Rats in my Solera

[mackman1994]

Originally Posted by scarlton46

Thanks for all the great advice! I have stuffed brass cleaning pads into all possible openings under the kitchen and bathroom sinks and I've placed cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil in all cabinets. Also put bait packs and shaved Irish Spring soap in engine compartment. So far so good. What is the white powder I see on the ground around motorhomes in the campground? Does it deter mice or just insects?

Where I am from that is snow!! It chases the mice in to find a warm spot!!!!

[scarlton46]

I checked on the Solera today after leaving it sit for 3 weeks. Took the advice from many of you to use peppermint oil. Absolutely no sign of rats in the MH, though some of the poison I put under the hood had been munched. No evidence of damage anywhere. BTW the peppermint oil sure makes the rig smell good! Thanks for the advice!

[mphair]

Get a couple of rubber snakes and place the all around, inside and out of the coach. Has worked for me.

[tommyb]

About a month ago, we found mouse droppings in our Solera. I got some old fashioned snap traps and baited with peanut butter, and promptly caught two. I closed the recirculate valve on the a/c, and put peppermint oil soaked cotton in the drawers. Over the next 3 weeks, we caught another six. I thought they might be getting in on the power cord, as we are at home and plugged in to shore power, and I did see some droppings in the power compartment. I took the back panel down, hoping to find an entry point, but it looks like Forest River has sealed all entry points. I did notice an opening into the hvac system. I assume it blows air into the compartment to prevent freezing. Is there any chance that mice might enter there and gnaw their way out somewhere inside? Has anyone found any other entry points in their search. I am attaching a photo with the opening...

Note the opening to hvac here...

[Safari-Rick]

Dryer sheets are also good for spiders ! Wife sticks them in the corners throughout and even in the bed.

[hkreck]

I feel for you Bro, I just today discovered that I too have Mice in my Solera. Been a lot of construction going on in the neighborhood this year, it's driving them in. We have ours parked in the driveway so cleaned it out of everything they can hide in and put dryer sheets down every where and also put down traps. Plan to dive under the rig tomorrow and look for any access areas to seal up. Good luck with the hunt.

[Pedrodasdas]

Hi Tommyb,

I was never able yet to find where they get in, may be you found it !
You are an amateur with only 8 catches , I'm over thirty now ! It is true to I live in the woods !
Dryer sheets ? My mices use them to build their nest !

Still working on the problem ! Thanks.

Pierrôt

[tommyb]

If the mice are getting in on the power cord, they will be met by our new greeter... and that's a ball of cotton soaked in peppermint oil that the snake is guarding!

The orange thing visible through the power door cutout is a cable clamp. It fits the cable perfectly, and blocks the small opening around the cable. I heard mice can get in an opening only 1/4" in size.

[Weezer]

May have mentioned it up thread...didn't check....have you check out "mouse magic"?

We keep our 5er here at home, on shore power, so in the winter I'm sure it's attractive to critters. (our nearest neighbor has a mouse problem they won't address)

Our bug dude checks the RV also when he comes every month for the S&B and doesn't charge anything extra. Actually check's Sneak's shop at the same time.

He's very thorough, checking for signs of bugs *and* critters.

[tommyb]

active ingredient in 'mouse magic' is peppermint oil.

[hkreck]

My answer to the vent hold in the sewer compartment. Went the Wally World and got a 3" mesh drain strainer and glued it in place with liquid nail.

[kerrlakelover]

I don't currently have a MH, but over the last 30 years I've had multiple MHs and my last 2 RVs were FWs. At some point in time over the years (always in the winter) we have had mice in the RV. I don't think you will ever find and close up all the access points in an RV of any kind...I haven't been able to anyway. With that in mind, we always remove all foods, dish cloths, soap and then thoroughly wipe down everything in the kitchen when we winterize the RV. Next, I put outdoor bait boxes in the shed along with some old school snap traps. Next, I put the same bait and traps in several places inside. (I use the non molding Tom Cat bait chunx from Tractor Supply) And we've just accepted the fact that from time to time we are gonna have a mouse get in the RV over the winter. I do plan on adding a cpl of things I've read in this discussion to our winter anti-mouse arsenal of tricks. Heck, we even had a mouse blow up our converter one year when he squeezed between the heat sync and board.

[scarlton46]

Just when I thought I had out-smarted the critters.... I still have no evidence of mice inside the Solera, since a full-scale attack with peppermint oil, wire mesh, Irish Spring and poison. Then, today, the generator wouldn't start, and when I pulled off the cover, I discovered the wiring chewed and the circuit board nearly destroyed by our friendly rodents. Hope I can get it fixed before we leave for the San Juan Islands in a couple of weeks.

[Pedrodasdas]

Thanks to Tommyb, I may have solved my mices problem.

You were right, from the dumping area, very easy to access all the water lines inside. I knew they were trravelling via the line cover behind the toilet now I know where they entered !

To Forest River, this opening should be blocked by expansive foam. Very hard for us cause there is no way to get there with a foam can !!!!

First picture shows the pipe with all the winterising pipe going in, nice freeway for the rodens !

Second picture, I was able to wrap an aluminium screen round the pipes.

[Still Kickin]

Where exactly is that entry point on the Solera.

[Pedrodasdas]

It is in the compartment where you connect your water, electric and sewer pipe. It is behind the spray hose . You can feel it with your hands when you follow the whites flexibles pipes used for winterinzing.


Envoyé de mon iPad à l'aide de Forest River Forums

[Still Kickin]

So, if I were to keep the aft driverside sanitary bay door closed, and close the flap around the electrical cord(if plugged in to shore) you think rodents can enter that opening. I guess i'm asking, doesn't the compartment when closed, electric cable flap closed tight to cord sufficiently remove rodent access to that opening?

[john.tucson]

After having a seasonal park model for 20 years in the woods of central New York. The only year we shade evidence of mice was the year my wife talked me out of putting small packets of moth balls spaced throughout the unit. After we found evidence of critters she no longer minded the day or two it took to air out the RV in the spring..

[tommyb]

still kickin
i think that closing the flap around the cord still leaves a big enough opening for a mouse... they can get in a 1/2" hole.... i feel that's where they got in on my rig. i put a cable clamp around the cord and slid it up tight hoping to block the opening... you should see it in the pic in my earlier post in this thread.

[Pedrodasdas]

I agree with Tommyb. Also, there are others non sealed opening for this compartment. I don't care having mices in the compartment but not in my RV.
This opening (pipes) could be easily blocked at the factory when building the coach.