Hello....I have a 2000 Discovery and somehow mice are getting in there and pulling the stuffing out of the seats! Would anyone know where they are getting in? Any tips on what to do? This is driving me nuts! Please e-mail any advice/tips to: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com Thanks so much!
A cat?
-- Jon
I had a similar problem about 15 years ago with a Mitsubishi mini bus. We'd gone camping and it was one of those rare days that it actually rained - about 2 inches in less than an hour. The tent flooded, the ground had become a muddy quagmire and three small marsupial mice had joined us in the van after escaping their flooded burrows. I never did manage to get rid of them and luckily sold the van a few weeks later. It was always disconcerting seeing a tail hanging down in front of the speedo. Food was no problem for the little buggers - I had a 3 year old at the time and he was only to happy to share a few crumbs.
As to your problem - check that they are not actually living in the car, if theres food they ll stay forever. Just hope that there is not a family on its way!!!
Hasn't he already got one?
Richard
My immediate thought is to start the engine, take a hosepipe from your exhaust and pass it through the window, then seal it with a cushion or something similar. Don't forget to get out of the car before doing this however and make sure the car is free of fumes before you drive off!!!
Other than this I've found a really effective bat for mouse traps, in the form of cocoa or hot chocolate powder. It works because mice like chocolate, but can't run off like they can with lumps of the stuff. I had one in my loft a few years ago and we could lie in bed at night listening to the little sod setting the trap off, only to find out the next morning that he'd taken the bait and escaped. Then I tried chocolate powder and it worked first time. Cheers, John
PS, On a more serious note you really do need to get rid of them before they start chewing through insulation and cause a fire.
Another tip for mousetraps and especially the cage type ones.
File the shaft activating the sping. Most cage type mousetraps here in Greece are somewhat roughly cut and the springs meets more resistance. If you file it, it will work smoothly and will give no resistance at all when the mouse starts pulling the piece of cheese therefore more easily liberating the spring which closes the door.
I also had mise attaching one of my two Discos (a 1993 model year 200Tdi Disco) They found their way through the fresh and hot air intake to the passenger cabin. It was easy to figure it out since they left mud marks on the carpeting where the foot air vents are.
Two cage type mousetraps worked wonders.
I used hard pecorino style cheese as bait.
Take care Pantelis
P.S. will also try the chocolate trick as bait next time (we have lots of rats in the garden since my house is in the countryside.
: > Other than this I've found a really effective bat for mouse traps, in the : > form of cocoa or hot chocolate powder. It works because mice like : > chocolate, but can't run off like they can with lumps of the stuff. I had : > one in my loft a few years ago and we could lie in bed at night listening : to : > the little sod setting the trap off, only to find out the next morning : that : > he'd taken the bait and escaped. Then I tried chocolate powder and it : worked : > first time. : >
Cheers, John : >
: > PS, On a more serious note you really do need to get rid of them before : they : > start chewing through insulation and cause a fire. : >
: >
: >
: :
Reminds me of the old story. Toyota were so pleased with the sealing of the doors in their new Landcruiser, that they put a cat in the car, shut the doors. When they came back a week later, the cat had died, as the sealing was so good that all the oxygen in the air had been used up.
Land Rover heard about this, and decided to do the same test on a Discovery. The found a cat, put it in the Discovery, shut all the doors and went away.
They came back a week later, and found .. the cat had escaped!!!
Before you all jump on me, I am a very happy owner of a 1997 300TDi Discovery!
Cheers Graham Carter Harare Zimbabwe
It was chased away by a Labrador...
Tim Hobbs
'58 Series 2 '77 101FC Ambulance '95 Discovery V8i
I thought it was eaten by a Lion...
Martyn
That was later, just before the Hummer drove through the gap between the door and bulkhead and ran them all over...
Tim Hobbs
'58 Series 2 '77 101FC Ambulance '95 Discovery V8i
The Hummer I assume, was driving in the tracks left by a tank?
(That's why Hummers are 7'6" wide)
Martyn
I thought it was because the average American has a 45 inch arse...
Tim Hobbs
'58 Series 2 '77 101FC Ambulance '95 Discovery V8i
Odd, George Bush always strikes me as being taller than that.
Martyn
Until they start to decompose and stick the car out.....
Other than this I've found a really effective bat for mouse traps, in the
I have used chocolate raisins successfully in the past. They squidge onto the trap very nively and not crumble unlike ordinary blocks of chocolate
-- Simon Isaacs
Peterborough 4x4 Club Chairman and Webmaster
3.5V8 100" Hybrid Part owner of 1976 S3 LWT, currently under restoration Suzuki SJ410 (ex-Girlfriend, at the moment......) Series 3 88" Rolling chassis...what to do next Pug 106 (offroaded once!!)On or around Thu, 25 Sep 2003 14:20:08 +0100, Tim Hobbs enlightened us thusly:
is that why Martyn was after one?
:-)
Thank's for the above one-liner - one of the funniest things I've heard in ages!
Cheers! Graham Carter Harare Zimbabwe
I hope you're not trying to say he's...
He wouldn't dare...
I'd have him faster than he could say "How's That!"
Anyway, I'm starting to get a little concerned that there's a conspiracy going on here between you guys and my Tailor.
I AM DISGUSTED!!!
I shall demand a full police investigation and pass the whole matter on to my solicitor - who also works for GCHQ, Microsoft, the FBI and a small poultry farm near Totness - AND he doesn't have a GPS (odd that).
Be warned, the police are reading this, as is my doctor, diet consultant, life coach, palmist, bank manager and the Landlord of the Red Lion (who also has a vested interest in my wellbeing. Actually, he just has a vest, but that's not important right now...)
Any further comments of this nature will result in immediate legal action, an air strike from USAF, UN Sanctions and NO ICE CREAM FOR A WHOLE WEEK. Be warned, I'm not to be messed with.
Martyn
ONE air strike from USAF is not a serious threat, considering how many of them were required and still they have had the chance (since it appears it IS a matter of chance) to harm the ones they were after.
UN sanctions are NOTORIOUSLY unproductive. In fact I believe that everybody (or every country) who is sunctioned by the UN is laughing publicly at it.
NO ICE CREAM for a week. Now we are starting to talk business.
Take care Pantelis (don' take my ice cream bowl away !!!!!!!!! )
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.