon of barn cats but the trade off then is for them to be fully effective you must leave the vehicles fully opened, which leaves your interiors vunerable to cat furr or hair balls. I've used this system in my old building to mixed results. Some cats are too smart for their own good so if you decide to employ felines, best to pocket the ignition keys .

True. I'm sure my cats get on the internet when I'm not around, and cat-tinkering is a very plausible explanation for those situations where you adjust a carburetor (or valves, timing, etc.) perfectly, but the next time you go to use the car, the adjustment's all out of whack again.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I used to leave a couple of mousetraps around my 48 Plymouth when in storage... they found the peanut butter and sunflower seeds much tastier than the headliner.

-Mac

Hell i just put a black snake in my car an pet him you wont have no problems with mice rats with a pet black snake in your car. Thanks Ron Parker PS take the snake out when you go racing you doint want to loose the snake.










It Aint Over Until I Win

Moth Balls

"why are they in there?"

most of the time I beleive its for one of these reasons:

close to a food source
protection from the elements
protection from predators

the last one is the most common, nothing can follow a mouse into hole that small (unless its a snake, and therefore the mouse will go into the farthest part of the hiding place, where it feels most secure). when your on the ass end of the food chain you learn to find the best hiding places.