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2011 Limited mouse infestation

Discussion in '5th Gen 4Runners (2010-2024)' started by 4runnerPOS!, Aug 14, 2025.

  1. Aug 14, 2025 at 5:19 PM
    #1
    4runnerPOS!

    4runnerPOS! [OP] New Member

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    2011 limited loaded with mice. They're getting inside through the front cowl and vent area. I've already built a screen but now they come in and just make a nest on top of the screen how do I keep them out of that cowl area altogether but yet still let water drain? What a piss poor design that is The water running off the windshield drips right into the ventilation system. Brilliant!

    20250814_171927.jpg
     
  2. Aug 14, 2025 at 5:45 PM
    #2
    Hungryhawk

    Hungryhawk New Member

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    I found a bag of a herb ( maybe mint) at Home Depot and Amazon. I think its named "vamoose". My 2 vehicles were having under hood visitors. I placed these bags around and tied them in place- life supposidle a month.
    Also I put the mouse size black bait boxes under the engine on ground and another on battery -remove the boxes ( green blocks of poison) before driving. I put a sign on dash across the instruments as a reminder! It seemed to be effective. Only one plastic sheath of wiring got nibbled -wrapped the spot with a few inches of a Honda anti-mouse black tape.
    Make sure thereis no food source around where you park -mine were liking garden snails. Poison got rid of snails.
    Hope this gives you an idea.
     
  3. Aug 14, 2025 at 5:49 PM
    #3
    Hungryhawk

    Hungryhawk New Member

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    Also, clean the nest areas of their feces and urine. The smells announce a nesting place. Find a cleaner with a residual chemical smell.
     
    4runnerPOS![OP] likes this.
  4. Aug 14, 2025 at 8:46 PM
    #4
    Tahoe

    Tahoe New Member

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    Hide a cat in there
     
  5. Aug 14, 2025 at 8:50 PM
    #5
    Tahoe

    Tahoe New Member

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    I had the same problem on my tundra. I did the same screen thing as you, then soaked the whole area in “rodent defense spray” from Amazon. Works fairly well.
     
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  6. Aug 15, 2025 at 3:11 PM
    #6
    4runnerPOS!

    4runnerPOS! [OP] New Member

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    Thanks for the great suggestions. However I'm looking for a more permanent solution. The sprays, moth balls, traps etc. will need reapplication every time it rains or gets washed. I might have to screen off that entire top area so they can't get in there at all. If I ever have to get to the wiper motors, I'll have to tear it off.
    More suggestions gladly welcome. I can't believe it's this hard to design a mouse proof vehicle.
     
  7. Aug 15, 2025 at 3:13 PM
    #7
    4runnerPOS!

    4runnerPOS! [OP] New Member

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    I'm going to work on it during the next few days. I'll post pictures of whatever rinky dink shit I come up with!
     
  8. Aug 15, 2025 at 3:16 PM
    #8
    TrailSpecial22

    TrailSpecial22 Still here…

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    Solution is to kill as many mice as possible. Bait/poison traps etc. peppermint oil in a spray bottle ia a good deterrent. Good luck!
     
  9. Aug 15, 2025 at 3:20 PM
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    roooo

    roooo New Member

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    Get a taxidermied cat that fits in your hood and spray it with skunk smelling potion juice
     
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  10. Aug 15, 2025 at 8:32 PM
    #10
    Tahoe

    Tahoe New Member

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    I freaking hate mice. They’ve chewed many thousands of dollars into my vehicles. When you kill them, I say you should string them up like a necklace and drape it over the hood as a deterrent to other miscreant mice. Please take a picture. I found mouse poop and chewed plastic in my engine bay today.
     
    Captain Spalding likes this.
  11. Aug 16, 2025 at 5:57 AM
    #11
    salvojimmy

    salvojimmy New Member

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    I use this stuff, all available on. Amazon

    IMG_1781.jpg
     
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  12. Aug 16, 2025 at 6:22 AM
    #12
    McSpazatron

    McSpazatron New Member

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    Where do you store your 4runner? I had a neighbor that kept on having mice get into everything in his garage. Turns out he had a bag of grass seed he forgot about stuffed in a corner and they were eating it. It was attracting mice from all over.

    If mice are around, they will get into anything. The best way to keep them out will be to first take away anything that might attract them to the area.
     
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  13. Aug 16, 2025 at 11:40 AM
    #13
    Hungryhawk

    Hungryhawk New Member

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    Prrhaps your mice are simply seeking a safe nest spot-and warm if you drive often. Now they follow their nest smells back to your vent.
    Most of us plagued with rodents have them camping on top of engine snacking of the wiring-supposidly with soybased plastics since chlorine ingredients were condemed as harmful to planet Earth
     
  14. Aug 16, 2025 at 2:46 PM
    #14
    Greg D

    Greg D TJ312

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    Borla exhaust, Jet MAF sensor, K&N filter, Hayden rapid cool transmission cooler, Hella horns, electric fan, Pedal Commander, Derale power steering cooler,
    With ignition on, turn your AC too recirculation to close the blend door from outside fresh air to the heater box. You will usually find them in your cabin air filter behind the glove box. Get a hungry stray cat, moth balls and red crushed pepper on the engine. They are crawling in there from where the AC drain you can't see is. You don't want them inside your dash or kick panel wiring. I use K&N cabin air filter and apparently it's not as tasty as regular filters. I have pulled nests with babies of there at the shop more than once and a squirrel in a Camry intake tube and the the car wouldn't hardly run.
     
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  15. Aug 17, 2025 at 7:41 PM
    #15
    FatChance

    FatChance Calculated risk or forbidden fruit?

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    Just don't fall for the old Irish Spring soap "deterrent"...

    tapatalk_1574033371978.jpg
     
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  16. Aug 17, 2025 at 8:34 PM
    #16
    Tahoe

    Tahoe New Member

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    Welp, so much for “rodent defense” spray. I covered the whole engine bay yesterday and today I heard rustling in my engine as I walked by. I opened the hood and sprayed away with abandon until a chipmunk popped his head up. I finally chased him out of the truck for now, but I’m sure he’ll be back with the rest of the family tonight. So now there are 6 mouse traps under the truck and one on the fusebox. Looking forward to the kill count in the morning.

    i wish there was some sort of deterrent that actually worked.
     
  17. Aug 18, 2025 at 7:14 AM
    #17
    Tahoe

    Tahoe New Member

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    Ok, AM kill count update:

    1 dead mouse.
    3/4 snap traps empty
    Engine bay snap trap empty
    One snap trap missing, presumably carried off by a coyote with a dead mouse in it.

    and the best part… a live chimpunk that kept peeking at me from various parts of the engine bay this morning. I hope he abandons ship before he meets his end. He’s kind of cute.
     
  18. Aug 18, 2025 at 11:20 AM
    #18
    McSpazatron

    McSpazatron New Member

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    It gets so much harder when they make eye contact lol.:D


    Wow, you seriously have a wildlife problem. I really don’t think anybody can outsmart mice when it comes to squeezing into tiny spaces and nesting. Trying to solve the problem by only focusing on the car is a lost cause. They’ve already breached the city walls, and at that point, anything you do will just force them into more expensive parts of the car, especially if your car is irresistible because it’s the best shelter they see.

    But regardless, I think your best bet is to think like a mouse. They want food, safe shelter, and natural cover as they go about their day and move from one place to another.

    Some suggestions:
    Park your vehicle as far away from natural cover (like tall grass, woodpiles, edges of buildings). If that’s not possible, then remove all natural cover from near your vehicle. You want to create conditions that will force mice to run across open ground with open sky above them, if they want to get to your car. Small animals hate open sky above them, having nothing between them and the sky is suicidal.

    Once you create a natural “no-man’s land” between your vehicle and any places that have cover, then put out a plastic owl on top of a nearby structure, somewhere where mice can see it out of the corner of their eye. Move that owl around occasionally or remove it for a day or two so they don’t get used to it. Plastic snakes hanging on nearby railings or branches is also a nice addition.

    If that doesn’t work, then make a moat full of kerosene around your car lol.
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2025 at 11:26 AM
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  19. Aug 18, 2025 at 11:40 AM
    #19
    Beachguy

    Beachguy Normal turned up too loud

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    IMG_6981.jpgMy daughter got some of these at Wal Mart and they worked great for the initial treatment to get rid of them.
     
  20. Aug 18, 2025 at 12:45 PM
    #20
    Tahoe

    Tahoe New Member

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    I’m going with the kerosene moat! Lol

    I live in the forest in Tahoe. There’s no escaping the rodents. Maybe I’ll tether a coyote to my truck
     
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  21. Aug 18, 2025 at 8:46 PM
    #21
    McSpazatron

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    If you like predatory bird watching, cut down a few trees to open up the view to the sky. You’ll probably hear their wings whistling as they dive bomb the open area for food. Great entertainment! :D
     
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  22. Aug 18, 2025 at 9:15 PM
    #22
    Tahoe

    Tahoe New Member

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    I like that idea!
     
  23. Aug 18, 2025 at 9:16 PM
    #23
    Tahoe

    Tahoe New Member

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    Kill count update:
    1 mouse
    1 chipmunk
    3 cabin air filters
     
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  24. Aug 18, 2025 at 11:29 PM
    #24
    McSpazatron

    McSpazatron New Member

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    The chipmunk had it comin! It was on notice!
     
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  25. Aug 18, 2025 at 11:53 PM
    #25
    billum v2.0

    billum v2.0 just a guy in a truck.....

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    Disperse camp often for couple weeks at a time. Have had similar problem. She got inside by chewing thru OEM cabin air filter.
    K&N makes a washable cabin air filter wrapped in wire mesh that has since resolved that access point. Eliminated her and her offspring with combination of snap traps/glue boards.
    Still searching for effective under hood deterrent. Moth balls/peppermint sprays/Irish Spring/dryer sheets haven't helped. Glue boards under hood, snap traps under vehicle been most effective but pain to deploy nightly.
    Good luck and report back if find a good solution.
     
  26. Aug 19, 2025 at 7:08 AM
    #26
    Turd Ferguson

    Turd Ferguson New Member

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    A bucket trap works pretty good for killing chipmunks and mice. Fill the bucket 3/4’s full with water then sprinkle sunflower seeds on the surface. Use a board as a ramp/diving board up to the bucket. It can be a pain in the butt to keep replacing the water and seeds every couple days but they work well and will clear out a lot of rodents.
     
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  27. Aug 19, 2025 at 7:32 AM
    #27
    Tahoe

    Tahoe New Member

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    I’m torn on the K&N cabin filter. My main concern is Hantavirus aerosolizing into the truck. I can throw out a disposable, but if the KN gets mouse poop on it, I won’t feel safe reusing it even if I soak the thing in bleach. It’ll always be in the back of my mind. We’ve already had a few deaths this year in our area from Hanta.

    I do plan to cut some heavy duty screen to block off access to the cabin air filter. I ended up doing that on my Tundra and it was effective.

    I incorporated the glue traps last night. Add one mouse to the kill list.
    2 mice
    1 chipmunk
    3 cabin air filters
     
  28. Aug 19, 2025 at 7:33 AM
    #28
    Tahoe

    Tahoe New Member

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    This works really well. I have one in the garage and one outside!
     
  29. Aug 19, 2025 at 12:58 PM
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    RepentOrPerish

    RepentOrPerish New Member

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    X3 for the bucket traps.. get a couple of the lids off Amazon. I smear a bit of peanut butter on the underside of the flap, and changed from water to used motor oil, they sink and dont stink. Forget dead mice in a bucket of water for a week or so and you wont want to bother with water again.
     
  30. Aug 19, 2025 at 1:17 PM
    #30
    Tahoe

    Tahoe New Member

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    The oil idea is fantastic!
     

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