Good job, you likely caught it soon enough to avoid any damage. This should be an annual task.

Good catch. You saved your motor. Nearly the same thing happened to my Craftsman with a one-lung B&S. Three years later, it still runs fine.

Check your wiring, though. On another occasion, mice chewed my spark-plug wire down to the copper. A spare rubber fuel line hose split down the middle fixed that one.

I now use "moth-ball" closet hangers to keep the mice out. You know...the plastic ones with a "urinal cake" inside. I hang one under the hood next to the motor whenever the mower's not in use. Each hanger lasts about a month.

Peace,

Marco

a/c: Wow good save as has been indicated. Check your oil colour has it changed significantly , (darkened) if not do not fret . When engines overheat normally you will see excessive oil contamination from Thermal Breakdown , any sludge is broken down and will change the colour and texture (viscosity) from normal . I would offer a educated guess that with your knowledge level you change your oil religiously and will know by visual inspection if the overheating was serious. Dump your oil as a precaution and check out further for electrical damage as has been recommended ! :)

Ewalk: Oil color is the same as before it happend and it didn't use a drop. I change it in spring and in fall. I mowed the rest of the yard and leveled the driveway with the belly blade attachment I have for it and it was running 2 hours non stop and didn't use a drop of oil

a/c : All is Well that ends well Bro ! Good to hear that
No Serious Repercussions Prevail , I would think Your Good Ta Go !! :)

Found another nest in it today but cleaned it out before I fired it up today to move some snowmobiles

Time for D-con! And moth crystals in an old sock draped across the cold engine.

Had a pickup that was only driven on week ends,so one weekend it wouldn't start,checked and and found mice had chewed up 6 plug wires.(anti static kind,with no hard wire) Left moth balls on manifold and no more mice.

A friend kept his classic cars in the same garage with open bags of dog and cat food. many times when I worked on them there was rodent damage and nests. If you can keep the mower and food in different places or in a sealed bin, the mice may not come around. An overkill solution may be a plastic bag you can store cars and motorcycles in. You drive drive the vehicle onto the bag , zip it up and plug in a 12 volt fan that blows it up with filtered air. Good for keeping mold and mildew at bay.

Our home is situated in a woods full of oak trees! This fall, we are over-run with acorns. Can't walk anywhere without stepping on them. Squirrels are rubbing their paws together. But, they must not have any more storage places, as the 'corns are still plentiful!