PLUGGING THE HOLES to keep mice out of a Vanagon (mouse)

[Sodo]

Having mouseproofed my vanagon almost 5 years ago, I think the best advice is to defer the legends until later and for now study the photos of physically plugging holes with "metal screen" and "pot scrubbies".

1) & 2) below, are wide open on every vanagon, they are the basis for the urban legend. Once mice learn those paths, new campground mice can smell those who have gone that way before - thus locate the holes quickly.

At minimum, do 1&2 then you can pursue animal legendry in your leisure. If you do a good job plugging the holes you will get good results with your other methods too (except trapping which will be less fruitful).

1) screen the fresh air vent behind the radiator grille.
2) plug passenger and driver side battery box vents with stainless steel scrubbies.


3) check the large rubber seal at the engine ECU wiring loom and if seal is gone, repair it with silicone. And a large grommet for the headlights too.
4) I guess on some vans you need to look for rust holes too. A nightime helper inside with a bright light inside then crawl around outside looking for light.

My other vehicles have doors and windows, but mice don't come in. With kids, my other cars have a far, far more crumbs under the seats. Mice don't "jump in" the doors, thats just an assumption that spreads due to the defeatist chatter that muddies every vanagon mouse-problem thread. The desire to post home remedies is a deafening roar, especially in the Vanagon crowd. The poor vanagon owner will also need a remedy for his bleeding eyes.

I suppose mice would jump in if doors were left open for days, or years, or a blanket is hanging out, but your first line of defense is common sense: Plug the holes that every vanagon has (and other cars don't have).
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[Zeitgeist 13]

Never underestimate the level and degree of sophistication in your local rodent pack. I'm quite sure the mices in my hood are all busy sipping schnapps and drafting the great American novel...clever little bastards
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[Abscate]

In NY, mice will chew your wiring harness, string it between two points like a zip line, and use it to enter your vehicle as you get in to commute.

If you put peppermint in to repel them, you will get green mice.

Mice can and will chew through gaskets, wood, plastic to get a good place to whole up for winter. Its in the DNA.

Clean up food, plug holes, set traps if your car is in storage.

My EV sat in the driveway for one week, and one winter mice chewed my underhood soundproofing to nest in the engine compartment.
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.ssS!

[Sodo]

Thanks to those who post photos and keep on TOPIC of locating and plugging the holes!
_________________


'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[djkeev]

While it is true that this topic is titled plugging holes...... A multi prong approach is absolutely needed when dealing with mice.

However, once sealed Most of us feel that you cannot simply stop and rest.

Windows are left down, doors are left open, grommets through the body dislodge without our knowledge, rust progresses heinously creating yet new holes!
Items are brought into the Van from outside or from the garage that may very well have a hitch hiker in them.

We need traps, we need deterrents, we need to take additional measures to deal with these unintentional entrances.

Mouse proofing is all of this, just not one prong of plugging holes.

Dave
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Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[Sodo]

Somewhat true, since a vanagon, in its proper setting, will sit for hours at a campsite with doors open. But plugging the holes makes a vanagon about as mouseproof as other cars, and members who have other cars are aware of how nice it is to have mice way way down on list of worries.

One thing about mice is that when there exists s mouse highway, all the other mice can smell it and follow thise who passed before. Plugging the holes solves about 90% of the problem. Most of the replies address only 10% of the problem due to the urban legend that a vanagon cant be mouseproofed. Asserting this legend is a disservice to the vanagon. This is NOT an unsolvable problem.

Mice are furtive. They choose pathways that are hidden and offer protection. I do NOT believe they jump in doors and windows. Certainly it has hapoened but choosing your actions based on banzai mice, is a waste of time, they just dont behave like that. If they get in your door is because you left a blanket hanging out or offered some other kind of mouse ladder.

New legend: Mouse Rapunzel.

However in my experience the mice came in at night, a couple hours later after the people stop moving.

Dave I thank you for posting pics, very helpful. I know how much time it takes to make an informative post and there are members who will be ever thankful.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[djkeev]

Well...... In the spirit of Identifying possible entry points, let's start at the front of the Van.

Here is the front door foot step area. There is a plastic pad that snaps into these holes..... No pad?
Highway to the interior is open!

My PO abandoned the "factory" drivers side antenna and installed an after market one on the Passenger side...... Look how nicely the wire seals to the body!
Mouse highway With a built in ladder to enter above the Glove box!

This is behind the LF headlamp but above and behind the fuse panel. All wires feeding the Fuse panel or leaving the fuse panel area enter and exit here.
Examine for loose or rotted grommets.........

Here is the interior side of the same wires above the fuse panel....

The "Factory" drivers antenna, abandoned by my PO but flopping around in the dash....... Easy entry for a rodent!

The interior view of the Antenna hole.....

Also Check ......
Front Heater Hose Grommets,
heater control valve wire.
Front door jamb wire boot
Rear heater hose grommets,
Rear heater fan wire entry grommet
EFI Computer wire Grommet
AC hose entry from engine area to cargo area,
AC wire Entry grommets
Rubber plugs in front of rear wheels into body (by lower suspension arm mount)
Missing seat belt bolts
Rust holes
PO made holes for all sorts of modifications, auxillary battery wiring, etc.


Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[djkeev]

These two pieces of tape are covering holes that normally have rubber plugs in them, they enter into the body behind the sliding door. Both sides have these but obviously only one side has a door.....

Rear Heater Hoses..... I've removed my rear heater and used rubber freeze plugs to seal the holes. If your hoses are gone or the grommets around the hoses are decayed, another entry point.....

If you have Air Conditioning. The hoses and wires enter the body in front of the LR tail light. Concern yourself with the rubber grommets, or if your AC has been removed, make sure the holes are plugged......

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[andk5591]

Moderator Edit:


Moved this prevention tip to the prevention thread......
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7626414#7626414

This thread is focusing on preventing entry into the vehicle ....... not repelling or capturing them.
_________________
D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[addiction]

I scanned this thread and followed all the advice, but was still getting a mouse in the van almost every night. So I set up some trail cameras and when hunting, I found two new places that folks had not listed, see the video to see where they are

enjoy

https://youtu.be/bdgTZKyqMkI

Moderator edit: A screenshot of the above video showing the mouse squeezing through the automatic transmission shift linkage

[Ahwahnee]

Nice use of technology to (hopefully) defeat the 'meeces'.

[Abscate]

Half way through that video that mouse makes a two foot leap in mid stride. Anyone still think they can't jump in a door?

Keep your crashbar clean too, mouse love a good merlot
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.ssS!

[Merian]

pics of how you sealed off the A/T shifter??
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....

[addiction]

[djkeev]

I didn't know about this entry point and really appreciate you pointing it out to us.
A year ago I pulled my front carpet and insulated the entire area to ward off the hellish heat from the air passing through the radiator.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...;start=660

One area that let in a LOT of heat was that darn shifter area. I insulated it to stop the air flow but I doubt it would deter any mice! If I recall properly I used foam rubber stuffed down in there.

This will require a bit of examination and head scratching........

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[blackglasspirate]

[Merian]

mice will chew thru rubber, tape, etc. SS scrub pads will work much better

And to address a comment further back, of course mice will jump in the open door -- even "regular" mice can jump several body lengths, and this is no big deal because the forces of gravity are quantitatively different on animals with small body sizes (consider animals that land on the ceiling as a further example)
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[addiction]

[Merian]

to clarify - is that on a non-Westy? or would a Westy with the rear seat (Z-bed) have those holes also?


and... foam will help but mice can still dig thru it - or into it for nest material
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....

[djkeev]

That area you sealed with the expanding foam is behind the sliding door. There is no entrance there from the exterior unless the plastic plugs that plug holes to the rear wheel well have been removed or you have rust through in that area.

The expanding foam is actually known to sometimes enhance rust for it can hold moisture against the metal.

Expanding foam can be a heinious addition to a metal auto body. VW discovered this on VW beetles produced through the 1970's when they used it to seal the rear body pillar from the engine compartment.

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert