Continual war against mice!

[formerFR]

I've found that I have chipmunks. They are like the squirrels, which like big nuts, get open the shell, eat the nut, leave the shells. They are like mice, which can easily get into quite small spaces and thru tiny holes. I never see them, but I find their leftovers quite often : )

[dbledan]

Originally Posted by formerFR

I've found that I have chipmunks. They are like the squirrels, which like big nuts, get open the shell, eat the nut, leave the shells. They are like mice, which can easily get into quite small spaces and thru tiny holes. I never see them, but I find their leftovers quite often : )

I store my RV in a paved storage lot. Several of the storage tenants have mice but not me. Peppermint oil has worked so far.

Had issues with chipmunks at home once. They chewed through speaker wire, low voltage lighting wire, the plastic around the transformer, even my 110v wire that was outside of conduit where it had disconnected. Not sure how they survived that. Did everything to stop them, sprays, ultrasonic deals, traps to relocate them, all kinds of contraptions.

If they continue to be a problem fill a bucket with water about an inch from the top and cover with a layer of sunflower seeds. Place a small ramp to the top. Check bucket daily for cleaning and replace seeds as needed. It didnt bother the squirrels who were not causing electrical shorts.

[jimmoore13]

I've had great luck with Fresh Cab repellent.

My dogs ignore this stuff. It smells a bit like a cedar closet....different, herbal, but similar in character. It's pleasant. Bags can be tossed in deep corners and tend to stay put.

Foam is not a barrier. Rodents' teeth are just shy of steel on the hardness scale. Aluminum is not a barrier.
Steel wool embedded in foam may work if installed carefully. It must be attached so it can't be pulled out.
Steel - not aluminum - flashing and/or "hardware cloth" is a barrier.

ANY food or moisture is a big draw. Access to shelter is a big draw. Exclusion and "sanitation" are the best defense, but a repellent signals an inhospitable environment. We are swarmed with rodents...mostly mice, chipmunks and squirrels. We have none invading our PUP.

I trained pest control professionals.

Good luck.

[tosh99]

I don't have issues with my RV or boat in storage but I have used a product called Critter Ridder at my condo to keep cats off of the roof. There are other brands also at the big box stores that work on all types of critters.


A You Tube mechanic swears by a multi frequency rat deterrent that keeps mice and rats out of his house and cars in the winter time. He claims that the multi frequency keeps them guessing so they don't return.

[bareftn]

my mouse trap

[dthomso1]

Originally Posted by Polesetter

Came across this product called Mouse free I sprayed it on today going to see how well it works it’s supposed to last one year if you trailer and two years if you are parked. Check it out at www.mousefree.com it had a nice peppermint smell.

I hope you have better luck with this product than I did. I carefully and completely sprayed my unit for three consecutive years and still had mice every year. No obvious entry points, they can seemingly get in at will. I think the damnable mousefree stuff attractive attracted the little beasts! A total waste of time and money for me.

[Polesetter]

Originally Posted by dthomso1

I hope you have better luck with this product than I did. I carefully and completely sprayed my unit for three consecutive years and still had mice every year. No obvious entry points, they can seemingly get in at will. I think the damnable mousefree stuff attractive attracted the little beasts! A total waste of time and money for me.

Wow that’s not very encouraging...

[nomad297]

If you can slip a dime through an opening, a mouse can get through that opening. It is close to impossible to mouseproof an RV.

Bruce

[spock123]

I have never had a problem with mice, I guess us moving the camper has something to do with that. I do have a problem with cats at home but I’m hoping mouse glue pads will keep the cats away

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by dnicoll

Now we have been using LOTS of Irish Spring soap in every drawer, compartment and in paper plates throughout the RV.

I had a bar of Irish spring in a drawer over the winter last year. Came back in the spring to find half the bar eaten with droppings all over. So it obviously didn't work. A friend of mine says they may have changed the formula.

Originally Posted by Freetyme

Original Bounce fabric softener sheets. We put them everywhere, especially where plumbing or electric runs through the pass through etc. Camper smells fresh all season after removal in Spring. Been working, although we may not have a huge mouse population to begin with.

We've always used Downy fabric softener sheets and had good luck with them. The only places they really got into were the few places we missed with the sheets. They chewed up TP in one of our bathroom cabinets, and a pair of cheap work gloves in a storage compartment.

[Teetime]

Four previous campers parked in Missourah, never had a mouse problem...am I just lucky?

Perhaps all the predators take care of them.

[Chazman]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

I had a bar of Irish spring in a drawer over the winter last year. Came back in the spring to find half the bar eaten with droppings all over. So it obviously didn't work. A friend of mine says they may have changed the formula.



We've always used Downy fabric softener sheets and had good luck with them. The only places they really got into were the few places we missed with the sheets. They chewed up TP in one of our bathroom cabinets, and a pair of cheap work gloves in a storage compartment.

OR..... they could be Irish mice. And I can say that because I'm part Irish.

[MadDog2020]

I use Fresh Cab as well. Seems to work for me in the trailer. I also put a bag in a mesh screen under the hood of my truck. No more rat droppings or chewing on the cabin filter.

[Thurman]

A trick when using a spray foam to fill in around almost anything that protrudes a wall or floor, it is recommended NOT to use spray foam around electrical wiring as the foam will compromise the outer plastic jacket of wiring. Go to a store that sells clear plastic tubing and find tubing that will just slip onto the spray nozzle of the spray foam, purchase maybe three (3) feet of this. Also find either 1/4" or 3/8" wooden dowel rod and purchase one piece. Prepare all the places you intend to spray this foam into. Once you spray this foam into the tubing it will try to set up quickly so be prepared to move to another area quickly. Determine a length of tubing for each job and cut to the maximum length needed. Place the dowel rod next to the tubing with the ends or each next to each other and tape to tubing to the dowel rod leaving the excess rod protruding past the can. This will aid in locating the end of the tubing at the spray site. Place the end of the tubing at the spray site and spray the opening then move on to the next site if applicable. I have used this method in my "Household HandyMan" business for over ten (10) years successfully. I have even used this method to place spray foam under plastic or fiberglass bath tubs to prevent that "soft" feeling when stepping into the tub area. A note about using a type of "wool" to seal up openings-I like to use the brass type "steel wool" product as it will not rust, is easily available, and is easy to work with. I have found, through experience that using any of the plastic type woven products, such as a pot scrubber, will not deter mice. They easily eat through it. Stainless woven wool products work but in my area they are hard to find. I have personally had the squirrel/LP gas line problem as they have eaten through my rubber supply hose between the tanks and the manifold under the TT twice now. I used a brass coupling with screw type hose clamps to repair both areas then slipped a washing machine drain hose over the rubber hose from just beneath the regulator to as far back as the drain hose is long. For some reason, thankfully, the squirrels have not tried to eat through the washing machine drain hose.

[Danwilly]

My son distributes dryer softener sheets around his trailer and it seems to work for him so I am doing the same for this winter.

[Dan n Gerda]

Originally Posted by johndeereman

I have always tried to seal every entry point that I can find on my camper - screens over furnace openings, over refrigerator grid, etc. Last year, I took off the access panel on the bath tub to see that the opening in the floor for the drain had not been sealed at the factory - big surprise! Thought I had them all sealed last year, but still caught mice inside in traps. Today while winterizing, I discovered that the openings where the vent stacks for the black & gray water tanks go through the floor were not sealed either. I was able to slide a can of Great Stuff foam between the black water tank and the floor to spray the opening. I was able to reach the other one through the access hole on the tub, although it was difficult. I also spray some Great Stuff in the bottom corners of the slideout. Well, I'll find out as I monitor the mouse traps in the camper every few days this winter. It is really irritating that the factory didn't take 5 minutes to seal these openings!

Have Mouse Free sprayed under your RV (about $200)! Only do it yourself if you don’t go light and know what the heck you are doing! $200 is the price we paid and it’s extra thick and leaves no area uncovered! Lasts about a year unless you drive and dive through lots of water! Then I recommend 100% peppermint oil in a KCup with a single cotton ball! A drop of Peppermint oil will do and it’s not inexpensive! Get it on Amazon—best deal for a 4oz bottle that lasts! Put the cups in your outside storage compartments 1 each is enough! A very few inside but take them out a couple of days before you hit the road! Recharge them with peppermint oil at least 1 time a month! Then plug any difficult openings with steel wool! Keep using mouse traps but fewer in strategic places! Nutty peanut butter—just a dab will do you! It’s the only combination that’s works for us! Dan

[jergeod]

I have tried all the normal deterrence nothing seem to work. Then on one of the forums I found using rat and mice bait I get off the internet in a 5 gallon pail these little blocks have a hole in the middle I take a piece of wire and put 4or5 blocks on The Wire and put them in 2 inch PVC pipe that I have cut to 1 foot Bend and wires up on the pipe and lay them next to the tires. I have them also around my garage and house outside and I have no more mice. Works great no animals can get in except rats or mice so you don't have to worry about poisoning something else.

[framatome1030]

put a cat in the trailer, problem solved

[Chester Hill]

I live in a very rural area and mice are a constant issue. I read that mice do not like light, so last season, when we owned a 29' camping trailer, I ran LED lights,(2),under the camper on a timer for the night. Costs $1.50/month to run the lights 14 hours/night.Never had any mice, (that we know of.) Now I have a 390QS motor coach and am going to do the same. Found some areas in the basement of the coach that needed sealing recently & took care of them. Do not think you can find every last opening in the vehicles no matter hard you try. Will let you know as the winter progresses, how the lights are working.

[wabakami]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

I had a bar of Irish spring in a drawer over the winter last year. Came back in the spring to find half the bar eaten with droppings all over. So it obviously didn't work. A friend of mine says they may have changed the formula.


We've always used Downy fabric softener sheets and had good luck with them. The only places they really got into were the few places we missed with the sheets. They chewed up TP in one of our bathroom cabinets, and a pair of cheap work gloves in a storage compartment.

I've always chuckled over the Irish Spring thing, 2 or 3 times over the four years we've owned this trailer we have forgotten to remove the soap in the bathroom, lo and behold, come spring it is half eaten.

Maybe the Canadian formula is different from the US brand?


Geoff
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