Mice Already

[jtintx]

I can't believe it...I've only taken the TT out once and took virtually no food. I set traps once home and didn't even bait them because I didn't want to attract mice. There was a mouse in one of the traps. I feel sick...

[Crankshaft]

Originally Posted by jtintx

I can't believe it...I've only taken the TT out once and took virtually no food. I set traps once home and didn't even bait them because I didn't want to attract mice. There was a mouse in one of the traps. I feel sick...

Yep! Looking for a warm spot for the winter. Go to Lowes or HD a get a can of sealant foam. Go through your trailer from the interior and exterior looking for gaps especially where wires and propane lines enter the trailer. Foam the gaps real good but take into consideration that the foam really expands within a minute or less. Then set your traps to get the last of the varmits.

[DXSMac]

Or get a cat! My cat was good at catching them!

[EastlakeRoo]

Yah, I have been thinking about the mice issue as well. Our trailer is stationary and while we haven't had any problems nor seen any issues with mice several neighbors have been having issues with mice getting into their trailers over winter.

There are so many remedies available online from bounce (regular scent) dryer sheets to electronic controlled devices you plug in that is suppose to discourage them from getting in but I'm not sure if there is a 100% proven method to rid them.

What I did already

* already went around outside of trailer filling in gaps with spray foam.

* have 3 electronic mice devices plugged into outlets throughout the trailer.
These are on all the time now but when winter comes they will be off as
electric will be shut off.

What I'm planning to do:

* eliminate all food within trailer.

* try the bounce dryer sheets method. Will buy a box and place throughout various
corners of trailer.

* once trailer cover is on, will put a few moth balls under outside side skirts of trailer
hoping the smell will discourage them.
Will use regular scent on outside and cedar smell on inside. (Drug Mart has these)

I have read that Pepermint Oil 100% works on cottom balls but the price is very
expensive so I guess we will try what I mentioned above to see how it goes.

Hopefully no issues.

[KyDan]

Good luck everyone!
Mice are a problem for lots of folks not just RVers.

Some thoughts from an old guy.... me!

It's not always about food. Sometimes they just want a nice dry "safe"
place to build a nest. They can go out for food! Example- I've found
mouse nests in my lawn mower. No food there. Also found nests in a
outdoor shed with power equipment hand tools, shovels etc no food there.

If you don't worry about cats or kids you can put mouse poison trays
around outside under your trailer. This will usually take them out before they
go in.

We had issues with mice getting in our home every fall- about this
time of year. We have a covered deck in back and I suspected they
were getting in somehow under there. I now place poison under the deck
all year and renew it in the fall. No mice in the house the last 5 years.

I found one entry where mice had chewed a hole in vinyl siding and
then chewed thru 3/4 foam board and got in. I stuffed that hole with
steel wool. They don't like to chew steel wool.

Good luck!

[Rad]

Originally Posted by KyDan

Good luck everyone!
Mice are a problem for lots of folks not just RVers.

They don't like to chew steel wool.

Good luck!

FYI -- steel wool is quite flammable and can be dangerous as a hole plug! Steel wool has even been known to spontaneously combust.
So be careful!

"During the production of steel wool, a slicing tool shaves fine threads of metal, which produces a tremendous amount of heat. To reduce the chance of fire and lessen friction, the slicing tool is kept cool with oil, but this means the steel wool itself contains some oil, which makes it highly flammable and likely to spontaneously combust later on.
Keep steel wool away from open flames and any kind of electrical or mechanical spark -- unless you want to start a fire. You might consider bringing steel wool on a camping trip because you can use it to start a fire even if it's wet. Simply hold one part of the steel wool to the positive end of a battery and another part to the negative end. Rubbing the two terminals of a 9-volt battery against the steel wool works well too. Just don't keep the battery and the steel wool together in your pocket or pack or they could start a fire on their own!".

[Lynkage]

No matter what, there will be water close by. That is the primary reason they build where they do.

Take away the water source and they will leave. Not typically an easy thing to do.

Other than that, what the others have said is good practice. Clean is best.

Good Luck!

[KyDan]

Wow! I know what you're talking about : oxidation creating heat but....
I have been using steel wool to finish sand various wood varnishes for
40 years. It's comes in little "bales" wrapped in card board.
Never have I seen one with a caution on it..... it's also definitely -not- oily.
If they're using oil in the manufacturing process they are degreasing it B 4
packaging.

You could go buy a copper scrubbie and stuff that in a mouse hole.
They probably wouldn't chew that either.

[Arefbee]

Tried putting chunks of Irish Spring in every possible concealment area last year and had no issues after. Also used an ultrasonic device but the thing to remember there is it does not work through walls so they can still be inside crawl spaces.

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by KyDan

Good luck everyone!
Mice are a problem for lots of folks not just RVers.

Some thoughts from an old guy.... me!

It's not always about food. Sometimes they just want a nice dry "safe"
place to build a nest. They can go out for food! Example- I've found
mouse nests in my lawn mower. No food there. Also found nests in a
outdoor shed with power equipment hand tools, shovels etc no food there.

If you don't worry about cats or kids you can put mouse poison trays
around outside under your trailer. This will usually take them out before they
go in.

We had issues with mice getting in our home every fall- about this
time of year. We have a covered deck in back and I suspected they
were getting in somehow under there. I now place poison under the deck
all year and renew it in the fall. No mice in the house the last 5 years.

I found one entry where mice had chewed a hole in vinyl siding and
then chewed thru 3/4 foam board and got in. I stuffed that hole with
steel wool. They don't like to chew steel wool.

Good luck!

You are right. They will build almost anywhere. I once found that mice had built a nest in a manual typewriter. They pulled out the ribbon into a ball and added some chewed-up paper to that. One mouse was still in there when I discovered it. This was in a cabin at a summer camp where I was employed many years ago.

[Arefbee]

Speaking of food, the little buggers love a nice bird feeder nearby. If you have one, move it away from the TT would be an idea.
They also like some paper towels in the trailer to make a bed, as well as bedding, etc. We keep all that in storage bins when not in use.

Based on how interested our pooch got in the area, I also leave the stabilizers up, leaving just the wheels as "easy" access points. That protects the stabilizers in case a tire or two decide to go flat when you are not around.

[AMarrs]

Never had mice in the camper but had a bad problem with mice in the house several years ago. Didn't want to put out poison since I have a dog, plus they always manage to die where you can't find them - you can only smell them. I tried traps but they ignored them. My dog turned out to be a good mouser but she couldn't keep up. I found a mouse repellent online at Gardeners Supply (Gardener's Supply Company | Garden Tools, Planters, and More). It's called Mouse Magic & is made of ground up corn cobs soaked in peppermint & spearmint oil. It's non-toxic & smells good. You can purchase it in bulk to sprinkle in various places or in packets (sort of like large tea bags) that you can put where the mice travel. I used both. Put some of the bulk in small dishes or made my own "sachets" with old stockings. The mice disappeared shortly after I started using it & I haven't had any problems since.

[sherman12]

AMarrs, great tip on the mouse magic. I've used whole cloves, dryer sheets, moth balls, poison blocks outside by the wheels etc., indoor traps with dog food kibble in case they do get in, all by varying degree and combinations. Spring 2012 I went to get my Allegro out of storage (bought the Georgetown July 2012) and the generator wouldn't start. Two problems, the house batteries were shot and...mice had set up camp in the genny's wire harness and armature winding. They chewed through a wire leading to the ignition. The shop that found and fixed the genset had to remove it from the motor home to find and repair it. I stored the GT at a different location last year with fingers crossed! Plan on ordering the Mouse Magic.

[rattleNsmoke]

I had a large opening where my brake lines entered the bottom thru the choroplast liner. The foam was dried up, brittle and missing chunks. I balled up steel wool, globbed silicone adhesive in the hole and pushed the steel wool in. It should outlast expanding foam. I hope I don't blow up now.

[jdadoug]

Originally Posted by DXSMac

Or get a cat! My cat was good at catching them!

Was good........what happened the cat?
jdadoug

[Dovetail]

I stored my d in laws car while she is in afghanistan. Went out to start it and would not go, battery ok just nothing to the ignition. Long story short, had it towed to to dealer. Replacing a lot of the wiring, guess mice like to eat wire!

[fiddler63]

Regarding preps for mice, ...This may sound silly, but along with the usual assortment of steel wool, mothballs and dryer sheets, it think I'm going to get a few rubber snakes from the dollar store and pit them in the "cozy" areas. Might scare the daylights out of one or two mice
I saw a tv show about people living as trappers up in Alaska, and one guy boiled his snare wire to get rid of the scent of human. Maybe I'll try that too. (Boiling the rubber snakes)

Worst that can happen is that next spring, I'll forget that they are there and scare the crap out of myself. Or, to add insult to injury, the mice might eat them....LOL

[rbneron]

If the rubber snakes make you feel better, go for it, but don't expect them to scare away any mice. Mice are nocturnal and primarily rely on touch and smell to get around; they'll walk right up to a live snake! I believe your money is better spent on preventive measures.

Earlier in the thread, it was mentioned to block holes with steel wool. It will rust. For large holes, stainless steel scouring pads can work, but if the holes are that large, question why the hole is that big to begin with.

[David 01]

moth balls, mothballs and a couple more moth balls. All placed inside the trailer keeps all the rodents out! I tried them in my shed last year as well, no mice nesting in the lawn mower!

[Windywest]

Over the past year, we've had 3 mice. Dryer sheets don't work, one of the mice made a nest out of one, and the mothballs around my wheels seem to have been used as mouse soccer balls. Last week we bought a box of Fresh Cab mouse repellant, the box has 4 packs, each pack lasts about 90 days. So far, so good. Fresh Cab All Natural Rodent Repellent, Control Mice Fast, Safe | Earth-kind.com