Keeping Mice out of the RV

[wrsees]

Originally Posted by Grapehound

OMG, the mice seemed to be pretty interested in chewing on the Irish Spring soap. So much for that mouse repellant myth!

We do remove all food in chewable packages from the RV. Then we place packages of D-Con under the base cabinets or in the basement storage areas in places where our dogs cannot access. The mice eat it, then leave to go outside to drink water, croak and dry up.

IMHO, the squirrels have been worse rodents than the mice. (Of course we live on six acres of oak trees...) Squirrels have eaten my plastic coolers, propane hoses, electrical wiring and more. I actually keep D-Con packages on top of the batteries of my diesel truck so they don't eat my engine wiring (again). They are welcome to eat the D-Con. Bad squirrels!

My dog is a mouser and I’m afraid he’ll absorb Decon if he picks up a dying or dead mouse. Is that a possibility for your dogs?

[itat]

Here are links to where I get:

Essential Oil of Peppermint
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B002N0MZMQ/...v_ov_lig_dp_it

Fresh Cab pouches
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Fresh-Cab-Bo...kAAOSws0pcGCTY

[herbpagel]

FreshCab works. It's expensive, but cheaper than replacing the wiring.

[NHHorseman]

Have had campers since 1971 and have had mice problems several times. Since I started using "Fresh Cab" (available on line or at Tractor Supply) and put moth balls around the leveling jacks, I have had no problems. Fresh Cab was discontinued for a while and I'm guessing it was for ecological reasons but it is now available again. It smalls like pot pourri and is not offensive. I put fresh "Fresh Cab" pockets inside the living area and use those from last year in the storage compartments.

[IsleDog]

Originally Posted by wrsees

My dog is a mouser and I’m afraid he’ll absorb Decon if he picks up a dying or dead mouse. Is that a possibility for your dogs?

In short, YES. See below from D-CON themselves

FAQ & General Questions: How do d-CON products compare to others on the market? | d-CON

10. IF MY PET EATS A DEAD RODENT THAT MAY HAVE EATEN D-CON®, WILL IT DIE?
The potential of any secondary poisoning depends on what type of pet it is, how big it is, what type of bait it has consumed, as well as how much bait was consumed. If you are concerned about a possible exposure, you may wish to contact your veterinarian or the toll free number located on the package to be directed to appropriate personnel who can address your concerns. Occurrences of this type of poisoning are extremely rare.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by herbpagel

FreshCab works. It's expensive, but cheaper than replacing the wiring.

You have read my post (and someone a quoted pest controller) where mice chewed through the Fresh Cab pouches and made nests out of them?

It 'might' work for you but not everywhere.

[IsleDog]

I had posted this before, but i will drop it again. Shawn Woods does a TON of videos on YouTube with rat and mouse traps, hense the name MouseTrap Monday. Has tested lots of things with rats and mice, far too many to post each video here. Dryer sheets, mothballs, soap, several electronic repellents, sour, hot/spicy, as well as a huge collection of traps. The link below will let you see them all and his specific results.

https://www.youtube.com/user/historichunter/videos

[AMarrs]

I'm on my 3rd camper (pop-up, then Rockwood Roo, now Palomino Solaire), and have never had any problems with mice in any of them (knocking furiously on wood). I'm fortunate that I'm able to store my camper on an asphalt driveway rather than grass or gravel so that helps. However, I did have a terrible problem with mice in my house several years ago. I didn't want to put out D-Con because I have a dog. I tried traps & they just ran right over them. I discovered my dog is a great mouser but even she couldn't keep up with them. Finally, I happened to see a mouse repellent called Mouse Magic online. I tried it & they disappeared right away. And stayed away. A few years later, I saw some signs that the mice might be back, so I used the Mouse Magic again. And they've been gone ever since. It consists of ground up corn cobs soaked in peppermint & spearmint oil and is available in packets or in bulk. (I usually get the bulk & make my own packets with old knee-highs/nylon stockings. https://www.bonide.com/products/gard...65/mouse-magic

Also, my brother had a problem with mice getting into the pumphouse for his swimming pool during the winter & chewing up the wiring. He started putting cotton balls soaked with peppermint oil around the wiring & hasn't had any problems since.

I know several people said these solutions didn't work for them but they've been successful for me & several folks I know.

[TheWolfPaq82]

My neighbor did the Peppermint and cotton balls one year when they put theirs in storage. The following spring they found all the cotton balls inside one of the couch cushions the mice made a nest in.

[johnjan]

We live on a acreage and have rodents, especially mice. Bought Shake Away on Amazon and sprinkled it around the wood shed, the patio deck, and the trash can garage. No mice. No more mice inside the garage even. Sprinkled it around the RV. We use dryer sheets also, for when camping. No rodents. Let me add that it does smell. So not inside the RV. They don't eat it. We have pets. It just scares them away, they smell a predator.

[hikerjohn7]

Originally Posted by primo20

ive always removed all food and anything that they can nest in from the rv. loaded it with dryer sheets and cedar moth balls...fingers crossed no critters.

It's not food that squirrels and/or rats have damaged in my RV. It's the wiring to the engine and other electrical components. It's happened twice and each time was costly to fix.

I tried the moth balls but my wife threatened never to go in the RV again if I didn't stop using them. I also am now using peppermint oil in cotton. I doubt this is working since my peanut flavored rat baits are still disappearing from their traps I placed under the RV.

I hate to kill things but I also hate big repair bills and not knowing if my RV will operate properly because of chewed wires when I get ready to go on a trip. It's a major issue to me. Maybe someone will find a way to use Artificial Intelligence to run off destructive varmints.

[primo20]

Originally Posted by hikerjohn7

It's not food that squirrels and/or rats have damaged in my RV. It's the wiring to the engine and other electrical components. It's happened twice and each time was costly to fix.

I tried the moth balls but my wife threatened never to go in the RV again if I didn't stop using them. I also am now using peppermint oil in cotton. I doubt this is working since my peanut flavored rat baits are still disappearing from their traps I placed under the RV.

I hate to kill things but I also hate big repair bills and not knowing if my RV will operate properly because of chewed wires when I get ready to go on a trip. It's a major issue to me. Maybe someone will find a way to use Artificial Intelligence to run off destructive varmints.

The reason I’m removing those items is so there is nothing attracting the mice inside. Not that I’m worried about it being destroyed.

[csc]

Steel wool.

[hikerjohn7]

Originally Posted by primo20

The reason I’m removing those items is so there is nothing attracting the mice inside. Not that I’m worried about it being destroyed.

Oh... OK.

I just wanted to put my experience out there for everyone to read.

[itat]

Hikerjohn7, once they are in the trailer you probably need to use traps to get rid of them but while your doing that you need to try to plug up all the entry points to keep any more from getting in. Peanut butter in the traps works but it’s a strong scent that will attract them into the trailer. At least that’s been my experience.

[AMarrs]

Originally Posted by TheWolfPaq82

My neighbor did the Peppermint and cotton balls one year when they put theirs in storage. The following spring they found all the cotton balls inside one of the couch cushions the mice made a nest in.

Typically, the scent only lasts about a month. The peppermint oil needs to be refreshed to continue working. Not saying it's foolproof, but it's possible the peppermint oil DID work for the 1st month or so, but the mice returned after the scent faded. Just something to consider.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by csc

Steel wool.

Yup, I agree. We had mice in the traps every time we went to the trailer. First thing we had to do was service the traps. I could see spending the rest of my life doing this.

I stuffed coarse steel wool in all gaps where wires or pipes went through the floor, working from both the top and bottom. Wrap some steel wool around the cable/pipe and then use a screwdriver to stuff it into the gap. For each cable and pipe I also unwrapped a steel wool pad, re-wrapped it around the cable/pipe, and tied it with a cable tie. Mice won't cross one of these pads, nor chew through it.

The trailer has been mouse-free ever since. I don't understand why people mess with temporary solutions (traps, mint, cotton ball, poison, repellants) that have to be renewed when this problem can be fixed once, forever.

Larry

[lilmikey_ab]

Originally Posted by B and B

Mothballs are not available in Canada so we used peppermint, bounce and Irish Spring. This year we have mice. In our park model electronic pest repellents worked well. They stayed away.

Walmart, Home hardware, canadian tire all list mothballs for sale. If they don't carry them in your area, order them on amazon.ca..

[lilmikey_ab]

I've used dryer sheets (Bounce) & it seemed to work the first year. Second year, there was evidence of mice (no food or water in unit at all) & fresh Bounce sheets had been laid out. It was stored out at my moms, so she put out some irish spring, cause "it works". When I was out at christmas, there were mouse turds on the irish spring as well as nibbles taken out of it, so, no, irish spring does not work.
Currently using "Store it Safe", which is a peppermint scented oil that is non toxic. Spray this on the undercarriage... Haven't checked on it yet since been stored.. so I guess we'll see in spring!

[Tax_Man]

Had mice and tried the soap thing. Didn't work for me. They ate it. Looked online for what a farmer would use and found a product called Fresh Cab. It worked. I put 6 packets (way more than instructions) dispersed at several locations in my 36ft MH. The mice left. They are supposed to be replaced in 30 days, but mine just got replace with three after 3 months. Mice still gone as much as I can tell..


Found it a Fleet-Farm, Menards, Lowes, Wal-Mart...