Toyota Repair: mice in sienna - potential hiding places, cabin air filter, air ducting


Question
Hi Ted,
My wife and I have a 2008 Sienna, and about a week ago discovered mice in it.  We got four out using traps and havent seen any more since.  We took it to the dealer to have the wiring inspected and have the interior steam cleaned.  They told us they saw another mouse on top of the cabin air filter behind the glove box, so we decided to wait on the cleaning.  Its been several days and the traps aren't catching any more of them.  What I'm wondering is, if a mouse is somewhere in the vents, is it possible for it to have left the vehicle, or be trapped somewhere in the ductwork?  Could you give me any advice on where to look to see if any more mice are in there.  I don't really know what is going on behind the dashboard so its hard to know where to start.  We took everything out of the cabin and vaccumed, so there shouldn't be much for them to eat besides the bait on the traps.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Answer
Mice will chew on the insulation on the wiring and just about anything made of plastic or rubber and things like air filters, they can get into places that you wouldn't suspect but the most common are inside the airfilter box and the air ducting, the damage caused by them can be very expensive especially if they chew through a wire harness, can you park it in an enclosed garage?