4th Gen Mice Problems

Hey all,
I'm new to this forum, so I'm sorry if this has already been brought up as an issue on the 4th-gen Tacomas. Mice seem to still like getting into the cabin air filter. My truck is about six months old, and I've already had to replace the cabin blower motor and air filter. I decided I didn't want to do that again. I used the advice given by several others for earlier-gen models and put hardware cloth over the intake. There were some minor differences with the 2024 model from what I had seen in other post's photos. The windshield wiper arms and both side cowlings in the engine compartment had to be removed to remove the cowling that covered the intake. With all that removed, I had easy access. There is a wire that is fastened to the leading edge of the air intake. I used those clips to help hold the hardware cloth in place. I also used a few zip ties at the top through a bracket that had a couple of holes. I added some hardware cloth under the filter in the engine intake, though I don't suspect as much of an issue there.

The 1st two photos show the damage the rodents did. The 2nd two photos are of the modification to keep them from doing it again.

 

Someone needs a barn cat.

 

You need some mice and or rat traps.. I have about 5 different ones on my property and all work great

 

Too bad, dang little monsters... Get a mice trap and use peanut butter, it's like heroin, can't resist.

 

19 or more years and they still havent added a cover

 

The little shats.

Have they gotten into the engine air intake, too? Or is that just prophylactic?

I'll be buying hardware cloth tomorrow. Thanks.

 

Last time I checked the engine air filter in my truck the air box was full of some kind of grains or nuts that they gathered.

 

There are multiple solutions…

 

You can order big cat urine online. Rodents smell it and go the other way. I use it on my property perimeter. Just an idea if you put it around where they get in they might not want to go in there in the first place.

 

I like this idea, but I don't want to be the first to pour it into the fresh air intake.

 

Lol. That would be a serious mistake. It stinks. But you get what I mean. You could do it around where it parks , your property etc. i have Goodnature Co2 pneumatic bolt kill traps for invasive asian grey squirrels. But they are pricy.

 

Your 2017? Or 2024? I had that issue from time to time in my 2016 Tacoma, but I'm not sure they can get into my 2024.

 

On my 2017.

 

MeowMeow approves this message

 

All my Tundra's (2) and Tacomas (3) had this problem. Huge issue in FL. Pain in the butt fix but well worth it.

 

I haven’t had destruction , YET, but I have had critters chewing a bit on stuff on my cars. We are in a woodsy area and I think my issue is chipmunks and red squirrels. Here’s something that seems to keep them out. My cars are outside so I think the little b..stds are attracted to the engine area warmth this time of year when its getting colder. Once its winter, I suspect they have settled else where. Anyway, I got some little mint sachets and tied them under the hood, three or 4 each car. That seems to work somewhat, I guess the mint keeps them out. Problem is that does not last too long. So then I bought a spray bottle of mint repellent and every week or so give each sachet a good squirt. That seems to keep the mint odor alive. Then, every now and then the little suckers rub up on the tires into the wheel wells. So once a week or so I give a healthy squirt into each wheel well area. That seems to keep them out. Once it gets real cold I do not see much of the critters so I stop the spraying. Seems to work. If I were indoors with cars, I’d look into the ultra sonic repellent devices. I also made my own mint spray. I got tons of mint growing in my garden so I put a mess into the food processor with some water and grind it real well, let it sit for a week or two. You gotta strain it, use cheese cloth or what ever but with a few drops of dish soap, makes a nice minty low low cost mint spray.

 

I used to use coyote urine underhood for this purpose when truck camping, and it worked for years. About ten years ago mice figured out that there wasn't a coyote under the hood of my truck, and they just ignored it, so I stopped using it. The only thing that works is sealing off the entrances, which I did as the OP did. Then somehow the antenna cable grommet popped out last year, or a mouse pried it out, and they were getting in thru there- I glued it back in place and covered it with duct tape. No mice in the cab this year, but I did have a stupid pack rat chew on a few wires underhood.

 

i used to work for Honda. It is a Pretty common occurrence.

 

https://www.lenonlures.com/

 

I was thinking of installing hardware cloth over my engine air intake. I watched several YouTube videos experimenting with the size of a hole a mouse can get through, which is about .6". The intake slots on the air intake are about .4", and since the bars are slotted, that's an exaggeration.

I think I'll hold off. I'd like to figure out where mice can get through the cabin intake.