MICE!! Looking for some advice!

[Fire Instructor]

After NUMEROUS years with four different trailers, (two PUPS, an HTT, and now the Rockwood TT), for the last two winters we had mice visits during the winter. This had never been a problem in previous years. In neither case does it appear that they did any real damage. Every year we strategically place peppermint oil soaked cotton balls and Bounce sheets throughout the units, as many report both to be sucessful methods to prevent mice.

After last year's "visit" I found one seam under the slide, by the drivers side wheelwell which had an opening, where it might have been possible to get in, and I also found a section of the under-slide weather strip that had come loose, that created a gap. Both gaps were repaired, and both still appear intact.

This year, we found mouse turds inside the louvers to the access to the back of the refrigerator. We also found evidence of insulation disturbed around the fridge. Looking at the louvers themselves, it's clearly evident that a small mouse COULD get through that opening. I never viewed it as a problem, as a mouse can't climb the side of the TT to get the 3'+ off the ground to GET to the louver. All that said, I didn't consider that with the storage cover on the TT, maybe they could climb the inside of the cover to get to the louver....

I had LOOKED for the louver screens on two different occasions at CW, but had been unsucessful in finding them. I did find them from a vendor at the Springfield RV show in February, and had planned to install them this Spring. (I had already screened off all the other vents with appropriate kits.)

So my question is, what do folks think? Could this be how the mice are getting in? We do a thorough cleaning before as part of our winterization, so they don't find any food, but we did find evidence of some kin of small nut or (acorn?) being eaten in several inside locations. Should screening-off the fridge louvers solve the problem?

[Mountainmanbob]

Originally Posted by Fire Instructor

some kin of small nut or (acorn?) being eaten in several inside locations. Should screening-off the fridge louvers solve the problem?

hard to say about the screening-off the fridge louvers
but
I have also seen that before
seems they bring
their food with them at times
poison ((outside))
seems to be important
let's them find someTHING easy outside
then
kills them away from the RV
a large flower pot upside down
with a box of poison underneath
held up just a little by a small rock
gives them a good place to
feel safe and eat the poison

Mountainman

[hotrodj125]

I've had good luck by putting MOTH BALLS around inside and outside wherever they might get in.

[Superchief]

I also believed that a mice has gotten in through the exterior refrigerator vent. I ended up putting a bar of irish spring soap, some dryer sheets and a couple of glue traps in side the vent earlier this winter. Results, no more mice got in.

[Oliver]

Our TT is kept in a storage barn for the winter. As long as we have had it, we have placed Bounce brand dryer sheets all over the trailer when we stored it. No attempt to seal anything, but we have never had a mouse in it. It either works, or we are very lucky! With the TC, I just store it in my shop for the winter, which is haunted by some absurd number of spoiled cats. The latter is a much more expensive, but equally effective approach.

[jk31668]

i use 2 of the black & decker electronic pest repellent units that just plug into any outlets. so far not a sign of mice or anything else. obviously, you have to be plugged in but i am anyway most of the time.

[cootr68]

I've had good luck with Fresh Cab on the farm. Tractors, combine, and trucks.

[comfun1]

After battling mice in various campers throughout the years this is what works for me. Eliminate all hiding spots around the camper such as tall grass, weeds, shrubs, bushes, lumber etc. Use a coffee can and put a large poison chunk in it and crush the opening down to where only mice can get at the poison. Place several of these under your camper, this is your first line of defense. Inside place snap traps baited with peanut butter and monitor every few days. Last put poison inside the camper. Yes, I know people will say you don't want mice to die in the camper but it is better than having them chew up your upholstery. That happened to me and did over a thousand dollars damage. A friend had them in his popup and had to replace all canvas. Don't take mice lightly they will do lots of damage.

[pbrackney]

I have used de-con in the past. It is a mice poison that when they eat it, it dehydrates them, so they seek water, they have to leave the trailer to find the water, once they drink they water, they die, outside of the trailer. I have found mice droppings, de-con eaten, but never a dead mouse inside.

You can find it at Walmart, Target, etc... It seems no matter how well you seal up your trailer, they always find a way in. They are sneaky little things.

[campfirefun]

I put steel wool in the fridge and hot water vent when we store it in the barn for winter. We use peppermint inside and I put a lot of Decon in the barn all winter. This year I put moth balls around the Tires on the ground. Have not pulled it out of storage yet to see who won me or Mickey.

[11XLITE28BH]

Originally Posted by cootr68

I've had good luck with Fresh Cab on the farm. Tractors, combine, and trucks.

+1 on the fresh cab. Usually put 3packets in the TT and no problems.

[Bobicon]

Our storage facility provides one bad arse mouser cat! One of our first visits at night he even brought us a new catch to show us he was workin! It was hilarious.
I recall my dad using steel wool around the wheels. Course that does not prevent flying mice. They are clever.

[MilCop4523]

Look up Fresh Cab on the internet. I use it in the new trailer and in the basement of our older house and no mice. Don't use it in the garage and I have lots of mice there. So I would say it works the way it should.

[Wiscampsin]

Lots of people put screen on the obvious parts they can see like fridge vents, etc. One place mice could get in, and it's not clearly visible, is the slide rams under the slides. Once in the underbelly who knows what hole they can use to gain access into the camper, even if you steel wool and foam all the plumbing and water access holes in the floor. I cut a section of screen about 5" X 5", cut out a hole the size of the slide ram, and cut a slit in the screen. Then slide it over the ram, apply a bead of caulk around the hole the ram slides into and push the screen into the caulk. I figure it can't hurt to take the extra precaution.

[keep camping]

We stored our pop up in our garage, one year they brought the d-con into camper and died in there. Easily found them, they also only chewed on curtains a little, not canvas thank goodness. The last couple winters I placed very small, shallow plastic containers of anti freeze all around and under the pop up, a couple inside and lots of bounce and sticky traps for good measure. Luckily haven't had a problem lately.

[kegoneill]

Has anyone tried Mouse Free? Mouse Free | Mess Free Humane Mice Repellent We are getting it put on our trailer. I think it is best to prevent them form even coming in the trailer, i don't want to find a dead mouse in there. We have never had a problem in the 20 years we have bean camping 3 tent trailers and one TT. We always use in side storage for the winter. Another thing we do is we take every thing out of the trailer before storage, we leave only the original trailer stuff. No bedding, no dishes etc.

[MilCop4523]

Originally Posted by kegoneill

Has anyone tried Mouse Free? Mouse Free | Mess Free Humane Mice Repellent We are getting it put on our trailer. I think it is best to prevent them form even coming in the trailer, i don't want to find a dead mouse in there. We have never had a problem in the 20 years we have bean camping 3 tent trailers and one TT. We always use in side storage for the winter. Another thing we do is we take every thing out of the trailer before storage, we leave only the original trailer stuff. No bedding, no dishes etc.

I thought of this stuff but for the price in Canada once a year to be sprayed and if you get weeks of rain while travelling, I don't know how long it would be effective mixed in with road slop and washed off.
Thats why I stuck with the Fresh Cab route and that way every 3 months I get a fresk batch of 12. I put them in the house, the garage and the TT and sell what I have left over.

http://www.earth-kind.com/

[MHEWITT]

I was told by our local dealer that fabric softner sheets may or may not work. He reconmended putting a couple of 5 gallon pails of charcol inside the camper. So I tried it this winter (stored trailer in brothers pole builing)along with fabric softner sheets. No mice problems found. The charcol give off a small aount of carbon dioxide which small rodents don't care for. Just started using the charcol in my grill so it wasn't wasted,worked fine. Anyone else use this method or anything close? Hope this helps!

[lindy]

I found a point of access on the underside of my trl I wasn't even looking for. FR had put a small 4"x4" vent similar to the one for the battery compartment door vent. Took some screen material 2 layers and removed the vent and put it under the vent. Mice need the smallest opening and this vent provided it.

[camper007]

If you can put your finger in it, a mouse can get in it. I put steel wool around all opening's. They don't like to chew that stuff. Inside we use bounce sheet's, and i throw a few mothball's under the trailer for the winter. (Canada eh) Seem's to be working just fine.