Have anyone experienced this?

[elau]

It has been a very LONG time since I opened the storage compartment behind the passenger seat. I went in there to retreive my owner's manual today and to my horror, there was SOMETHING in there!!!

My ice scraper (the kind with the glove), medicine poach, and umberlla was all chewed up. I didn't see anything in there, but all the stuffing from the glove was all over the place. I thought it was an animal at first but after close inspection, to my relieve it was just the stuffing. I could not see any animal droppings, no hole any where. What could get in there? Is there a way to actually a small rat can get inside? I know there is no rat in the garage or my house. What could that be? A squirrel maybe? But how could it get into my compartment?

I checked everything out, including the top. Everything works so it does not seem like any wiring had been chewed but I will try to open the bottom of the compartment to do further looking around.

What do you all think?

[RickM]

It was not a rat...It was a mouse. Very destructive and can get into anything. Put some mothballs (Rumor say Bounce dryer sheets as well) in there and this should make hanging out there less than bearable for the mice.

[CDNC36AMG]

For what its worth I had to evict raccoons from my attic this week.

Time to time I've left the top down in the gagage but usually think better of it 'cuz you could lose a seat.

[crconsulting]

Consider yourself lucky!!!

One day about a year ago I couldn't start my new 2000 chevy 3500 dually. I dont drive it everyday but still, I figured it should start. I pop the hood and what do I see, almost all the insulation off the wiring harness had been eaten just the copper was left. Even the spark plug wire insulation was gone, just the carbon center was left!!

I had to replace the whole harness. man was I pissed. I figured it was a gopher or something that made its home under my hood for a few days.

Trap that sucker before he decides to go after your leather....

--
CR
97 sl600

[Pete Geither]

Mice can get through a 1/4 inch opening or less sometimes. I have a dozen mousetraps with peanut butter around my SL. and check constantly for activity. The little bastards are persistant and you just have to be smarter than they are. Insurance should take care of any damage.

[RickM]

PJ,

I do the same. The debate is on wether you use bait to attract them in the first place.
However, while I still use traps I tested the moth ball discs in the front trunk of my Carrera....where I've caught many. Since placing the discs there 6 months ago I havent caught one of the bastards.

I've have had other garaged daily driver cars where they invaded as well. Rodents (and other small animals) crawl up into the engine compartment to keep warm during the winter. I found an active nest of mice in the airbox of an Accord when doing a tune-up. Go figure.

[elau]

OK, I pulled the bottom panel open and no wire was chewed. But I did find dry corn stuffed in the side panel in the compartment behind the driver seat. I think it must be a squirrel setting up a home in there somewhere. Now how do I know if the little guy is still in there? From the look of the corn, it came from a bag I had in the garage quite some time ago. The bag of squirrel feed since been used. I think the little guy may have been long gone but would definitely like to make sure he is not in there still. There is no animal droppings in the garage that I can see. Again no wiring chewed on the stereo component (the compartment behind the driver side is all stereo equipment).

Any idea how to find out if the guy is still living inside the car? How about tapping on the body to see if I can scare him out?

Well i just picked up my 500sl (84?) last week and i have never had mice in my garage before even though i keep two traps with peanut butter for bait set all the time.Well at xmas time i had some wreaths chewed on in my storage shed so i got some d-con and put one in the garage just in case.Yup you guessed it .I must have bought mice with the car because i found one on floor of car dead and one near my garage steps. I hope the guy that sold me the car didnt charge me for the little rats(mice). Keep d-con in car now.