Dead Mouse Smell....

Ugh- So I noticed the slight but unmistakable odor of "dead mouse" in my Tundra. It was upon start up and dissipated quickly. Easiest place to start with is the cabin air filter. This is what I found. My question is where else in the air intake "system" can I open up, clean and inspect. I am also interested in where the "intake" is that the mice are getting in.

 

WTF Toyota? Still!!!

 

No kidding. Really surprised by this. I've never had a mouse issue with my '05 after 20 years. I had a similar cabin filter issue as OP with my '21 and paid the dealer a couple hundred bucks to install necessary mesh to fix the problem. There is at least one thread on the DIY fix for gen 2.5's. Not sure on 3rd gen info.

 

Well played Google Ads...well played.

 

What does "well played google ads mean".

 

The ad that was on his screen below your post. Google wants him to cook the mouse it seems.

 

My understanding the cowling for air to enter the vehicle is below windshield and wipers have to be removed, then a plastic cover of sorts.

 

In addition to the cabin filter, I would take a look at both air filters and intakes under the hood. Fairly easy to put screen in the intake boxes to prevent them from getting in there too. Good luck!

 

Not a Tundra, but I had a mouse next up in the fender well in the engine compartment of my GT500. It sits in the garage under a cover and had a mousey smell too. Fount it and removed it. Peppermint spray from Amazon. Apparently they do not like the smell.

 

I would make sure not to have any food in your garage that they can get into. I had corn for the deer and bird seed in my garage and the mice stashed several pounds of it inside my wife new Camry. After we removed the corn and bird seed it seemed to almost stop them completely. I was desperate a couple times and set mouse traps and checked them every morning. I’ve gotten around 6 of them that way. After that I spray repellent around the shock towers and have some scented bags in the trunk and under her seat. She hasn’t had anymore trouble for the last couple years. I guess for our sake when you live surrounded by farms it’s inevitable.

 

Mousetraps.

 

Ever since I started putting these in strategic place in my stored and DD rides, I haven't had mouse problems.

 

Haha

 

I’m going to try this too. I’m seeing rat poop up on the engine cover and some of the engine hood heat cover has been torn off.

 

Man, that is nasty. How long did the truck sit undriven? Outdoors or in a garage?

 

This will easily happen overnight if critter decided to make your truck its new home. Had same stugg every n8ght 3 night in a row until mousetrap got him.

 

Beside the rodent bags that I mentioned above, I've become very proficient at catching persistent mice in the traditional old-school wooden mouse traps.

My trick is to jam a chunk of some sort of nut in the curved part of the bait tray, then smear it with peanut butter. I've used peanuts, walnuts, almonds, etc... The mice can easily lick the peanut butter off without triggering the trap. But as soon as they try to eat the nut....SLAM. Dead mouse. Try it. I actually find it kinda fun and rewarding. If you get lucky and kill a big momma with babies, you can wipe out a whole generation of mice with just one kill.

Since I live in the country, I also have a barn cat that is a menace on the local rodent population.

 

My house backs up to the woods so we get our share of mice. I never have had luck with those wooden traps because they lick the peanut butter without tripping it. Some of the plastic ones have worked well for me but I am going to have to try your nut trick. I also use pet safe outdoor bait stations on my back lower deck to try to thin the herd. That helps a lot.

 

Thank you, gang!! I'll git me some nuts and do that! Sometimes, I see trap clean, but no mouse. It's time to up my game!