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So this has happened to me twice in Super Dutys, once in my now-gone 2006, now in my 2019. They are/were farm trucks that often didn't get driven much in the off season. I make it a point to drive the farm truck at least once a week so it gets moved, everything stays oiled, etc. But sometimes I don't get to it, and that's when the rodents (prob mice) decide it should become a mouse-house. The good news is their favorite place to nest seem to be on the top side of the cabin air filter, so it's a pretty easy clean up - expose the filter and hit it with the shop vac before removing the filter.
But my question, for those familiar with the heating ducts system, is how are they getting in? There were whole acorns in the midst of the other mousy stuff, so it's not a super narrow opening. I'd like to try some screening over whatever opening they using to get in, but don't really know where that would be?
Mice only need a hole the diameter of a pencil! Rats need a 3/4-1’ hole. I sprayed the inside of my engine compartment with Caspian oil. Mice hate it! You need to let it dry for a couple of days so you do t get gassed. Only had one mice in 13 years of living in south western Washington.
Speaking of metallic wool, I've found that copper wool works better than steel wool. Apparently vermin don't like the taste of copper.
If they're getting to the cabin filter, it has to be from the cowling area in front of the windshield. I'm guessing that the vent door is in the open position when the vehicle is off; since it's electrically controlled it only shuts when commanded, so I'm guessing that when power is removed (shutting truck off) the vent door is likely released to the open position, allowing vermin to enter. In bygone days most manufacturers used a cable system to manually open and shut the vent, so if you closed it (cabin recirculation mode) it stayed shut.
I've yet to find anywhere that details how to install any kind of mesh underneath that vented intake area (on a Super Duty or F-150), but if you do take on the project please document it for the rest of us!
Speaking of metallic wool, I've found that copper wool works better than steel wool. Apparently vermin don't like the taste of copper.
If they're getting to the cabin filter, it has to be from the cowling area in front of the windshield. I'm guessing that the vent door is in the open position when the vehicle is off; since it's electrically controlled it only shuts when commanded, so I'm guessing that when power is removed (shutting truck off) the vent door is likely released to the open position, allowing vermin to enter. In bygone days most manufacturers used a cable system to manually open and shut the vent, so if you closed it (cabin recirculation mode) it stayed shut.
I've yet to find anywhere that details how to install any kind of mesh underneath that vented intake area (on a Super Duty or F-150), but if you do take on the project please document it for the rest of us!
See post # 2 above, the guy is pretty long winded by does point out where mice/rats can get access through the outer cowl area. I haven't had a chance to check that out yet, but that makes sense as that would get then right into the top of the cabin air filter, which is where they were nesting.
Mice only need a hole the diameter of a pencil! Rats need a 3/4-1’ hole. I sprayed the inside of my engine compartment with Caspian oil. Mice hate it! You need to let it dry for a couple of days so you do t get gassed. Only had one mice in 13 years of living in south western Washington.
Smokeploe
Hadn't heard of Caspian oil, I'll check it out.
As I said in my OP, there were intact acorns in the nest area, so while mice may get through a hole the size of a pencil, an intact acorn cannot! ;-)
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