How do the mice get in?

You mean, on top of the xospray? And oil soap as in Murphy's oil soap?

Is the main carpet piece glued down? I started pulling it up before it occured to me, "Dang you idiot, if it's glued down the mice can't get under there and you're making work for no reason!"

edit -

I've opted to leave it glued in, for now. I've still managed to put 4 gallons of XOspray into my trunk! I haven't gotten the inside vertical portions of the trunk carpet either. I am in need of a better way to dispense this stuff. I started off using one of those pump up sprayers but that is just too plain slow. I ended up pouring it out of a gallon milk cartoon which is fast but wasteful. And I can't get the vertical areas or very tight areas well.

BTW, spotted 2 fat fuckin' mice zooming along while I worked. I hate those guys! But I've got to give them credit for being very, very fast.

The trunk carpet is not glued down, although parts of the padding may adhere to the trunk floor due to moisture or spills. I have removed mine for cleaning and installing sound deadener.

By the way - I don't know if this is true for XO but for Super CD the stuff quits working if you use too much. For Super CD, too much is 3 drops or more.

THe interior oil soap wipedown I have in mind would be that you make a bucket of oil soap no-rinse solution per label directions as if for general cleaning (Murphy's oils soap has such directions). THen you dip a towel into it (such as a white washcloth or face towel from the dollar store so your spouse won't grill you about what you did to it), wring it back out almost dry, and wipe down a small area, like aboutt 1 or 2 feet square. Then rinse the towel in clear water, wring out, wet it thoroughly with the soap, wring out, and wipe down the next area. THe point is to remove dust/dirt/oil/"vinyl fog" that would hold odors. You may want to vacuum the headliner instead of wipe it down. You may want to remove the rear seat and clean under it. And finally, polish after yourself with a dry towel on the windows so they don't water-spot.

Albertj

The carpet came out easily enough after soaking in Xospray last night.

The mouse smell does seem to be gone Keepin' my fingers crossed it doesn't come back.

I found another hole just forward of that big plug. I'm going to JB weld a scrap of hardware cloth over it for starters. I'm not sure how strong a bond that is going to be. Might be best to use screws too. Is there such a thing as a self-tapping metal screw?

I'm worried about the plug staying plugged too. I think a big mouse could push it in.

I didn't increase the concentration of the Xospray, I just used a lot of the diluted concentration

Yes there are self-tapping metal screws, some with sharp points (sheet metal screws) and some with hex heads and ehat looks like a little drill bit for the tip.

As for the hole forward of the plug, is that where the antenna drain is supposed to go? There is supposed to be a grommet in that hole with the drain tube from antenna running thru.

Albertj

I found the antenna tube. Didn't see a grommet.

No more than I drive in the rain I may just have to consider this the first step to shaving the antenna and leave my screen in place

Jack the R wrote:

I found the antenna tube. Didn't see a grommet.

No more than I drive in the rain I may just have to consider this the first step to shaving the antenna and leave my screen in place

Because this hole is behind the plastic bumper skin, grommet's not a big deal - I think I put one there come to think of it, it may not have been original.

If I had occasion to pull the carpet out again, when reinstalling I'd probably just fill the gap around the antenna drain tube with RTV. I bet mice don't like that much if at all.



Albertj

Two new problems -

- the mice have gotten real good at getting the cheese out of the trap. I need a new bait. I tried peanut butter pressed into gauze, with the guaze tied to the trigger, but they had an even easier time with that

- I've got a bad mildew smell in my carpet because of a couple straight rainy, high humidity days after I soaked it with XOspray. I've got it out in the sun now. Maybe that will dry it out and get that smell out, but I'm not confident on the smell part.

This sounds like it's turning into a full time job.
I'd park the car outside and burn down the garage. J/k ...I think...

When you live in the woods, you fight a constant battle against the wildlife. If it's not mice getting in the car, it's birds pooping on the car, or pecking up the chrome and mirrors, or it's deer and rabbits getting in the garden; or bees, woodpeckers, squirrels, ants (and mice) tearing up the house. Or moles tearing up the yard. Or gnats trying to get in your eyes. Or chiggers, mosquitos, and 4 kinds of ticks trying to suck your blood . . .

Oh, To live in Paradise.!!!!

Jack the R wrote:

Two new problems -

- the mice have gotten real good at getting the cheese out of the trap. I need a new bait. I tried peanut butter pressed into gauze, with the guaze tied to the trigger, but they had an even easier time with that

- I've got a bad mildew smell in my carpet because of a couple straight rainy, high humidity days after I soaked it with XOspray. I've got it out in the sun now. Maybe that will dry it out and get that smell out, but I'm not confident on the smell part.

Hmmmm.....

consider using a wet/dry vac to get the moisture out of the carpet before you let it air dry.

Sears used to sell an attachment for the big wet dry vacs that shampoos the carpet - in the tools department near the wet dry vacs you will find it. I like mine! pulls the water better than any shampooer ever will. In practice, though, it was clumsy. I found that the all-purpose and car nozzle attachments do a great job of pulling water out of carpets with the wet dry vac.

Albertj

Not gonna have a wet/dry vac for a while

Jack the R wrote:

Not gonna have a wet/dry vac for a while

you never know what's in nearby garage sales... and for this task an inexpensive one will work... you just want to use the nozzle attachments to suck off the excess water, then let the thing dry. One way to do this is to use the coin-operated vac at a self-serve car wash. Provided it's not clogged (if that possibility bothers you go when an attendant is around) it'll do the job just fine. You won't get it bone dry - but you will draw out the excess moisture adn it will dry a lot faster.

As for the cheesy mice, might want to lean a board ofver your traps so it's dark. The smell of the bait will still draw the mice, but... well, they can't really dodge what they can't see.

Albertj

I got it out in the sun yesterday and that knocked out most of the smell. I have to put my nose on it now to smell it. Maybe a couple more days of airing out will do it. The weather's not helping any, it's been cloudy most of the time lately with sporadic showers and 90-100% humidity. I sure timed this well.

The mice only run around in the dark. They're so light I bet they can stop in 1/8" whenever a whisker touches anything. Even though they scoot around like little ground missiles.

Jack the R wrote:

I got it out in the sun yesterday and that knocked out most of the smell. I have to put my nose on it now to smell it. Maybe a couple more days of airing out will do it. The weather's not helping any, it's been cloudy most of the time lately with sporadic showers and 90-100% humidity. I sure timed this well.

The mice only run around in the dark. They're so light I bet they can stop in 1/8" whenever a whisker touches anything. Even though they scoot around like little ground missiles.

When you turn the light on they will stop and you can blast the little bastards with some rat shot. You could leave the car outside while you have "the rat killing". Be sure and wear some hearing protection

Bert

Jack the R wrote:

I got it out in the sun yesterday and that knocked out most of the smell. I have to put my nose on it now to smell it. Maybe a couple more days of airing out will do it. The weather's not helping any, it's been cloudy most of the time lately with sporadic showers and 90-100% humidity. I sure timed this well.

The mice only run around in the dark. They're so light I bet they can stop in 1/8" whenever a whisker touches anything. Even though they scoot around like little ground missiles.

good point.

I have a friend who solved a similar problem using glue traps - BUT - he used the ones for rats (they are much bigger and can be tacked to the floor). Takes a while for the rats to die so they don't thrash while you are lifting the board. Mice don't take so long. You can release the mice (and your fingers) from the rat glue boards with salad oil. i have heard, however, that many people simply throw them away or burn them.

Albertj

I didn't know they made sticky traps for rats.

I put out the ones for mice and they didn't work very well. Two were able to get out. My garage isn't clean enough for them to last long either, they fill up with sawdust and leaves.

The musty smell is coming back. Of course it's super humid and rainy. The interior doors of the house have swollen up from the humidity and can't be closed.

Jack the R wrote:

I didn't know they made sticky traps for rats.

I put out the ones for mice and they didn't work very well. Two were able to get out. My garage isn't clean enough for them to last long either, they fill up with sawdust and leaves.

The musty smell is coming back. Of course it's super humid and rainy. The interior doors of the house have swollen up from the humidity and can't be closed.

See http://www.thegreathardwarestore.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=632176&click=2744 - you can probably get them at a farm supply store, just ask at the counter. Wal-Marts *sometimes* have them, Tractor Supply Co (used to be Central Tractor around here) always have them. A local farm store is also likely to have them. They will almost always be less than $4 per pair (which if you think about it is kind of high given what they are but OK given how well they work). They are sometimes called glue boards, glue traps, sticky boards. And, insist on the rat size. My opinion - the ones for mice are OK at trapping ants and spiders but I think they have to be drunk first. The ones for rats are, in my experience, no-kidding-effective trapping mice. When the mice start to thrash around they get more and more stuck. Kind of like playing Twister(R) in a tarpit. Just wait till you see how pretzelled Mickey, Herman and Jerry get trying to get off the boards - but they won't. The thrashing tends to get them stuck more and tire them out.

You might have to remove or mitigate that sawdust/leaf stuff. However, what you can do in the meantime is pick up the boards during the day. They are ridged so you can stack them 2X2 with the gluey sides facing in, unless you bait them. Well - if you bait them with peanut butter just don't put too big a lump on. Or try baiting them with a few popcorn kernels, in my experience those can work. Anyway during the day just pick the traps up, stack them, and set them aside for the day. Whey you are done sawyering for the day, put the boards back down. Oh yeah, and you might want to wear dishwasher gloves, or the inexpensive nitrile gloves they have at some dollar stores, to keep human smell off the boards and to keep from accidentally sticking to them. The boards are not toxic (far from it, really) but the glue they use is wiked sticky. It's WAY easier to get a glove of the boards than a finger. . Oh and one other thing. Be sure there's no oil on the floor - otherwise the "alpha mice" of the bunch will learn that if they walk thru the oil first they won't stick to the trap. And the less dirt on the floor the less likely the mice will have enough dirt on their feet to skitter off the trap successfully.

Albertj

Thanks for the tip. My floor is totally covered in sawdust from all the carpentry work I've been doing. One day it will be clean again . . .

In addition to the chemicals you are using you might want to try putting some ground up coffee beans in the trunk and the interior compartment. I dont think you would have to worry about the mice eating them but not sure, hell they will eat about anything they run up on. Supposedly the coffee beans help eliminate the smell.


Bert

Charcoal and baking soda are supposed to work too.

It seems like the XOspray has left an odor, even on the bare metal of the trunk. It's not as unpleasant as urine but it can be strong in a warm closed up car.

Jack the R wrote:

Charcoal and baking soda are supposed to work too.

It seems like the XOspray has left an odor, even on the bare metal of the trunk. It's not as unpleasant as urine but it can be strong in a warm closed up car.

I never used XO so I am kind of talking thru my hat here - but maybe did you use too much? For instance with Super CD a drop usually works, two drops max. Any more and the car interior smells funny like the Super CD - a sweet oily citrusy smell. It airs out slowly (overnight if you leave car open in a closed garage and you did not use way too much).

Albertj

I soaked the hell out of that main carpet piece.

per XO label directions?!? or instead of them?

Albertj